The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-08-10

as has everything else. Originally $4,000 was
expected to build and equip a house suitably.
Lumber has gone up. Wages are higher. Furni-
ture is almost unattainable. Transportation is
difficult. Constant delays occur. Nevertheless
Hostess houses must be built. The appropria-
ton must be sufficient to cover all these diff
culties. Twenty-seven thousand dollars is not
too much to invest in one Of these hospitality
centers.
Even after the house is built, alterations and
additions must go on. The military sanitary
regulations must be fulfilled, even if they in
crease in severity. With summer comes the
screening necessary. Yet every house is worth
to the community and to the nation in general
all the money invested In 1t. OF the 100000
budget appropriated by the war work council Of
the Young Women's Christian association 81, $780,
600 is being devoted to Hostess houses.
Another work of the greatest importance which
has just been undertaken by the Young Wom-
ems Christian association is the housing of WON
en- workers in connection with our great indus
trial establishments. While this is not strictly
a new problem created by the war, the calling
Of many women workers to war service makes
the situation Immediately acute. Obviously the
providing of proper housing for these newly
called women workers, since 1t is, a part Of
the war program, must be done by the govern
ment. The Young Women's Christian associa-
ton Is now constructing, at its own expense, two
buildings as a demonstration one at Camp Sher
man Annex, Chillicothe, and another at Charles
ton, s. c., for the women employees in the navy
uniform factory. The latter is being built at
the request of Secretary Daniels. If the govern
ment shall decide to make provision for the
housing of its women workers, the Young Wom-
ems Christian association offers to provide the
needed social and recreational workers.
Based on its experience In housing girls dur
Ing the last 80 years, the association believes
that younger girls should be grouped where they
can have social life and an opportunity to en-
terrain their friends, and still be under some Of
the restrictions of the home; that older women
want independence of living, many of them
Objecting to living in large groups because of
the noise and confusion and ensuing fatigue and
that 1t is more successful to house non-English-
speaking foreign girls in small groups, until they
learn English and become used to American Gus
toms. t
The type "a" building, the permanent struc-
ture which the association is building at Charles
ton, is designed for use in places where only one
building will be erected.
The dining room and recreation hall. several
parlors, and bedrooms for Al girls are on the
first floor. There is but one entrance for the
residents. This makes 1t possible for the ma
iron or social head of the house, who is in the Of
fee near the door, to see everyone who comes
in or goes out.
The entrance hall is attractive and homelike.
Opening out of 1t are several parlors separated
from the hall by arches. To the right is an en-
trance to the wing containing the recreation hall
and dining room. These rooms are so arranged
that they can be thrown into one for a large
social gathering.
There are bedrooms for 81 girls on the sec
ond floor. There is also a sitting room sepa-
rated from the hall only by pillars. This is for
the use of the girls only. Next to this is a
small ewing room with facilities for sewing.
On the third floor are bedrooms for six girls,
an infrmary and a private bath.
In Industrial communities the buildings are
intended to be grouped as effectively as possible
with due regard to natural advantages. There
can, OF course, be as many units as are neces-
sary. 1t is also proposed to provide a number
Of three and four-family houses to accommodate
the elder women and the nom nglish-speakin
foreign girls. In all of these buildings an at
tempt has been made to use a style Of archj-
lecture which is distinctly American.