The Washington herald., 1919-01-22
Commercial Club
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

| SoNAlNULD fhcA PAGE ONA
! the signing of the armistice there
| were 10000. Never will we go back
\ to those pre-war figures. And for
tevery government worker at least
I one other person will be needed to
look after that worker
| Housing Program Vital
| The commissioner then warned OF
| the task that lies ahead of the city
in providing for the increased popu-
lation. declaring that they have
been taken care of after q fashion
during the war, but after the war
they are not going to put up with
conditions borne during that siren"
| uous time.
we must build places in which
they may work and places in which
they may live" Mr.. Brownlow en-
phasized. This is the big problem
that confronts the city. Patriotic
| citizens who housed war workers
during the war are not going to
! put up with the inconvenience dur
! ing peace time"
| Mr.. BrownIow advocated an or
! derly program to be decided upon
at once for the housing of these
people. He compared what had
been done in other cities in Eng
+; land, Scotland and Germany, where
the municipality provided for the
housing of labor. In Washington.
he pointed out, that at present it
was not practical for this housing
to be undertaken by private inter-
ests because OF lack of capital and
as our municipality. in the final
analysis, meant the Federal govern
% L.
eminent to provide this housing and
sell in turn to the workers on terms
that they could meet without hard
ship.
Even in normal times, he declared,
there was no oversupply of homes
in Washington. a census OF uninhabit-
ed houses showing only about 5000
fit for occupancy. With an increas-
ed population of more than 100000
the necessity for building was OBJ
vious. said Mr.. Brownlow. explain
ing that some steps have already
been taken to remedy conditions
through the government housing
plan that is being carried to its
completion and through the pro-
visions of the bill recently intro
duced by Representative Clark, of
Florida. for the purchase by the
government of the land on both sides
of Pennsylvania avenue from the
Capitol to the Treasury.
Advocates Higher Salaries.
Mr.. Brownlow also spoke of some
of the needs of the District aside
from its enlargement program. Sal
aries of both Federal and District
employees must be raised to that
a ~ 1T
are worth. he declared.
! Unfortunately" said the commits
i sioner. these salaries are far below
this figure just now" He pointed
to the fact that in 1874 the salaries
+ of District employees were reduced
20 per cent and this 20 per cent has
never been restored despite living
costs having more than doubled dur
inE that time.
The school teachers are horribly un-
derpaid, he declared, and this condi-
tion is cause for considerable alarm,
as II is rapidly driving them from the
service into other occupations, where
as clerks they can earn more than in
their specialized occupations. Mr..
Brownlow put this fact very humanity
by declaring that we see that our
lchauffeurs are paid living wages. while
those people TO whom We intrust the
care of our children during the most
important period of their lives are
hopelessly underpaid He declared
that when teachers received the wages
of chauffeurs there would be no trou-
hle from the scarcity of teachers.
He pointed out that there arc not
sufficient schoolhouses in Washington,
and that the governmental program
for portable schools was the only i'm
mediate solution OF this problem.
Critieises school System.
He criticised the present school sys-
TEN in its basic principle. suggesting
that instead of a board of nine per-
sons there should be director of edu-
cation. to be assisted by a superin-
tendent Of instruction and q business
manager to handle the executive func-
tion of the schools, with a board to
act in an advisory capacity.
Questioned as to the vote for the
District. he very promptly gave as
his opinion that II the vote should
come to the people of the District it
should come complete and that they
should not only have representation
and voice in Presidential elections,
but that they should select the officers
of their municipality. So far as ad-
vocating the vote was concerned, n,
declared that when the time came we
must consider first whether 1t was the
best thing for the country. rather
than for the city.
Up to Citizens.
} He called attention to the fact that
during the past eighteen months the
citizens of Washington had done more
for the public good than in any other
period in history. This was due to
the patriotism aroused by the country
at war. He then urged that every
citizen of Washington he just as patri-
otic in the future for the District
as 1t had in the past for the country.
1t is absolutely necessary. he de-
clared. for the citizens themselves to
come forward and put their shoulders
to the wheel in an effort to secure
legislation, as the commissioners were
limited in their powers OF persuasion
and that Congress had already long
looked upon them as eternally holding
out their hands.
Intensive work on the part of its
citizens is going to do more toward
placing Washington in its place as
premier city of the world than any
thing the District government might
do. Mr.. Btownlow concluded.
Mr.. Whitfield President.
Mr.. Brownlow strongly advocated
an adequate pension and retiremen.
for government employees, declaring
that the absence of such system
was not only an injustice to faith
ftrI - l,A