Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30
SAYS D. c. GREED
KEEPS CLERKS OUT
Writer to Star BIames Avarice
of Residents for Govern
! ment's Clerical Problem.
TIC the Editor OF Tie star:


There have been several recent
articles in The star slightly criticisins
the attitude OF the newly arrived gov
ernment clerks in the matter OF the
housing problem. These articles have
evidently been written by an 'insideT
looking out at the incoming hofdes-
! would like to present the case from
the viewpoint of an outsider" looking
in on an exhibition of grasping aTarlce
on the part of many residents OF this
city.
First. we will take up the desire Of
these clerks to live in the northwest
section of the city. The average eleFtI
comes to Washington with absolutely
no knowledge of the city, and one pof-
tion thereof appears as desirable as
another. 1t is a matter Of hours III
the newly arrived one is told the NORTH
west is the only residential portlohi
told so by nearly all whom he or she
may meet. real estate dealers, people
with rooms to rent Gin northwest old
and new acquaintance. that the hor.h,
east. southeast, southwest are peopied
by the foreign element. our colored
brethren, the song-aHd-storied poor
white trash and the undesirable cit
lien from Il social and moral stand
point.
Fear Taking Chances.
The new clerk. if woman. does not
care to take any unnecessary chances
in the matter of living quarters, ana
when the error as to other parts OF tue
city is discovered, there arises the
question Of transportation to and from
work, so that selection again narroWs
down to the northwest
With all due respect to the adverse
conditions under which the street RAN
way companies are laboring,- the TACT
he MT
good. Government offices open at
certain hour. Clerks not at the ofhce
on time are tardy, no matter what the
hindering causes may be. Ones own
feet are usually reliable. therefore a
room within walking distance Cor a
radius of a mile) is desired When a
government worker has stood up IN
Frequently unheated cars for an hour
or so in the morning, and not sure dur
ing all this, of being on time at the
office. can you blame him for at least
trying to live close to his work?
second. Washington is the seat of
government. but the word patriotlsm
is held to apply to the other fellow,
and il is a thing apart from admitting
strangers into the home. And in this
no one can blame them.
But. when the private home is opened
to the stranger, why gouge clear to
the bone? Rents have not especially
increased for the average class of
private dwellings. yet many Washing
tonianS are now renting their attic
rooms for as much or more than they
pay for their entire house. We will
admit coal is high. and maybe hard to
get, but why take ii all out on the
stranger within the gates?
Seek to Recoup.
Washingtonians may have been
gouged in the past themselves, and SO
much that they now seize the oppor-
tunity TO recoup. But in time of war
when so many new people from all
over the United States are being
ordered here. is it fair to these new
Corners to turn them over for the ma
tixeS to fatten on? Possibly some of
the blame for the imitation of prices
can be traced to the earlier of the war
arrivals. officers. agents. politicians, all
with money. and willing to pay the
those with money, but how about the
officer with but his salary and the poor
government clerk?
This is not a brief for or against
money, but late Corners in this city are
paying through the nose for the finan-
cial errors of their predecessors. All
that it is necessary to do to verify this
they pay and the rents they charge
Here is the nub of the clerical discon-
tent. the newcomers are willing to pay,
but they very naturally object to being
exploited Instances are numerous in
the apartment houses and apartment
hotels where Iessees are subletting all
or part OF their apartments at prices
that allow them 500, more or less, for
the use of their furniture. And cases of
householders whose profit on their
rooms exceeds good salary are not
uncommon.