Evening star., 1942-07-02
Nv JAMES Y. NEWTON.


officials of the Government cor
poration erecting Meridian Hill
Hotel, the Women's hostelry at Six
teenth and Euclid streets NV, said
TODAY it was planned from the start
as a class" hotel-that is, one where
higher-paid Government employees
might live.
Housing officials, it was said, cited
the need for housing for employees
in the upper brackets" on the Gov
ernment payroll. Defense Homes
Corp, the Reconstruction Finance
Corp. subsidiary, was approached
and agreed to do the job. The Star
pointed out yesterday that restric-
tions and hign rentals prohibit more
than four -f1tths of war workers from
living in it. The need for housing
is greatest among lower salaried
women, ones making under $1,000,
who will not be able to live there.
Despite rentals described as above
average for privately operated
places, Grand Hotel" as Meridian
Hill is called in some quarters, will
not be very good investment for
Uncle Sam. In fact, the Govern
ment stands to make no money on
the proposition, it was said, unless
conditions change materially.
Rentals, ranging from a top OF
$41.l6 month for single room
without private bath and with lin
tied SCI rice to S30.33 per person
for the leas. desirable doubles, will
cover only operational costs, inter-
lest chaIges and "a small amount OF
amortization A spokesman at the
RFC declared the hotel would have
to stav near the 100 per cent occu-
pancy u afford any amortization
Most Of the housing Defense Homes
builds with RFC funds is calculated
to amo' tie the loan, pay off in full
in Is years. as well as pay fol
operation and interest, it was said
Construction Cost High.
This Is attributed to high con.
structio1 cost of Meridian Hill
which includes such luxurious things
as a swimming pool. Then, too
as was pointed out by j. Bernard
Wyckotf president of Washington
Housing Association. the hotel i.
located in section where lane
costs are very high.
Just how high rentals would have
to be fer the hotel to pay for itsel
and show profit was not statee
at the PFC.
Rates to be charged at Meridian
Hill were disappointing" to Mrs
Helen Duey Hoffman. executive di.
rector Of the Washington Housing
Association. Hotels for girls making
81 260 and 81 .440 year were re.
, queSted at the associations annua
meeting two years ago. Mrs. Roose.
) welt addressed the meeting and be.
| came greatly interested in the idea
. Mrs. Hoffman said.
This hotel will not help at al
, girls who, due to small salary anc
, inadequate accommodations ar,
, forced to herd into dingy rooms tt
find place to sleep" Mrs. Hoff
+ man said. 1T is not what we asked
: for. Employees able to live in th'
! new hotel already have a mucl
; wider choice of living quarters.
: is too bad this de luxe hotel had tt
be built while Congress hagglet
over funds for dormitories that arr
to be little better than barracks"
May Come UnGer Rent Control.
Rent Administrator Robert F
Cogswell will decide soon whethe
Meridian Hill comes within his juris
2 diction He would not say rental
were out of line, but he did stat
2 charges were SO high that Meridian
7 Hill would contribute nothing t.
relief of the housing shortage.
A Municipal Court decision re
2 Gently held the District Rent Act die
l not apply to low-cost projects OF th'
, Alley Dwelling Authority. But Me
ridian Hill is not strictly a subsidized