Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-30
u. S. Should House
Its Workers Decently
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
The proposed plan of an unnamed
philanthropist to build apartments to
rent or sell at cost to Federal en-
ployes has among it's assets the
consistent, even enthusiastic, support
of the Government. So stanch has
been Secretary Hoover's backing of
the project that local realtors openly
implied that he is either himself the
originator of the proposition or he
Is taking advantage of his official
position to further the interests of q
favored competitor, an accusation
based more on business chagrtn than
on Hoover'S attitude in the matter.
Hoover's sole interest in the plan
seems to be a sincere desire to pro-
vide Government workers with COM
Portable living accommodations at
rates within their means. President
Coolidge also maintains this attitude.
He has, in fact, long interested him
self in the rent problem which faces
Federal clerks, having two years ago
made a strong effort to ameliorate
housing conditions here for Govern
ment workers through ex-senator
Ball. The discussion with the Presi-
dent of the cost-apartment plan is
cited as one of the purposes of
Hoover's recent visit to the Coolidge
Summer home.
The Governments favorable atti-
tude toward the low-rent apartment
plan is concretely demonstrated by
the alacrity with which E. w. Libbey,
chief clerk of the Department of
Commerce. has undertaken the work
of distributing missionaries among
the Government clerks to determine
the extent of their support of the
proposed housing plan. and to secure
from the information thus obtained
a survey of prevailing rent con-
ditions in the city, and in this way to
determine whether or not the demand
for cheaper apartments is sufficient
to warrant carrying out the propo-
sition to provide low-rent apartments
to house 10000 persons.
But while Government officials thus
support and further the project to
build inexpensive and comfortable
living quarters for Federal employees
the fact that a large proportion of
those same Government employees
spend seven hours a day in old war
time temporary" office buildings of
decided discomfort and questionable
safety rouses little official concern
The sinking floors of the War-N Navy
Annex are hurriedly reinforced with
concrete Orders, and in all the worn
out temporary" buildings leaking
roofs are patched. loose windows re-
framed, rotting flooring replaced. and
sagging walls braced in the effort
to make these flimsy structures hold
together. while the plans for modern
fireproOf office buildings to replace
the unstable temporary" buildings
progress sluggishly because the Gov
eminent building fund is scant and
inadequate.
The situation is little ironic. Gov
eminent solicitude for the home COM
fort of the workers it daily houses in
unsafe offices seems somewhat mis-
placed.
Washington Is already filled with
excellent apartment houses. in many
OF which no more than half the
apartments are rented. And assum-
ing that prevailing rates are exorbi-
tant, as Secretary Hoover declares
them to be, at the present rapid
rate of building an oversupply of
housing facilities must automatically
and very shortly bring about a re-
duction Of rents In view of which
fact, any and all official concern for
the housing Of Government employees
might appropriately be directed to-
ward getting the proposed new office
buildings definitely on the way tC
construction.
EVELYN McCLA1N.