Evening star., 1915-06-16
HOUSING PROBLEM
DUE TO POOR PAY
Correspondent of The Star
Makes Appeal for Low Sal
aried Government Clerks.
CITES HIGHER LIVING COST
WITH NO WAGE INCREASE
Declares Only Benevolently Inclined
People With Means or Congress
Can Remedy Conditions.
n The Editor Of The Star.

Odu neucuy CouultlOuS
II rhe Editor of The star:
Because of the serious problem of
proper housing that Confronts the
small-p pa id government clerk without a
family an increase in the salaries of
this class of workers is imperative if
their welfare is not to be neglected
The fact that unmarried clerks receiv-
ing less than 81 2ou year are obliged
to endure the privations of roomng
houses because the rentals in Wash
ington are so high that a suita Bile
small apartment cannot he afforded
would of itself seem to warSant an in
crease in compensation.
In a lecture given not long ago at the
Public Library il was charged that the
capital was sha bby city and the as
sertion is driven home when the hous-
Ing conditions of people compelled to
sublet rooms in private residences are
inspected 1nstilling. a this manner of
living does. lack of interest in ones
surroundings. rooming and boarding
house patronage the size of that In
Washington is not a healthy condition
for any community whose welfare
largely depends on the civic interest of
its residents,
Discussing the housing problem of
the government clerk. writer in the
Observer Vol: /: No. 1. Washington.
d. c. for July. 1918. asserts that the
question of proper housing that con-
fronts the clerk without a family with
whom a home can be made. and re-
ceiving less than $1,000 annually. is
undou ed1y as serious as that which
unskilled laborers faced before the
Washington Sanitary Improvement
Company. a semi-philanthropic concern
identified with the work of the Presi-
dents home commission appointed in
1907. provided over million dollars
worth of sanitary homes for Washing
tons day laborers at rentals within
their means.
Apartment Rentals Too High.
To rent a desirabl kitchenette or
bachelor apartment of two three
rooms in Washington would require a
larger slice from the government
clerks pay envelope than could well
be spared. AS no more than one-quar-
ter-some say ne-hfth-of an income
should be expended for rent, the gov
ernment employe earning but $50, SIS
or Ss4 month cannot pay more than
Sl5. SIS or S21 month fo~ rent. One
could virtually f1ne-comb the city with
out result for suta BILE small suites at
these rentals.
careful investigation of housing
conditions here shows that one-room
apartments in modern high class apart
ment houses can be obtained for as
low as $3.50 a month. These suites
have no facilities for light housekeep-
Ing and are situated in the most un-
desira BILE part of the building, where
light. air and view are seriously re-
stricted.
For sls and s21 there are suites of
one room and kitchenette in modern
buildings. but the renting inducements
are apparently unattractive as there
are always vacancies. The kitchen
cites of some Of these apartments de-
pend for light and air upon the bath
room and all Of these suites are in
the back of the building with no out
look except upon unsightly back yards
For s25 and $50 attractive two-room
and kitchenette apartments can be OBJ
tained. but few persons earning the
salaries mentioned above care to live
beyond their means by paying such
rentals. II apartments of this kiad
are shared by companions living to-
Rether to bear the cost OF expenses
and requiring separate sleeping rooms
both rooms must be used for bedrooms
which meals can be served or callers
received.
Have to Sublet a Room.
In the elevator apartment buildings
erected recently on 18th street norta-
west the minimum rental of suite
having three rooms and kitchen is $50
and one having two rooms and kitch-
en-. $3.50. Renting apartment for
$50. companions living together to
share expenses would have to pay s25
each for rent and extra for light and
service That some tenants of these
apartments are compelled to subIet a
room of their suites to meet expenses
by-y he od1 ~
appear in the papers. In the non-ele-
vator apartments. s35 and $40 is the
minimum rental of four-room suites,
a figure that cannot he afforded by
clerks unable TO pay more than the
price asked for furnished room.
While or the outskirts of some cities
such as New York. where. on the sub
way in the Bronx, there many
modern apartments of two, three and
four rooms which rent for s18 and SEQ
two or three room kitchenette suite
could not be obtained in Washington
for such rental There are. how
ever. apartments of four Ave rooms
in some neighborhoods here. in
other cities, that can be rented for SIS
and $50.
From a study OF the problem the in
ference has been drawn by the writer
that there is a disposition to provide
only small apartments for which high
-entals can be obtained Apparently
builders are endeavorlng to attract
people mo can anord 10 rent houses
and retain servants. but who find the
high-priced small suite less expensive
and troublesome. There is seemingly
10 attraction for capital to provide
small suites at moderate rentals while
high rents can be obtained.
With a view TO Interesting the real
estate field in the housing needs of the
single government clerk the writer pre-
pared a series of articles which an
peared in the real estate section of The
Star Of October "a and January 30
last describing type of house de-
signed for small saIaried clerks and
teachers which has proved a paying
proposition in another city where the
population. like Washington. In made
UP of a large number of office work