The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-12
New York Tribune.)

I In the days when rush" was the
slogan of the government, the actiN-
| ties OF tho various departments ex-
| panded 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 the city. Now
the business of the departments is
contracting to almost normal again,
and the government is vacating these
rented buildings. Also. many light
wooden structures which were stuck
UP promiscuously all over the city by
the government, greatly detractine
from the beauty Of the capital, are
empty and it is understood that some
OF these improvised buildings are to be
razed before the end of the summer.
Roomlng conditions in the city are
almost as bad today as they were a
year ago. Every hotel and rooming
mouse in the city is overcrowded and il
Is rare thing to see moving van on
the street. Landlords are beginning to
wear a broad smile because the Sauls-
bury act, which prevented them boost
ing rents out of all proportions during
the war, is soon to be rescinded. With
the lifting of this restriction rents will
be Increased according to the whims
ana fancies OF the property owners, to
some of whom the sky will be the
limit.
While the tenant was protected bv
the salisbury act, the profiteering
prochVlties of the rooming house pro-
prletor was not curtailed to any great
extent and today, instead of being sat-
isned with war prices, the tendency Of
these proprietorS is to mulct every
penny possible from the warworkers.
one story is related of seven young
,auleS engaged in government work
LVlhS IN an attic room, each paving
$lb month. The total revenue from
the room was more than enough to
pay the rent for the rooming house
The girls took turns sleeping in the
iaVorlte bed nearest the window. Nu-
merous cases of that sort have been
reported.
Once again public buildings are open
TO sllghtseers. While the war was in
progress stghtseers were not allowed
IN any. OF the government buildings,
h huinisslon oeing by pass only. Today
hundreds OF visitors are being shown
aoout the capital and the old rubber
neck buses, which almost went out of
iashlon during the war, are again do
ing highly profitable business. Tour
ISL parties throng the corridors of the
Scapitoi, and spend brief time in the
palcony OF the house or senate listen
tions and other topics.
Uniforms are not so plentiful here
these days. Now it is possible for a
Duck private to walk along r street
Washington's Fifth avenue. with his
elrl and devote some attention to her
animated conversation instead of, hay-
ing TO devote his entire time to salut-
ing superior officers, who formerly
thronged that thoroughfare. In fact.
IL Is rare thing to see much saluting
OF any sort going on here Just al
present The tendency on the part of
both officers and enlisted men seems
to be to avoid saluting as much as
possible. There was bill recently
in congress to do away
with saluting when off duty, but this
action on the part of officers and en-
lsted men became noticeable after the
signing of the armistice.
Wlthal Washington is not expected
10 return to prewar conditions. Ger
tam agencies of government have de-
Veloped that did not formerly exist.
but which will become permanent
J. mere are such ventures as operating |
me ne tailroads and enforcing prohibit |
non that will permanently enlarge the |
government machine. Thousands of |
nose people from all over the coun- |
Try who came to Washington for war
work have formed ties which will
,ause them TO locate permanently here |
Dr. In the case of people of wealth.
o maintain homes here which they /
occupy for a part of the year. 1t is
Tot improbable that the national capt.
al will find that the war has given IL
90 600.
(Subject of Mondays letter, The
ear East ReckonsD