New-York tribune., 1917-11-25
Federal Payroll
Growing Rapidly
10000 Employees Engaged
in Washington Since
War Began

WASHINGTON. Nov. 24-Approxi-
mately 10000 employees have been add
ed to the governments payroll in
Washington since the war began. It's
estimated that the population of the
national capital has increased more
than 10000.
The War Department leads in the
additions 70 clerical forces since the
beginning of the war. Since April 8
the War Department has added approx
imately $500 names 20 its roster OF
Washington employees.
The clerical force of the Navy De-
partment is to-day substantially double
that at the beginning of the war.
About $500 employees have been added,
this number including around 500 "yeo-
women" who have enlisted in the navy
and are now assigned TO clerical du-
ties.
Independent bureaus have employed
many hundred clerks, typists and
stenOgrsphers. The food sdruinistrs-
tion now uses force of nearly one
thousand. The War Trade Board en-
ploys more than seven hundred; the
fuel administration now employs about
one hundred clerks, and the Council
Of National Defence and the Red
Cross have engaged. approximately
one thousand four hundred persons,
who are divided about equally between
the two organizations. Wartime print
Ing has added materially TO the large
force OF the Government Printing Office,
and il is estimated that additions 10 the
other departments will run the total
number of new government workers to
twenty thousand.
Approximate figures show that more
than $1,000 persons are now employed
by the government in Washington.
When a count was taken in all depart
ments for the regular issue of the
Blue Book in 1915 the number of
Washington employees was little more
than $4,000
The housing Of its enlarged bureaus
has been a problem for the govern
ment since the declaration of war
Dozens of rented buildings are to-day
being used. Within the past few days
the government found it necessary TO
lease the whole OF an eight-story Office
building for the War Trade Board. The
old Department of Justice Building
was quite inadequate.
In its search for room the govern
ment has found 1t advisable 10 rent
even apartment houses. An apartment
house at Fifteenth and VI streets was
rented in it's entirety before compile
ton and the cantonment division OF
the Quartermaster Corps moved in as
the plastered walls were drying.
Rapidly expanding bureaus and com
missions have made necessary the con-
struction Of several buildings for the
accommodation of government Offices.
These buildings have been hurriedly
but substantially constructed on gov
ernment land near Potomac Park. The
buildings erected are not unlike those
NJ the National Army cautonments.
The Council Of National Defence, the
food administration and the American
Red Cross ian overflow section OF the
lntter) have recently moved into these
wartime structures. Il is still neces-
sarv. however. TO rent buildings IN
various sections OF Washington and
the bureaus Of some departments may
be found in widely scattered areas.
In addition to the thousands Of paid
government employees who have recent
ly come TO Washington, the city is
peopled now with hundreds Of reserve
officers. business men who have volun-
teered TO work for 81 year con-
tractors and the families of those who
have been called 20 Washington for
the duration Of the war.
The wartime congestion Of Wash
ington is also increased by the prox-
unity OF training camps where thou
sands Of soldiers are now stationed
About $4,000 men in training are sta
toned at Camp Meade, Maryland.
twenty miles distant from the capital
At Quantico several thousand marines
are in training. and at Fort Myer and
American University student officers.
and engineers, respectively, are pre-
pairing for war.