Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-06
More Aides SOUGHT
By 0CD 10 Expedite
Rooming House Quiz
Volunteers Handling
Doto in Check on All
Buildings With Tenants

THE OCD Central Volunteer
Bureau today appealed for addi-
tional volunteers to assist staff
workers who began this morning to
transcribe District Rent Control Ad-
ministration data to be turned over
to District inspectors for use in the
sweeping inspection of rooming
houses ordered yesterday by the
Commissioners.
Five experienced volunteers, pro-
vided by Mrs. Harry S. Benton,
head of the bureau, started work at
administration headquarters at 10
am. The task will be continued
night and day until valuable infor-
nation on the city's rooming and
boarding houses has been trans
Scribed.
Mrs. Benton said there was a
particular need for typists who can
work full or part time. Two shifts
will be placed in operation. the first
from 10 am. to pm, and the sec
ond from 730 to 10 pm.
Hundreds May Lose Rooms.
Todays action followed the Com
misioners' ultimatum calling for
rigid and periodic inspection of
rooming places here, a move brought
on by the recent rooming house fire
fatal to two persons on Euclid street
NV. Hundreds may be forced to
find other accommodations if in
spectors find premises do not comply
with regulations.
OCD volunteers will gather the
following information: Address of
each rooming and boarding house in
the city, the number of stories, au-
thorized maximum capacity, whether
certificate of occupancy has been
issued, the number of fire escapes
and sanitary facilities.
The appeal for home owners to
open up their places if they have one
or more rooms available was re-
newed today at the District Build
ing
Inspectors Assigned.
Strenuous efforts will be made to
speed the inspection of all build
ings known to be used as rooming
and boarding houses. Col. Joseph
D. Arthur, jr., Assistant Engineer
Commissioner, promised following
yesterdays order from the city
heads.
Already seven inspectors borrowed
from the plumbing, electrical and
building inspection departments
have been assigned to the task OF
inspection, and plans were being
made to draft fire department per-
sonnet, Col. Arthur said.
Checkups to Continue.
Col. Arthur stressed that roomine
house inspections would be a con-
tinuing operation, with inspectors
returning after establishments have
been approved to see that no add.
/ tional tenants have been taken on
The Commissioners said they had nc
alternative but to demand reduction
of occupants when overcrowded con-
ditionS are found.
Affldavits will be issued to al
places where reduction of tenants is
found essential to safety, and these
establishments will be CLOSELY
checked by inspectors from time tt
time, the city official said.
He disclosed that the Commits.
sioners in the past few months hac
ordered 80 buildings equipped t.
comply with the Fire Escape Act. Ir
some instances the owners have
made changes in occupancy, while
others have been given permission t.
make alterations required under law
Col. Arthur said he believed many
operators had failed to apply fol-
occupancy certificates through ignor.
ance.
The Commissioners made 1t plain
however, that there would be nj
compromise with city regulation!
regardless of the acute housing
shortage here.