Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-18
Fair, Square Deal
for War w ork ers
BY Frederic J. Haskin

ago would have been considered little
short OF revolutionary.
In the national capital it has lead the
government Of the United States to
become both a restuaranteur and
boarding house keeper, to pass laws
which practically place landlords under
government control, and to apply the
big stick Of threatened closingdown TO
unr,ily food dealers. The surprising
spectacle has been seen of large cor
poration which owns a national string
Of restaurants, reducing its prices by
nearly half because the government
refused TO leb If exercise the time-hnnored
privilege charging all the traffic could
bear For better or Tor worse the
| ancient Law" of supply and demand
| has received a temporary repeal that
| cannot but do permanent damage to
| its prestige.
or course, despite the raternal care
of his government the lot of the war
worker in Washington Is not altogether
soft But almost every week sees some
| new measure for his relief, and despite
| the "flu'' and the steady increase of
overpopulation, conditions are improving
SET UNCOMMON NOW.
The sight of weary but determined
| Young woman, armed with two SUIT
eases and few parcels, marching along
| the streets of Washington IN search OF
| Rooms and Board signs is becoming
| "A rare sight The American girlhood
which has been steadly attracted to the
| National Capital no longer wears out
| innumberable door-bells and the patience
of innumberable landladies by asking
| sweetly to see the room advertised IN
last nights paper.
why child. exclaimed the twenty
sixth landlady on the list of one room
minutes after the add was printed and
the Young lady has all her pictures
stuck around the bureau looking glass
This cra in " ashington.s history is
now familiar chiefly 10 The residents
who have been in the city several months
Newcomers arc directed to Uncle Sans
doorstep and instructed to fire their
questions about prices and location NJ
the government Housing and Health
Bureau. which will answer them cheer
fully
MATTER OF CHoiCE.
Rumors OF profteering IN Washington
have been spread widely through the
country by girls who entered the govern
ment service to make money and who
soon returned home reporting Wash
ington a city of expensive cafes ana
lodging places Some girls have even
turned back before they reached Wash
lngton because o absolutely true
information that "vou can't possibly
get room aud board under seventy
five dollars month II ls true that
in some instances girls arc paying such
sums for living expenses, but almost
always it is hy cholce Rooms decorated
4 l.
fancy china bring high prices IN any
CItv.
10 locate for the girls more reasonable
against protitcering. the Housing and
Health Bureau was established as
public information bureau 10 this
office. near the center Of town the IN
formation desk 1t the Imon station
directs the prospective war worker
Here she learns OF the undeniablc ex
iStence of room, or a share In room,
at fifteen dollars month, and meals
at twenty or twenty-five dollars month
for breakfast and dinner.
The success of the bureau can best
be Judged by its popularity. There are
ALWAYS lines Of applicants waiting at
different desks for advice on locating
room, The right of a landlord TO raise
rent, insufficient heat problems, and
other domestic matters which Uncle
Sam has taken upon his already burdened
shoulders to regulate.
PRoFITEERING OF COURSE.
That profiteerlng has been widespread
in the District of Columbia a in other
crowded cities is undenlable. The influx
| of government workers has neceSsltated
a complete adaptation of the city $ lie
| To meet the government demands. Digni-
! fed private residences have become
! boarding-houses running over with the
Young patriots who have come 10 Wash
| ington to help win the war. House a
war worker has been added to the list
| of war slogans In the rush for rooms
| some clearinghouse keepers have over
| done their patriotism by crowdmg ilve
and six girls into one room and charging
| them rates suitable for single ro ms
The same misguided patriotism IN
cited some cafe proprietors To serve
smaller portions than were desirable
AT the prices asked Efforts of the Food
Administration and Housing Bureau are
now effectuaily stamping out this pro-
| fiteering Lists maintained by the Hous
| ing and Health Bureau show rates Il.
| well as addresses and the bureau III
! strlIcts applicants that the rate cannot
lawfully be raised above the price asked
bv the renter when the room Is engaged
The substance of the Salisbury Hous
ing Law, which applies only to the Dis
trict of Columbia, is that the owner o
n house cannot raise the rent OF Il tenant
during the period of the war, or turn
him out except to sell the property o.
to live in il himself. This Ineasur,
applies equally to persons renting rooms
and was enacted as protection 10 wa
workers against rent profteerlng
GOVERNMENT C4FErERiAs.
To minimize the need for war worker,
to patronize expensive eating places
the District of Columbia Food Admins
tration is urging the various govern
ment department cafeterias to serv,
three meals day instead of luncheon
only As prices ut these cafeterias ar,
from ten to forty per cent lower thai
those in public cafes aud lunch room,
I the saving to the war worker is con
siderable This three-meals-a-dav plar
has already been established in the
Food Administration cafeterias and sew.
eral others.
For both government caieterias ant
public eating houses a one-dollar-a-da,
schedule has been suggested Thi.
arrangement calls for a sxty-fiye cent
dinner, and the remaining thirty-hye
cents to be expended on dishes selected
from menu for breakfast and lunch