The Washington times., 1917-12-11

ShdlA apartments are DaQly nceQeQ
and asked them what can be done to
convert houses into apartments. Mr..
Shannon said today that his organiza
tion has up with District authorities
the question of temporarily removing
the strict building regulations that
prevent conversion OF three-story and
other buildings into apartments ex-
cept at the heaviest possible expense
III the authorities will relax these
rules we are sure that we can change
many three-story houses into apart.
; nents at comparatively small,
expense to the owners" said Mr.. Shan
non, but the District will have to
neip us quickly II we are to help the
/ Government, as we desire to do.
Our canvass of the situation makes
us satisfied that we can continue to
handle the people coming here, and II
O the congestion becomes too great we
will ask the District CommIssionc- -
/ to appeal to the people to open their
homes as a patriotic act. and we De
lieve they will do 1t. That is not
necessary at this moment, especially
IL unnecessary building regulations
arc waived and house owners given
the chance to turn their properties
into apartments"
Convention Goes Away.
The biannual convention of the In
'ternational Association OF BriclIlayers,
Mssons and Plasterers, TO have been
held in this city January IL to 26,
bringing COO delegates and visitors,
must go elsewhere because hotel ac-
commodations cannot be found. a
convention committee OF the local or
,Fz aGcfEFad hN.
Tom Grant, Of the Chamber OF Com
merce. had all plans arranged for the
convention. including beautiful SOU
venir badges, programs, and illus
trated history of Washington. The
hotel which had promised accommo-
dations months ago, found itself un-
able to provide the 800 rooms asked
for. and the convention will now go
to st. Louis or Springfield, Mass.
The local convention committee
consisted Of John Il. Gleason, chair
man; Maurice a. Wolfe. secretary;
James A. Brosnahan, Norman Ditzler.
NJ. l. McNulty, Charles Stewart, Ray
mond Pumphrey, NJ. ]. Dunnigan,
william Turner. James SpaiEht, John
l. Gleason, William Goddard. John
NlenmeIeTs " lllldUl hNA ldlls W IL
liam Pollard. Clarence Jarrett. vii
Donovan. Joseph o'Connor. and Fred
O'Connor.
"It is a big disappointment to US to
give up the convention" said Mr..
Wolfe. "but we have tried all over
the city for hotel accommodations.
We wired the international officers
that we would care for the delegates
in private homes, but they said the
men would prefer stopping at hotels
I've wanted to show the brick
layers OF the country some real brick
buildings. ] do not think it general
" known. for instance. that the pen
sion office in Washington is the
only absolutely fire-proof building IN
the world. everything in it being OF
brick. there are over $4,000. 900 bricks
in this building. Nothing in it could
hurn unless Il is the records. The
Government Printing Office is the
raIt1est all-bricE building in the
country. having over 1900 900 bricks
in its construction It Is fire proof"
BriekIayers ~ Fathers.
Secretary Wolfe asserted his belief
that Washington bricklayers hold the
worlds records as fathers and heads
OF families. There are 66O members
OF Bricklayers' Union. No. l." he said.
"and GOO of them are married. An
but fourteen Of these are fathers OF
from two to eleven children. Four
teen members OF the union have nine
or more children. OF the total mem
bership 400 are taxpayers. All OF us
are for suffrage in the District"
Reports from all over the city are
that rents OF office buildings are he
ing raised with rapidity. In a num-
ber Of buildings the rent OF offices
has doubled. The demand. II is said.
far exceeds the supply. The Govern
menCs taking over OF so many office
buildings. forcing tenants elsewhere
and causing them to bid high for Of
fee space. Is generally given as the
reason for the big advances. There
are many houses 10 rent, even II they
are not just what tenants are looking
for. but offices are almost out OF
reach today.