Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-17

Sam is conducting q laundry business
of his own under
Three Government the most approved
sanitary condi-
Laundry Plants. tions. with up-to-
date machinery. His venture has been
so successful that he 10 in the business
to stay, and during the past year has
enlarged the plants along careful lines
for the uplift and solving of sanitary
problems concerning thousands Of gov
eminent employees. for more efficient
service and for the saving Of thousands
OF dollars.
These government laundry plants are
money-washing plant in the Treasury
Department-and are so housed and
constructed as to space. light and air.
as well as the most improved machin-
cry in the way OF sterilizing and dry
ing that in the event they are needed
in time of war they could readily. with
small additional expense. be turned
into sterilizing adjuncts to the military
hospital service; as two of the laun-
dries are now washing and sterilizing
the towels and other linens used in
the hospitals Of the bureaus Of which
they form a part.
The Post once Department laundry.
located in the new city post once
sterilizing plant for service to crowded
hospitals at a distance, owing to its
immediate proximity to the Washing
ton railroad terminal. with which 1t is
connected with a covered way. The
still larger plant in the government
printing Office Is only a block away.
and is connected with the city post
ONCE building by tunnel The largest
of these laundries. which is in the
bureau of engraving and printing, could
ha oil " NH n n q
to the base hospitals in the National
Capital.
That the problem of laundering for
the thousands OF persons in the employ
of Uncle Sam. including
Congress and senators and representa-
tives in Congress. is a
LIB 4oWels.very serious one may be
readily recognized from the fact that
during the closing session of the Sixty
fourth Congress. when the whole coun-
try was aroused and on the qui vive for
news Of the gigantic appropriation bills
under discussion for the army and navy.
and some action in the international
situation was awaited with bated
breath, in the House debate on the sun
dry civil bill, February 81. a lively
discussion was started on the lack OF
sanitarily washed towels. the personal
discomfort to the members suffered
thereby, and ways and means to rem
edy the evil.
Postmaster General Burleson. in his
annual report for the year ending June
30, 1916, says: TT Is the departments
desire to maintain not only living
wage for all its employees. but by the
adoption of every safety appliance pos
sible to establish sanitary and comfort
able working conditions for both de-
partmental and postal service en-
ployes."
when it was discovered that the en-
ployes were not getting the service
they needed in the way Of clean towels.
which were so essential to neatness as
well as sanitation in the work in the
different branches OF the department
laundries wished to combine to force
the department into paying too much
for service at contract price. Uncle
Sam believed he was being held up and
he was wrathy and decided he would
find a better and cheaper way.
During the fiscal year 1910 the de-
partment had paid aS cents per 100 to
have towels laundered
Suanae+ed by contract: in 1911 "a
= =. cents per luo, ana III
ComIlne. 1912 go cents per 100
However, in 1913 what appeared to be
a combine to force the department to
pay a higher price developed. the
loves. bid being IS cents per 100. and
the highest 81 per 100. The department
decided to go into business on its own
account purchased a small washing
machine and proceeded to do its own
laundry The cost was greatly re-
duced, the towels were better washed
and the supply was more adequate to
the needs of the clerks
From this small beginning grew the
light. airy. up-to-date laundry housed
in the city post office building since
last June, a model plant which not
only does the washing for the Post Of
Ace Department proper. but for the
city and branch post offices and equip.
ment shops. This plant consists OF
modern washing machines and modern
rotary drying machines which thor
oughiy steriiize: a mangle, clothes
racks for holding the articles after