The Washington herald., 1918-03-12
WORKERS MAY
FIND HOUSES
TN BALTIMORE
Rep. Linthicum Says Fast
Trains Would Help
Solve Problem.
RENT BILL AMENDED
Johnson Measure Will Be
Considered In House
Again Today.

Again Today.
Baltimore may come to the aid
OF Washington and help the Cap
itai City house her war popula-
ton.
Representative J. Charles Lin
thicum, of Maryland, during dis
cussion on Chairman Johnson's
anti-rent pro6teering bill in the
House yesterday, presented strong
argument to prove that the estab-
Gshment of a fast train service
between the two cities would
solve the rent problem, and in.
.cidentally save the government
from fifty to one hundred millions
OF dollars.
AII-day Debate
Members of the Lower House de-
voted all of yesterdays session
which was District Day to debate on
the bill and before adjournment
time had shorne it of several minor
Objectionable features.
Chairman Johnson stated last
night that his bill would be taken
UP immediately after morning
hUUl -, L. 4
win a favorable vote upon it be-
fore the day was over.
Progress OF consideration on the
bill was slow and it encountered
rough shedding" throughout the
day.
Representative Linthicum's novel
plan. one of three feasible ones ad-
Eanced by members. aroused con-
siderable interest. 1t is unlikely,
however. that it will be accepted
on the liberal scale which he sug-
gests.
Il suggest in all seriousness"
Representative Linthicum continued.
that the best method of solving
the rent problem in Washington is
TO arrange that the employees of the
government may find homes in
baltimore This can be accomplish
ed by having train or trains pro-
vided by the director of railways
TO run at the proper time from
Washington to Baltimore, and from
Baltimore to Washington, so that
the employees might be brought to
their work in the morning in time
and returned to their homes in the
evening at the proepr time.
Baltimore Has Rooms.
BY doing this they can go from
Baltimore to Washington ny the train
service Just as quickly as they can
come from the outlying sections of
Washington by the trolley service. 1t
will relieve the congestion in Wash
inEton. will distribute the employees
in another city and the rent problem
will solve itself by lessening the de-
mand for rooms and houses.
The living expense in Baltimore is
at least from 10 to Is per cent cheaper
than it is IN Washington. and lots of
homes and rooms are equally that
much lower.
The fare on the railroads will be
Sl669 per month. including the war
tax, and On the electric railroad. S1296
per month. including the war tax.
I'VE have a great many homes
where they would take in government
employees as members of the family.
providing them good accommodations
iand all the comforts Of home Our
hotels are not as expensive. but are
just as luxurious and good as any
city in the Union. In fact We have
just opened a new hotel which is sec
ond to but few in the land.
''I offer this proposition in all seri-
ousness as certain method of reduc-
ing prices and profiteering in this city.
] offer it as the answer to the high
cost Of living in Washington. I chal-
lenge any city in the country to pro-
duce cheaper market'faciIities and bet
ter housing facilities than the Monu-
mental City.
Beneht Government.
This would not only be a great
benefit to our metropolis, but it would
be a great benefit to the government
at large and to the city OF Washing
ton; in fact, it would save the ex-
pence Of building homes, which must
necessarily come unless some method
such as this is accepted.
Il make this suggestion because
do not think there is any doubt but
that it can be adopted by the govern
ment and save from S5O.O0O,OOO to
so. 900 900. I believe the people Of Bal
timore will be well satisfied and that
the government employees will live bet
ter than they could anywhere else
Il do hope that this suggestion will
not fall upon idle ears, but that it
may bear fruit and many more gov
ernment employees find a comfortable,
4 cheap and convenient home in our
great metropolis
Several of the members told per
sonal stories of how either themselves
or constituents had been gouged in the
renting OF property here, while a cou-
pie of others declared they had as yet
not noticed any cases OF the so-called
extortion-
Representative Tinkham, of Massa-
chusetts, who led the opposition to the
Johnson measure, pressed Chairman
johnson to tell him what percentage
Of real estate brokers and owners
were indulging in the profiteering prac-
tice. This he was unable to do. and
it was evident that a good portion OF
the members were unconvinced of the
necessity Of such a drastic bill, but
rather favored the Tinkham measure.
which would result in the appointment
Of a rent administrator.
Admires Johnson's Courage,
Representative Reed, Of West Vir-
ginia. complimented Chairman John
son on his courage in framing the
bill, which he declared was neces-
sary to curb ''the continuance of the
plying of this nefarious business
Of robbing soldiers who are de-
tenders of our flag and our coun-