The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-06-18

WAEhi1g-1l sEpoLoE-Ess DspoE-
7Fn Eagle. Last week ther- Eas tzik
Of Organizing here 3 connlt-se o.
Susa 10 go among the Members CT
a.sa5r sex who are var WORKERS Ia
Washington and persuade them not TO
abandon their government Jobs The
committee Was 10 make the appeal On
ahs ground Of patriotism II was init
mated that girls and women xhO leave
their clerical and slsn0g-aphic JOBS
Fl This tine arg slsekerE.
There is no Doubt that something
Is needed 10 keep the governments
new army Of girl workers AZ its task
Hundreds ara Tearing Washington
each week Otter hundreds are com
ing III. The personnel OF the new
war bureaus Is constantly changing
and government work is cons equently
Ehamrered. Not ali Of the war EN-
paoyes are women and girls. but
E1g- majority are They represent
easily fo1r-=5fths OF the constantly eI-
banding army of government help
But M wholesale charge of Stacker
ism can 5e successfully lodged against
the girl army. -seithsr the govern
men4 nor the people OF the city have
made il easy for these girls 10 stay
here They have been getting good
salaries. much better in most cases
thaa Trey earned elsewhere but az
the End Of the month most cs them DO
n0. have as much money left as they
did al home Lodging is high. Meals
ar high. Laundry bills are high
Practically everything is high In Wash
ington these DAYS. as an eTidence OF
which congress is now legislating 10
regulate rents. 50 as 10 put an end 10
an orgy sof protteering.
Between now and the end OF the
year il IS estimated that the govern
nent viii need about 10000 more
clerks. stenographers, typists. etc But
they are not coming in with the neces-
isary rapidity, when the figures are
balanced with those who are going
out And most Of those who leave are
going out with stories that win not
make. it easy TO NIL mp the ranks
During The month Of April the gov
eminent employed on an average
1852 newcomers each week During
the same month the average number
who returned to their homes was l6l
each week Early in March, for every
en- pIoye who left Washington three
Game III. DN1Tll2 ApEE cuis W. "a
rived for every one who left. In the
last week of April the war depart
ment employed 374 new arrivals. while
during the same week 5e9 left the
service
What is the trouble? 1t is not the
salaries. Clerks are getting. on an
average from 5000 to $1,000 Stenog-
raphers are getting from 1900 TO
81 400. Most OF the girls who come
here get more money than they did
at home.
One OF the troubles is the high cost
OF living and the difficulty OF getting
congeniaI living quarters. Girls are
crowded together in boarding houses.
and with the arrival of hot weather
they miss many of the comforts they
enjoyed when at home. There is
settled conviction on the part Of thou
sands of them that Washington has
entered upon a compaign Of proiteer-
ing against them. This city is not an
easy one in which TO take comfort
during the months of June, July and
August unless Twin; conditions are
reasonably good. There is no place
to go to escape the heat. There are
no seashore resorts; no bathing beach
es. There are plenty OF trolley rides;
but # must be remembered that
Washington is tremendously over