The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-10-16
WASHINGTON Is
CROWDED NEARLY
TO SUFFOCATTON
BY war WORKERS
Situation Is Tikened to
Pouring Quarr of Water
Into a Pint
my Associated Press.l }

washington. Oct. ls.-The south
ern constituent, who some three
years ago. rejected a hundred dol
lar-a-month job here in the capitol
without even going to work at it
/ because he considered the cost Of llv-
ing too high, must have been a man
Of prophetic vision. He created al
most national sensation among Job
hunters; politically, he was a curl
osity.
Sixteen years. a democrat in the
wilderness. with republicans in all
jobs. his party came into power. His
congressman paid back the years Of
loyalty with an appointment. But the
man took one look at Washington
and its living prices. and went back
to Georgia on the first train.
One is constrained TO wonder whas
he would do in Washington now.
Much has been written and said OF
the, congested conditions in war
busy Washington. Government Off
eials whose task it is to bring in war
workers have been eager not to have
the reports of crowdlng, drive away
hundreds OF folks badly needed. In
fact, they have made every effort
through organization of aids to new
comers to find homes for them. On
the other hand, real estate agents
and others beseiged by waves OF
homeless newcomers actually have
pleaded to have the country inform
ed that there is no more room.
A city, which. three years ago,
was estimated as having 5000 va
cant houses and 5000 vacant apart
nents, now&has not a single vacant
one. The search for homes. has ex-
tended to all the suburbs, where cot
tages have trebled in price. The
crowded condition of hotels and
boarding houses, every traveller
knows for himself One of them has
aptly remarked that on coming to
Washington on business one has 10
engage a place in Baltimore or
Philadelphia to sleep.
Soldiers in uniform have been put
to making house to house. canvass
asking the occupants to "doubfe up"
as patriotic duty and take in a war
worker. Absentee householder,
having large domains which they
have been accustomed to visit once
a year, have in some cases feared
that the premises would be COM
mandeered by the government and
hurriedly have returned to keep
their drawing rooms from being con-
verted into d0rmiicries.
One may well imagine that where
there is so much difficulty in hous-
ing so many people, there is equal
trouble in feeding them. Cafes and
cafeterias have sprung up about the
city like mushrooms; it is no COM
mon sight to see a line OF war work
ers standing in line outside a rest
auEantI waiting for chance to spend
money inside--Just like a line OF
ticket buyers before a theatre box
office.
Nobody Wants Woman Worker.
Nobody seems to want to take in a
woman war worker. The few who
advertise rooms, prefer gentlemen
or Officers" The discrimination
hurts the girl war workers feeling,
but has no practical result. AS a
matter OF fact the gentlemen" have
just as lively a time getting a room.
Some one has estimated that the
war workers are flocking into the
city at the rate of 500 a day. and de-
parting at the rate of 300 day, dis
couraged, homeless, sometimes food
less. There is no verification Of the
latter figure, but there seems to be
no doubt about the former. There
also seems to be no doubt that there
are 100000 war workers here who
were not in the city a year ago. The
result may be compared to an at
teTnpr to tut a IUslrt OF water into
II ptu rrt ts'sure.
A reading of the want columns of
to arouse a feeling Of pity for the
unfortunates who plead for a place
to live, even at profiteer prices. In
fact, the natives now read the want