The Washington times., 1923-03-17
PLAZA COUNCIL
SEESPROFIT
IN HOTELS
Women Employees Point TO
Surplus Of $50. 600 il
Operation in 1922.

The passivity which apparently
marked the first rent day Tor the
PayEnent OF the additional $3.50 a
month charged to guests Of the Gov.
ernment hotel on the Plaza was
merely d smoke screen, according to
developed today.
Beneath the Quietness which pre-
vailed yesterday at the hotels there
was an undercurrent Of dissatisfac-
ton which bids fair to spell doom Tor
the hotels project.
Contrary to the announcement
made by hotels officials that only
sixty.five guests had released their
rooms, members 81 the Plaza Council
said that the number would reach
between $50 ana 100 when 3 check
IL made. and that hundreds more
have arranged for quarters else
where.
Women Ask No Charity.
Miss Martina M. Taylor, president
OF the Plaza Council, also made
plain today the attitude Of the Gov.
eminent workers, who occupy the
buildings. with respect to the In.
creased rental.
The women guests, she said, are
not asking charity Of the Govern.
Inent or OF the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company. They are eelf.
supporting employees Of the Federal
Government who have come to
Washington from every State in the
Union, fitted by education and
training Tor the highest decree ol
efficiency.
The pnsition taken ~ the hotel
guests, Miss Taylor says, speaking
for the Plaza counctI, II % fol
lows:
Produced S8o, 900 Surplus.
mot one among these guests asks
or desires that any necessary ex.
penses incurred or To be incurred by
the Government In the continued Op.
GRAFTON OF these hotels should be paid
out OF the public funds. But they
all realize that the Government did
not intend that the hotels should be
operated for profit, In this conilec-
ton attention III called to the fact
that under the old rates, during the
year 1922, q surplus amounting to
$50. 900 remained. after
paying all of the expenses Of operat.
ing these hotels. This amount. how.
ever, did not include, II IL claimed,
any allowance for interest on invest.
ment or depreciation.
LAS the original expenditure was
a creation OF necessity and charged
off to the exigencies Of the war, 1t
ID properly not considered in the pres.
ent expense. II il believed by the
guests that the old rates for hotel
are amply sufficient
to provide any funds which may
hereafter be authorized by Congress
to be paid to the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company for the use OF any
land Of that company occupied by
these hotels. after deducting al op.
Grating expenses. In simple Ian.
guage. the hotel guests say they are
perfectly willing to pay such rates
as are known to be necessary 70 meet
operating expenses and known obli-
cations incurred. They are unWiMing
TO pay increased rates to meet con.
tingencies which may never arise.
Advised to Pay Increase.
I'm the utmost fairness to the
Housing Corporation and to the
Government. the plaza council Of
the Government hotels advised the
guests to pay the increased rates
demanded Of them on March ID,
and at the same time, TO reserve
the right to claim hereafter, not.
such payment, that
the increases are neither necessary,
nor legally nor properly demanded.
And. acting on this advice, through
their counsel tor that purpose, a
letter was sent to the president Of
the Housing Corporation, under
date OF March is, stating the cir
and conditions under
which the payments were made. In
the same letter, the guests, through
their counsel, expressed their earn
est belief that before the date for
the next payment for acconamoda-
tons would arrive, o decision would
be reached. that would solve the
problem with Justice to all parties
Purpose to Aid Government.
'"The guests are mindful that II IL
by the Department Of La
Dor, in effect, that IL these increased
rates are not paid, the hotels win
be closed. Also, that the press COM
ments upon this attitude of the de-
partment have conveyed the I'm
preston that the operation OF these
hotels was solely for the benefit Of
the guests. The guests, however,
deny that these hotels were erected
or are operated for their particular
benefit, hut call attention to the
fact that they were erected and are
operated for the express purpose of
enabling the Government properly
to function, through making II pos
sible for the Governments servants
to have homes In which to live
while working. And they say that
the housing conditions in Washing.
ton today are such that the eff.
cheney Of the guests Of these hotels,
as servants of the Government, de-
n1and that the hotels be not closed
at this time"
Another meeting of the Plaza
Council has been set for next Thurs
dGnNH NnHhAhn L.. Lei.