Evening star., 1920-11-21
ONLY HARDING SURE
WHERE HE WILL LIVE
"O@cial Family Faces Problem in Finding
Homes Here at Any Price as Moving
Day" Approaches.

OVERY city has it's annual ''mov-
X ing day"-October 1. Only
Washington has a quadrennial
moving day. The National
Capital is preparing to celebrate it on
March 4. 1921.
| The 'house-hunt" to take place the
spring of next year undoubtedly will
eclipse in magnitude anything which
Washington has known for some time.
One party has been in power for eight
years. Four years ago there were not
$50 many new appointees to official po-
isitions as there would have been had
there been a change of administration,
and the successive republican admin
istrations Of Taft, Roosevelt and Nc
Kinley precluded a drastic reorganiza-
ton Of the official machinery with the
Inauguration OF new executives.
Few Homes to Be Vacant.
| In March OF next year. however.
there is going to be a general reor-
ganization of the heads of govern
ment departments. Of the membership
Of commissions and boards and of all
the various bodies whose composition
usually fundergoes a change with the
advent Of a new regime.
| Ten cabinet heads are slated to re-
linquish posts to as many successors.
and numerous assistants will partici-
pate in a like process. Virtually
jevery position filled in public depart
ments will mean an addition to the
long list Of home-seekers.
Real estate men of the capital are
being asked offhand why this change
in administration will result in an in
creased demand for houses. These in
quisitive people point out that if a
certain number of persons step out of
Washington public life and the same
number step into their places, the
housing situation apparently would
not be affected.
The answer of the housing experts
is readily vouchsafed. 1t is expected
that relatively few families of present
administrative will remove from
Washington after March 4. Most Of
these men and their families have lived
here for four or eight years, some longer.
| Many have bought houses and establish
ed homes here. Their children are at
tending school in this city. A number Of
officials are known to be preparing to
enter business in Washington. Most
important of all. their families like
| life in the Capital city. with its So
cial advantages and its freedom from
industrial inconveniences.
Need Several Hundred Houses.
| It is estimated that President-elect
! Harding's official family-to-be will
bring with them to Washington an
| immediate demand for several hun
dred more houses and apartments.
Where these dwelling places are go
ing to be found, with the District of
Columbia already in the throes of
housing shortage brought on by the
| greatly increased population incident
to the war and by the lethargy in
building is question on which real
estate men seem unable to agree.
It is pointed out that there are
available many handsome homes for
sale and for rent at very high prices.
Unless they are wealthy, however,
| members of the House and Senate and
government officials generally can
not afford to live in these mansions.
A federal income of a few thousand
dollars and the expense of home
commensurate with the prestige de-
manded by the position do not COM
pare favorably in the present reign