Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-28
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Washington. u. c. March 20
Two hundred girls in wa.hington-tei-
ephone operators. eJ-war workers,
store employees. government clerks
are to have a home where they will be
able to entertain company IN a parior
and where they will occupy rooms sut-
ncIcntly attractive TO mako them think
of home" pleasantly, instead OF rc-
garding Il merely a. n place TO sleep.
These things arc important 10 the
working girl in IN. city. Boarding
house-kecpers now md II crpodicnt TO
rent the parlor as an extra bedroom.
Sometimes only transients aro accom-
moda,ed. tho inference being that the
parIor is ordinarily open. but the par
lor seems to be porpetually in demand,
and the girls have TO choose between
ting for their evening engagements. As
for the Altractvcness Of typical board
Ing house rooms, there are all degrees
and variations OF the bedroom set"
with a chair. wastcbasket, and marble
top table added TO make the room
homelikc, but generally the effect Is
not cheering,
From these two evils, 200 Washington
Girls are to bc delivered after the fol-
lowing plan. The salvation Army,
which has for its motto Meet the
rooms for working girls In Washing
ton. The government Is -till running
It's dormitorlcs FOR government clerks
But this j. an emergency war measure
that may be lrFlslAted out Of existence
at any time, Then, too, the govern
mcnt dormitorics are for government
employees, only
The telephone company hero Rad its
war dormitories, too. where is en-
ployccs were housed But these are
now hcing closed 20 that about N girls
week are having TO ind other quar-
tcrs. Then there arc the other girls
who have not been eligible FOR any Of
the dormitoricg or who never got or
the waiting lists.
Some OF these girls have been sleep
ing on cots, three and four In "A room,
and this supposedly emergency condl-
ton threatens 90 extend well into pclCs
times. Prices are stiIl on a war tasl,
and large rooms are still held at rates
that make u necessary FOR three OF
more girls 20 divide the expense.
In this situation. the Salvation Army
saw a need Tor nome where at least
fow or the glrig who wanted a home
Dewey. a small hotel 10 a desirable and
convenient n0IEhbnrhood. was bought
already furnished. and was opened for
business last week with most OF the
las rooms taken.
Major j O. McGec. who Is q. charge
OF Salvation Army work IN Washing
ton, explains tho plan for running 1t
as follows
No nuIe.
"our whole idea ls to establish a
home for these Elrls-not a home In
the sense OF an Institution. but Of y
residence. So We call it a residence
for young women. There are to ho
practically no rules. because we feel
that a long list OF typed rules hung up
everywhere Is apt to anita gcniEe people
50 that they begin to think about the
things that are forbidden and want to
do them. when the girls ask about
rules, We tell them that this is a resi-
dsnye and they are to conduct them
selves Just aa they would in their own
homes.
"ouc Of tho hrst inquiries Of nppli-
unnts for rooms Is invariably about
company, for that seems to have been
a stumbling block at most Of their
lodging places. We tell them that thcy
can entertain men in the parlors until
~ o'clock. and they look relieved and
snN. on, that's all right. That's late
enough
We have no regulations as 10 when
a girl must be in at night. several
OF the girls work until eight O'Clock
at the telephone exchange. They get
dinner down town after that. and II
they go to a moving picture show &C.
casipnally they might not get in bcforu
twelve. We would not want to take tn
a girl who stayed out until early morn
ing every night, but We know that
the girls must have amusement"
4 high officer OF the salvation Army
who stopped on In Washington last