The spectator., 1919-11-25

vision was made for the District Of Columbia and an appropriation of SlU,- 100000 was set aside on June 4. 19lS 1 Work was proceeded with and con- tracts let for family houses and rest dence halls for woman war woriers. Inasmuch as the erection of living quarters for woman war workers " the government was looked upon as a temporary expedient, the residence halls were located on government owned land and within the reach of all street Improvements. The sites chosen consist of land which had been set aside and cleared as public park and which lies between the union sta tion and the capitol.
 Halls for Women Workers.
 The tract occupies four blocks, two blocks on each side of North Capitol street. There are two principal groups of halls, each being an inde- pendent unit with separate dining room. One group is located immedi- ately facing the union station; the other group is in the angle formed by the senate office building and capitol grounds. The two groups are served by common heating and power plant, laundry, cold-storage building and an infirmary.
 Each hall consists of two parallel wings or dormitories, connected at one end by one-story building, which Is divided into a reception lobby, writ ing room and several small parlors. These smaller rooms can be shut o'f, if desired, so that if a guest wishes to give little party she can do so in privacy All are comfortably fur nished The reception lobby has read ing tables supplied with papers and magazines, and the effect, as one en- ters the hall, is pleasant and inviting. The two wings are three stories higb, and combined contain 142 rooms. Most of the rooms are single, but at the end of each corridor are two double rooms larger than the others and having windows on two sides. AL together about 800 guests now occu- py the halls in addition to 12O-odd employees.
 Getting Crop Statistics.
 The United States maintains q crop-reporting organization that util- izes the services of more than 13o,- GOO persons. Distributed over the country are 42 salaried field agents. one in each state or group Of small states. These field agents are in the classified civil service and are ap- pointed only after passing a civil serv- ice examination to test their eduea- tional and statistical qualifications. Before they are permitted to take the civil service examination they must show that they have had at least five years practical experience in farming, and education equivalent to four year course in an agricultural college, or at least threeyears' responsible, practical experience in work involving statistical methods or statistical in- quiry.
 Each agent enlists the voluntary services of several thousand selected correspondents in his state, who report to him every month regarding the crops grown in the state. At the close of each month the agent makes up detailed estimate on the crops in his territory and forwards 1t to the Wash ington office.
 In addition to the field agents. the bureau employs ten crop specialists for particular crops and truck and fruit. These crop specialists are of the same high character, experience and educational qualifications as the field agents and each devotes his en- tire time to Investigating the single crop for which he is responsible.
 Volunteer Crop Reporters.
 A third class of reporters are the voluntary county crop reporters, ap- proximatelv 2.S00 in number, each of whom reports for his county each month on printed schedules directly to the bureau. The county reporters base their estimates upon personal cbser- vation and inquiry and upon written and telephonic reports to them from aids in different portions of the coun- ty A fourth source of information Is the voluntary township reporters. one for each agricultural township in the United States, approximately 3o,22o in number.
 Additional sources of information exist in the bureaus special lists of growers of particular crops, and in other lists of buyers dealers, mills and elevators, producers and shipping as soclations. and other agencies engaged in handling. manufacturing. transport ing, storing and distributing crops. The returns from each class of reporters are tabulated and averaged separate ly as check, one against the other. The county totals are weighted; that is, county which produces five times as much of a particular crop as an other receives five times the import. ance of weight" of the other county in determining the average for fiat m rticulnr crOp