Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-18

the idea of sitting in chair in dentists Of
fee so he engaged dentist to fit up an office
in the millionaires home. The dentists bill
was fifteen thousand dollars
In the days when rush" was the slogan
of the government, the activities of the
rious departments expanded in leaps and
bounds almost overnight. The government
needed additional office space so it grabbed
every suitable and unsuitable building it
could get hold of in he city. Now the bust
ness Of the departments is contracti:g to al
most normal again, and the government Is
vacating these rented buildings Also, many
light wooden structures which were stuck ',p
promiscuously all over the city by the govern
ment, greatly detracting from the beauty of
the capital, are empty and it is understood
that some of these improvised bull lings are to
be RACED before the end Of summer.
Roomlng conditions il. the city are almost
as bad today as they were year ago. Every
hotel and rooming house in the city is over
crowded and it is a rare thing to see a NOV
ing van on the street Landlords are begin
ming to wear a broad smile because the Sauls-
bury act, which prevented them boosting
rents out of all proportions during tie war is
soon to be rescinded. With the lifting of this
restriction, rents will be increased according
to the Whlms and fancies of property owners
to some of whom the sky will be the limit
While the tenant was protected by the
SALISBURY act, the proiteering procIivitits of
the room1ng house proprietor was not curtail-
ed to any great extent and today, instead of
being satisfied with war prices, the tendency
or these proprletors is t. mulch every penny
possible from the war workers. One story is
related OF seven young ladies engaged in gov
eminent work living in an attic room, each
paying fifteen dollars month. The total
revenue from the room was more than enough
10 pay the rent for the rooming house The
girls look turns sleeping in the favorite bed
nearest the window. Numerous cases of that
sort nave been reported.
Once again public buildings are open to
sightseers. While the war was in progress.
| sightseers were not allowed in any of the gov
eminent buildings, admission being by pass
| only. Today hundreds of visitors are being
shown about the capital and the old rubber
| neck buses, which almost went out of fashion
during the war, are again doing highly
profitable business. Tourists parties throne
the corridors of the capitol, and spend brief
time in the balcony of the house or senate
listening to debates on the League of Ma
tions and other topics
Uniforms are not so plentiful here these
days. Now it is possible for buck private
to walk along F street, Washingtcns Fifth
avenue, with his girl and devote some atten-
ton to her animated conversation instead OF
having to devote his entire time to salutine
superior officers who formerly thronged that
thoroughfare. In fact, it is rare thing tc
see much saluting Of any sort going on here
just at present. The tendency on the part of
Doth officers and enlisted men seems to We
10 avoid saluting as much as possible There
was bill recently introduced in congress to
40 away WIN salut1ng when off duty, but this
action on the part of officers and enlisted men
became noticeable after the signing of the
armistice.
Withal Washington is not expected to re-
turn to pre-war conditions. Certain agencies
of government have developed that did not
formerly exist but which will become perma-
nent There are such ventures as operating
the railroads and enforcing prohibition that
will permanently enlarge the government ma
chine. Thousands of those people from all
over the country who came to Washington for
them to locate permanently here or in the
case OF people Of wealth, to maintain homes
here which they occupy for a part of the year.
1t IS not improbable that the national capital
will find that the war has given it a perma-
nent population increased by a hundred
thousand