Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-02-13
WASHINGTON'S SURPLUS POPULA-
TION BEING HOUSED.

Signs or rellel went up from every
household in the country from which
young woman war worker" had
gone to Washington, when it was an
nounced that the national government
had taken over the housing problem"
in the nations capital.
President Wilson has set aside ST.,
600 a month from the emergency war
appropriation which he spends at his
discretion in carrying on the war, 10
assist Uncle Sans new employees to
find lodgings. This money is being
used by the District of Columbia
branch of the National Council OF
Defense to form an organization which
will make a survey of the rooming
and housing situation in Washington
This centralized bureau will be un-
der supervision Of the National Coun-
ell OF Defense. The action of the
President was due to the urgent solicit
tation of the Civil Service Commission
which has been finding it difficult to
get employees, owing to the idea gen
orally accepted throughout the coun
try that rooms in Washington were
impossible 10 obtain and that prices
were practically prohibitive for gov
eminent employees Bureau chiefs
who found their ablest employees re-
signing because of inability to
comfortable lodgings added their pleas
to those Of the Civil Service that
something" be done and the District
officials, realizing to the full tha'
washington's great opportunity might
/, jeopardized did she not succeed in
making the strangers comfortable,
have done yoeman service in attempt
ing to do away with a situation with
which thoy had no funds to cope.
Government officials thought the
City of Washington should cope with
the emergency which had increased
her population OF 900 by 100,0 900 in
q few months.
Had the Chamber of Commerce OF
the District of Columbia possessed the
funds available to the commercial or
CARNATIONS of large industrial cities
they could have managed without
Federal aid, but Washington has never
been manufacturing or commercial
center and her Chamber of Commerce
is comparatively poor.
A centralized rooming agency UNI
der Federal control will, ii is expect
ed. succeed in guiding the newcomer
[ n comfortable lodging and relieve
the anxiety of parents who wonder
how their young folk, especially
young women, are fairing in Wash
ington. A booth in charge of train
ed welfare worker has been placed in
the Union Station and is available
both day and night to direct Uncle
Sans prospective workers to comfort
able lodgings.
Business, religious, fraternal and
philanthropic organizations have tried
to solve the "Tooming problem" The
Young woman's Christian Association
and the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation were the only recognized agen-
cics in Washington at the beginning of
the war which attempted to find lodg-
inrs for newcomers.
The Chamber of Commerce also
tried to list rooms but found itself un-
able to pay persons for this important
service
The great need has been for a CEN
tralized agency. which the Presidents
appropriation will now provide. All
organizations which have been trying
in their own way to solve the "hous-
ing problem" will be asked to CO.
operate and it is expected that their
united efforts will clear up the situa-
ton.