Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-13
VICTORY JUBILEE
IS COSTLY Event
Holiday Salaries Alone Total
100000 $4,000 Spent
for Gasoline.
TAKERS REAP A HARVEST

TAKERS REAP A HARVEST
The big celebration in the National
Capital Monday of the signing of the
armistice which ended the world war
and wiped out Prussian militarism
cost the Federal government in the
way Of salaries. 100000. To this
IL to be added $1,000 from the District
Of Columbia government. Both the
federal and District governments re-
leased an their employees. the federal
government for the entire day and
the District government for the half
d4y.
A government official familiar with
the subject today said that there
are employed in the departments and
war activities in Washington. based
on . conservative estimate, more
than 100000 men and women whose
average salary is approximately $1,000
q year or an average of 81 day.
On that basis. the releasing of the
army Of employees by order of the
President cost the federal govern
ment more than three-quarters of
million of dollars in salaries that will
be paid, but which were not earned.
worth Every Cent of It."
In the regular ~~,departments, he
pointed out, there are approximately
100000 men and Women, and the
other 100000 on which the basis of
estimate is made are employed in the
Council Of National Defense and all
aNtt 1yifin fo oil
4 here since the war, against Germany
began. He added: at was well worth
every cent Uncle Sam will have to
pay In salaries unearned in turning
loose his army of his brothers and
sisters. his cousins and aunts.
nephews and nieces."
There were 5,2OU employees of the
District government who enjoyed the
freedom of a half days holiday en-
abling them to participate in the big
members of the fire and police depart
ment who were on duty and were not
released. These employees number
more than 1900. There were 2.tOv e..4-
pioyes of the schools and $500 en-
ployes of the District government on
leave for the half day.
~ Takers Reap a Harvest.
When it came to celebrating the big
American government was a major
factor, the American people making
their homo in Washington were wildly
enthusiastic and generous spenders.
Based upon an estimate that of the
ie% sSs s at this time 100000 Of them
took some part in the celebration
down town in the afternoon or at
night, spending the nominal amount
of Is cents for some manner OF noise
making device the crowd for that pur-
pose spent with the stores and street
peddlers many thousands of oilars.
The stores selling flags, horns, con-
fetti, badges and similar articles used
by the throng were swamped and
cleaned out of every article of the
kind in stock. The hardware stores
sod every cowbeil they had. One
street faker bought up the entire stock
of about 100 cowhe',e sr>-c one h"-l-
ware store and peddled them at big
prUnt, no queolio-.S s.s-.... - ~,
to the crowd on Pennsylvania avenue.
rooms were hit by a patronage that
swamped them, and by midnight their
stocks Of supplies were well cleare9
out. Many Of the younger celebrants
did not go home for dinner remain
10000 Spent for "das."
Inefo We1o more Iudu 4V'oVV ao-
tomobiies ON the streets during the
victory celebration in the afternoon
and night. OF these $4,000 are
owned in the District. The remain
ing $4,000 are owned by people from
Maryland. Virginia and other states
teal may be added several hundred
machines from nearby states running
on their state licenses and which are
not recorded in the District automo-
BOD
mobile man said this morning that
the consumption OF gasoline of those
machines during the celebration. aver
aging two gallons to each machine.
which Is yesy conservative, the mum,
would amount to $4,000 gallons, which
at Is cents q gallon would represent
In money moro than $4,000.
The street cars were swamped rom
early afternoon until past midnight,
tured crowd Of young and old deter
mined to get the most out OF the
big victory celebration. Take as an
average that 500 600 people used the
eafs Tor one round trip at 10 cents.
tie people spent in carfares alone
$4,000. Tho taxicab service and au-
tomobi1es for hire did a land-office
business, and. like the street car serv-
ice. never before enjoyed such pa
tronage. The people spent money
wanted or believed would contribute
in large or small way to their en-
joyment of the celebration.
Theater Business Slumps.
The only line of business that did
not benefit by the celebration was
the theaters and moving picture
shows. The people were out to see
the crowd and take part in the jul
bilee. and had no time Tor such places
of amusements. The manager of one
of the big picture show houses. with
a chain of moving picture theaters
in the city. said that business with the
moving picture houses showed a very
marked slump whiio the celebration
was on.
when the last of the WORKOUT pa
eriots had gone to their homes, long
after midnight, and tho city had set
tied down to normal early morning
hours the streets Of the downtown
section presented an unsightly picture
of debris. with battered tin horns. con-
fetti. torn paper and every manner of
discarded stuff that had been used by
the celebrants.
When the white wings" and the
other members Of the street cleaning
forces started to work at o'clock in
the morning they were faced with a
task that looked impossible. How
ever. Morris Hacker. superintendent
~ no hol