Evening star., 1918-06-26
START WORK SOON
ON DORM|TOR|ES
Changes in Sites to Result
From President Wilson's
Inspection Tour.
PROBLEM NEAR SOLUTION

Work is expected to start within
two or three weeks at Union station
plaza on the first of the dormitorles
to be erected to house war workers,
who will arrive in Washington dur
ing the remainder of this year
It was learned yesterday that since
President Wilson made his personal
inspection of the sites which had
been recommended to him, the hous-
ing bureau Of the Department Of La
Dor has abandoned the site from 21st
to 23d streets and from B street to
New York avenue.
AS a substitute the bureau is con-
sidering one of the squares south OF
PENNSYLVANIA avenue between 18th
and 18th streets, which are owned by
the government and within conyen-
lent reach of majority of the Of
fice buildings
10000 More Coming.
According to Maj q. L. Potter of the
housing and health division of the
War Department, approximately 10,-
900 more employees are expected in
Washington between now and De-
cember. The present plans of the
housing bureau call for dormitory IA
cilities for between 5000 and 5000.
The housing bureau will rely on
the room registration office Of the
District Council OF Defense, 1921 New
York avenue, to provide for the bal
ance Of the 10000 by locating them In
the homes of Washingtonians. Edwin
s. Hege. director Of the registration
office. has gone over the entire hous-
ing situation with Otto NJ. Eidlitz,
chief of the housing bureau, and the
two agencies will cooperate in every
way SO that as many employees as pos
sible may be provided for in Wash
3ngton homes.
It is understood to be the desire of
the Department of Labor to spend no
more than is absolutely necessary on
temporary structures that will be
useless after the war 1t is felt that
dormitory accommodations for 5000
will be ample for the present and may
be sufficient for the duration of the
war.
Vacant Rooms Still Listed.
The room registration offlcs still has
enough rooms listed to take care of
city between now and the compile
ton Of the dormitories, SO that no
repetition of the congestion which ex-
listed when the war workers first be-
San " swarm INTO WaSNIHStOA Is eA-
pected.
Both Mr. Hege o: the room office and
Maj. Potter of the War Departments
housing division feel that the hous-
ing problem Is rapidly being solved.
There is no congestion in the city
now. they point out. and the dormf-
tories to be built by the Department
of Labor will provide ample room for
the employees who will be brought
here during the balance of this year.
Government officials who have
studied the housing problem in Wash
ington believe that even should the
war last for several years longer the
governments clerical force will reach
q point Of stability by the end OF this
year.
Although it is practically certain
that the dormitories are to be man
aged by women who have had expert
ence in such work. no announcement
has yet been made of the system
under which they will be operated.
The navy yard, which expects to
employ several thousand more work.
ers before the end of the year. pre-
sents a separate problem from that of
the clerks. which will be met by the
construction of permanent homes in
the southeast.