The Washington herald., 1918-07-13
PROFITEERING
DEMAND
FOR QUICK HELP
Workers Homes Building
to Begin in Two Weeks,
Says Eidlitz.


The thousands OF new residents
of Washington. brought here by
war work. were promised relief
from the prohteerfng of hrdiords
and boarding keepers Of the city
yesterday. when announcement was
made az the once OF Otto AZ Ed
litz that work on the first of the
new government housing buildings
would be begun in two weeks-
Although work on the plans for
the three structures to be erected
by the government was begun. IL
was said. Immediately upon pas
sage by Congress on May 16 Of the
| S6O.e0o.0 900 housing Appropriation
I bill. and S10,oo0.oO0 OF this fund
4 for housing work in the District
was turned over TO the Department
OF Labor by President Wilson on
June 10. work has not yet begun
on construction
Despite the delay in beginning
work, IL was said at the once OF
Mr.. Eidlitz that satisfactory prog
ress has been made. No explana-
ton is given as TO why the work
is not already under way. Concrete
homes for ship workers already
have been constructed by the hun
dreds throughout the country un-
der the fund appropriated by Con-
! gress. Scores of houses are being
/ finished daily at the shipyards
around Philadelphia and in other
sections of the country.
Plans for washington's government
housing buildings have not yet been
Completed by the architects.
| These Are to be Built.
The Union Station dormitory is to
be commenced in two weeks. and the
homes for navyyard workers in there
weeks. Work on the second dormi-
tory at Fifteenth and B streets north
west, for girls, is to begin on the
first of AugNfst- This operation is
delayed because OF tenants now lv-
ing in the properties who must be al
lowed thirty days notice.
No explanation is forthcoming from
the Office OF Otto NJ. Eidiitz as TO why
the work is not already under way.
Thousands Of girls and men in
Washington are Just holding on until
the new houses Of residence are COM
ipleted, according to Mrs. L H.
Boggs, who has helped hundreds of
IA SUN " AhN
rooms. Mrs. Boggs is president of
the Wilson Union, and connected
with many other organizations.
Girls Important as Soldiers
''It is quite as important to properly
house. feed and protect the mothers
OF our next generation, as It is to
look after our boys at the front" said
Mrs Rogers yesterday. at her home
in the Rockingham apartments.
There are not sufficient comfort
able Accommodations for the girls.
The food in insufficient and the cost
Of room and board plus carfare leaves
girl with practically no money
whatsoever for clothing. The girls
do not wish to go home. and confess
defeat after they have pulled 40
stakes and come here, but what can
they, dor asked Mrs. Boggs.
Food is SO high that hundreds Of
the war workers are hungry. One
woman whose husband has a govern
ment position here said TO me lust
yesterday. Ny husband asks me n
morning why / don't come to break
fast. and 1 say am too busy. The
truth is there is not enough. and
when he and the children are through.
there IL nothing left
Mothers Are Anxious.
"Congressmen have told me that
they had received dozens OF letters
from mothers In their home town.
who asked why conditions in wash
ington were not explained
why did you let me send my
daughter to Washington under the
conditions therer' they write The
| truth In that the ongressmen do not
know. They went from their ofices
to their homes, and had no oppor-
tunity 70 learn OF the hardships IN
housing and restaurants.
The solution. according TO Mrs,
Boggs, is the National Federation
of Federal Employees This group OF
interested workers can bring abuses
to the notice of Congress.
A central clubhouse under such
coSz4xrTrD ON PAGE THREE