Evening star., 1920-01-12
"WORMY FOOD" \
IS SERVED, SAY
DORM|TORy GIRLS
Senate Committee Hears
Complaints About U. S.
Hotels.

Charges that "wormy food" was
served at table at the Capitol dormi-
tories were made by Miss Margaret
Tobin. claiming TO represent the ma
iority of the residents of the dormi-
tories. today before the Senate public
buildings and grounds committee
hearing on The bill to dissolve th.,
Housing Corporation.
Miss Tohin declared that the girls
living in the government hotels felt
that they were not getting a square
deal' from the management. Aucs-
toned by Senator Fernald. chairman
| of the committee, she declared that
| the chief objection was the food she.
admitted that the girls were happy in
the atmosphere provided by the ho-
| tells but declared that raise of rent
would be a calamity for those not
making enough salary to meet it.
Chairman Fernald assured her that
! no raise Of rent was contemplated at
the dormitories.
| Confirming Testimony.
| Other testimony presented to the
| commission by girls from the doTm!-
| tories was in accordance with Miss
! Tobin's statement. Miss Elizabeth
| Church declared that the reason she
| did not leave the dormitories was he
| cause They could not feed me any
| thing bad enough to drive me out Of
nay room.
/ Miss Harlean James, who is in
! cnaTSe OF the coDuUCt OF tue UOfthl-
! tories. declared that the plan OF tn"
management did not always bring the
results expected but that the greatest
effort was being made to give every
possible comfort to the workers
| Senator Fernald at the conclusion Of
| the testimony declared that he d'i
/ not think that Miss James was buy
! ing food. which she knew to be
''wormy." He reassured representa-
tives from welfare organizations WI"
taa IN
| the dormitories would continue IA
! existence until the need for them was
| past.
Mrs. Newton D. Baker. wife of the
Secretary of War. also appeared be
| fore the committee. She asked th-
committee to refuse to consider leg
! islation which would result in the
! girls now living in the dormitories
! being evicted Mrs. Baker declared.
| as member of the executive com
mittee of the Consumers League OF
the District. that, THE thing that has
| frightened us is the notion Of giving
these buildings over to a commission
which might destroy them She said
| that there was n movement known to
/ be under way among residents to wipe
out the buildings because theye Were
detriment to the Identification OF
| the city.
| She characterized those who advo-
Gated this as people who prefer looks
to lives"
| Mrs. Kelly Is Heard.
/ Mrs Fforence Kelly, secretary of
+. the National Consumers League. pre-
, sented an objection to the bill passed
by the House on December II. which
| would turn over the Capitol dor
mitories to a public building COM
mission for conduct. She declared
| that inasmuch as the committee
| would be a temporary and legislative
organization. the executive work az
the dormitores should be handled
| by an executive arm of the govern
ment She wished the assurance also
/; that the hotels would he continued
! during the pressing need for such
! accommodations
| Admiral Koontz. representing the.
Navy Department, asked the commit
| tee to amend the bill so that the dor
mitories at Indian Head and two
| other naval stations would be trans
+, ferred to the Navy Department The
! bill contempiateS the removal of all
| houses built by the Housing torpo-
. ration in the District of Columbia
| from the jurisdiction of the Labor De-
partment to the Public Buildings Com
| mission. Naturally these buildings, ac-
| cording to the plans. would be de-
! livered to the Secretary of the Treas
ury in order to dissolve the Housing
/ Corporation. A provision stipulates
/ that the dormitories now used as
be conducted for a period of one year
from the passage of the act and SO
! long thereafter as they are actually
| needed.
| 1t is on this phase that action at
/ this mornings hearing centered. The
protests We're made with the object
! of eliminating the public building
! commission as an intermediary pos
SCISSOR of the dormitories before their
| transfer to the Secretary of the
! Treasury.
/ President Sherman n Wftpcss.
! President John Sherman of the
| Housing Corporation was the last
! witness to appear before the commit
i tee. He declared that all arrange
! ments were being made by the cor
poration to dispose of the buildings.
! in accordance with the House bill, and
that it was not regarded as necessary
| to have a commission interested in
| the transfer.
| He appealed for the retention Of
(, jurisdiction by the corporation until
! final dissolution was made. He said
| that under an appropriation made last
! wear the corporation was proceeding
/ to sell and dispose of all property
| now owned by them.