The Washington herald., 1918-04-04
A Big Opportunity Coming.

that is it will be invited to join hands with Uncle
Sam in caring for the tens of thousands Of war
workers that he IS bringing here.
The Department OF Labor already is working
out plans which will give the people OF Washington
the biggest chance to reveal their public spirit and
their patriotism that has been given them
They will be asked to invest their money in
housing project to embark upon a cooperative
plan OF community housing.
In a comparatively short time the plan will be
disclosed In general outline it is this: The gov
crnmcnt will advance 50 per cent of the money
necessary to create the homes apartments, bar
racks and dormitories to for the increasing
tides OF government workers that coming to
the city. 1t will call upon the people OF Washing
invest the remaining per cent offering
from to A.! per cent interest How much money
the city will be called upon to devote to this pur
pose cannot be stated with certainty; it probably
will be in excess OF one million dollars and be less
than two.
Will Washington respond to the call? The gov
crnmcnt Is anxious to try the Community hous-
ing plan here. 1t is going to spend anywhere from
eight 10 ten million dollars in building the struc-
lures, and it Washington, for its own good
to have proprietary interest in them, particularly
as the plan embraces a 3 per cent amortization
scheme which will enable the rentce to gain full
title to his dwelling in period ranging from fifteen
twenty years. In other words, the government
is going TO meet the city four-hfths OF the way in
providing for the needs OF the present influx OF
population TO Washing ton-not a small part OF
which is going be permanent population.
\ moro generous proposal from the point OF
view OF civic interests could not be imagined
To be sure the government is only doing what it
might be compelled TO do in any evcnt-taking an
important step in assuring the efficiency OF its
new workers by giving them the housing in which
the city is decsively deficient. But the main
point. from the Washington viewpoint, is that the
government is going TO advance 80 per cent OF the
money needed to provide for the housing develop
mcnt that is urgently needed at this very moment
In doing this it is giving the current OF our civic
life an immense stimulus, and is taking the surcst
possible measure OF eliminating the prohtecring
which, although confined to few, already has done
much menace the good name OF the Capital and
bring the threat OF drastic legislative rcPrsal
heads.
There arc various seeming difficulties that stand
in the way First OF ALL it is not moncy-making
scheme, but a sale and sound investment that will
be offered the city. 1t will be placed before
almost on the same basis and the same logic the
liberty loan the savings stamps Back OF it
all Will be the slogan OF greater Washington,
including the promise OF a great new homecoming
population Every citizen who invests in the plan
will prove his patriotism and loyalty to Washing
ton we'll to the nation large.
Just how the invitation will be presented to
to the District Commissioners so as to give it
official status the Chamber of Commerce.
Board OF Trade, some other city organization
1t is possible it may be general public proposal
presented to the people in exactly the fashion
as the liberty loan campaign This detail remains
to be worked out.
The government is going to adopt this comml-
nifty plan because it already percevcs the fact that
it will be entirely unnecessary waste to erect
vast number of merely temporary structures
which Will be useless as soon as the emergency
has passed 1t is proceeding on the theory that
while the barracks and dormitories to be erected
to meet the immediate emergency doubtless will be
temporary shacks the homes and dwellings to be
built ought to be permanent. 1t no reason
why if private dealers build and sell houses it
cannot do also. 1t is going into the real
business because it has to do to meet emer-
sency. And it will invite the people Of Washington
go into it also.
1t goes without saying that the scale of rents
that the Department of Labor officials will establish
will be extremely reasonable and will to sta
bze the abnormal renting conditions existing
in the city. The government will be able to enter
upon such huge construction project without any
OF the hazards OF the private enterprise, and its
costs will be much lower, to the benefit Of all con-
cerned. The purchase or condemnation of land
necessary for the erection of these homes may
sion delay but construction should not be
forced to wait upon condemnation adjudication
As The Washington Herald pointed out yester-
day, the Department of Labor is going to be en-
barrassed by the restrictions which the House has
placed upon its appropriations for Washington
housing. Apparently every detail and specification
OF the plans will have to be approved by the Ap-
proprations Committee before the appropriation
ran be drawn upon. Whether this is done in accord
with a settled policy OF the Appropriations
Committee, merely in accordance with the gen.
eral Congressional principle that everything in the
way of development in Washington is to be viewed
with suspicion it is impossible to say Here is
, measure which is directly aimed to help govern
ment employees solve intolcrable condition exist
ing in this city, and thus to strike blow at the
prohteering which inevitably will continue as long
as the demand for looming accommodation far out.