The Washington times., 1918-05-24
WILL
CONFER ON BILL
FOR HOUSING

the District for erecting house for
navy yard employees who cannot OBJ
tain houses now. The navy yard, so
soon as a number OF large work build
ings now going up are completed, will
want 1000 to 1900 more workers, and
they must be housed. Several plans
for doing this are under eonsidera-
tion. One Is the purchase Of ground
and erection OF buildings in the vi
cinity Of Nineteenth and East Capitol
streets so that the navy yard en-
plOyes may be in walking distance.
Another 80 the use for the same pur-
pose OF a fifty-acre tract OF land on
Nichols avenut. Congress Heights,
belonging to the Government, having
been used for some years as a farm
for the Hospital for the Insane. This
tract has been recommended by the
bureau OF housing, but the Hospital
for the Insane is making objections on
the ground that the products of the
farm. only q part OF which is under
cultivation this year, owing TO the
scarcity OF farm labor, are used for
making ensilage for the dairy.
Upon this site Il Is proposed to
erect suitable homes that may be
sold by the Government to workers.
The Washington Steel and Ordnance
Company, located at Giesboro Point,
Is only a short distance away from
this farm. and part OF the construc-
ton was to aid in housing workers
for this concern, making munitions
for the Government, and thousands
OF men short Of the number needed
to turn out its quota OF supplies.
The matter is under consideration.
the claim being made that the farm
n mnnrnFffah1a n
the government, and that Il will be
a waste OF government funds to buy
lands elsewhere when this site, not
properly utilized for years. could now
b0 made to play it's part in the Gov
ernment's war building aims. Con-
Eress Heights is a short car ride
from the Navy Yard.
Fer Alley Population
The last paragraph OF the housing
bill provides that the expenditures in
the District Of Columbia shall be
made with a view to caring for the
alley population OF the District when
the war is over, so far as II may be
done. This is another problem the
President and his advisers must
work out
or the four sites so far chosen for
erection of dOrmitories in the Dis
trict. upon only one could be placed
buildings that might be used for
housing the alley population after the
war. This is on the two squares
bounded by Fourteenth, Fifteenth
and r streets and Ohio avenue. and
this 81 part OF the site bought by the
some years ago upon
which to erect buildings for the De-
partments OF State and Justice. The
purchase included all the squares be-
tween Pennsylvania avenue and the
Monument grounds, bounded on the
east by Fourteenth street and on the
west by Fifteenth. There would be a
big row in the Zine Arts Commission
and in Congress II a building should
be put up in this part OF the city
that would be permanently used for
housing.
The other sites recommended are
the plaza, between the Capitol and the
Union Station, where alley housing
after the war would not be tolerated:
a portion OF the Monument grounds,
and a tract in Potomac Park. west
Of the north end Of the railroad
bridge, near the foot OF Fourteenth
street The latter Swo sites will con-
tain temporary buildings only. The
are to be three stories high,
with terra Gotta walls and stucco
covering.