The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-25

400 Persons a Week.
WASHINGTON, Jan 25.--Congress |
M last Is 90 boz called on 20 provide
homes for government workers, What
.houd have been done years ago as a
uattrr Of forcsigited municipal plan
ming. war or no war, must now be at
,rmr,eJ as an incident Of war. Wash
motion is uycrtun with clerks from all
rar,a Of the country and many more
are needed Other willing workers who
would lisr 20 cuter the government en-
g'0y for tattiotic or other reasons hest
rate 10 come 20 Washington or even to
make application for positions for fear
,hat ON their arrival they may find
themselves all dressed up but with no
place 20 GO. The apprehension Is war
untcd. for ~ acute has the housing ut
uatiou become that the government has
eupued housing bureau where all per
sons hatiug and desiring quarters may
rruister, while thousands OF private
humrs, some Of them among the WeftuS
classes, have been opened to the Wis
itors. As the head Of this bureau says
in "a recent public statement; ''Some
uius are willing TO walk the streets
until ten aud eleven % clock appealing
o. people 90 give them shelter NOT
only b. this true. but many men ana
women who have entered the govern
mput service are going back home DE,
cause they find themselves coinptllrd
10 live under conditions which theT
self respect will not tolerate. NaSung
ton houses as rule are hard t. neat
gt best. for they are not constructed
for cold weather. aud In the uueNamplcd
temperatures OF the last few weeks
most residents of this city have sdilered
from % combination of Inconvenience
and reduced vitality that has greatly
reduced efficiency No one here remem-
hers such q winter
Ten million dollars viii be asked OF
congress at once with which to solve the
problem OF housing government clerks.
The money will hc used for three pur.
poses: first, for the erection of office
buildings 90 release the many apart,
mont houses and other residential prop
uty the government has been compelled
Il, take over for war work. Some Of
these are brand new, like two beautl
ful structures at the corner Of Eff
y
capacity Of hundreds. il is estimutct
that within thirty dnya after tho up
propriation IS made 900 persons car
he provided with rooms through thi
plau. Secondly, five millions will b
put into temporary dormitories, 10 b
Ir1dg within go 10 go days. with accom-
modatious for from 10000 10 20,Oo
persons. After these structures M
built the remainder OF the money wi
bc devoted 90 permanent structures.
be- used al first 10y army and navy of
GERS and their families and later,
after the war, as homes for govern
mrnt clerks. lu addition the Preside,
mav allot something from his war fun
for the conversion OF large residence
into rooming houses; aud the COVER
mont may even find q way to lof
money TO some women TO enable the
10 open lodging houses. When 1t
realized that the ordnance division
the war department alone is putin
100 persons go work every week al
tbgt from 500 20 500 men aud Wont
,teu OH the trains cvcty day to cnt
The government service, the magnltu
of the problem the District Of Colu
hia Is called upon TO face may toe 9
ureeiatcd 1t il estimated that 10 ca
for the great incoming throng less IN
LOCO rooms are now available. In ia
In the local papers every day the
nf ..Rooms Wanted il much larl
that that Of "Rooms TO let.
The government suffers as sever
as the clerks through these unfor
nate conditions. for Thousands of =
IONS whose services are needed rel
% come to Washington or even to u
the civil service examinations Tor p'
irons because Of their unwillngnc97
take living chances here. MoreoN
the civil service commission cstlma
that 50 Der cent ct the persons who N
rug-od Tine examinations and been ce
hUd for appointment refuse the y
tIous for the same reason. In ialrt
tp the people of the district II shC
hc said that as 81 rule the prices
board and ROOMS are not mreasona
high Some of the best board
houses in the city continue furnish
two meals "a day for from $50 10
month, which have always been 81
ard prices, while rooms range from
20 $50 a month, according TO loca
end eunycnienres Most Of the ~
tnent houses have not raised their r
materially. Some persons have so,
10 make money bv guh-letting al
ments at outrageous rates and in
cral the person taking % room {
property on suhIcas, would he
relied 10 ray heavily. However,
rlarcs Of this bind are taken cithc
wealthy people err high salaricd
cials, aud while the prices rcpr,
an element of injustice they are
literally keeping people on the str
as the lack Of rooms threatens {,
senator Thomas OF Colorado has i
cs.rd himself iu the highwaymcn
are holding up tenants for cxorb
rents and Is starting campaig
congress 10 bring about regulations
will protect the public. This
worthy movement and can result
in good, but persons outside re-