hrn^ W-:S' A. T^LE OF THE REBELLION. FACTS AND FIGURES FEOM THE STANDPOINT OF A DEPARTMENTAL CLERK. PROPOSITION FOR THE Government to Solve the Problem of Diminishing the High Prices of House Rent in Washington. SEGOnsriD EIDITIOIsT. r/" ^ WASHINGTON : INTELLIGENCER PRINTING HOUSE, Nos. 375 and 377 D Street. 1867. THE PLAIN STATE OF THE CASE. Relations of Department Clerks to Clerks before the War as to Salaries — to Landlords — to Real Estate in Washington, Individual and Governmental. THE LOGIC OF FIGUDRES, We may consider the economies of present Department Clerks under three heads — I. As compared with Clerks before the War. II. The relations of Clerks to Property-Holders in Washington, III. Their relations to Government Land in the City. I. As COMPAEED WITH ClERKS BEFORE THE WaR. The salaries of Clerks had been fixed some time before the war, and remaining still the same, at $1,200, $1,400, $1,600, and $1,800 respectively, for 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th Class. From a published table prepared by the Statistical Bureau of the Treasury Department, it appears that, deducting the income tax, and computing on a gold basis, that the salary of the $1,200 Clerk for the years 1862-3-4-5 and ^Q6, nominally amounting to $6,000 for the five years, is but $4,188 — averaging but $837 per year; diminution, $1,812. That the salary of the $1,800 Clerk averages,' for the five years, but $1,248; diminution, $552 ; and, instead of $9,000 for five years, is but $6,243 ; diminution, $2,757. So, also, tlie salaries of the four grades of Clerks for the five years amount to $30,000, but yield only $20,862 ; dimi- nution', $9,138. We have copied and footed the table, and appended a deduced table. See Appendix, Table No. 1. This table shows a diminution or difterence of but 69.5 per cent, of salaries on the gold basis ; but in another table from the Statistical Bureau on the rise of prices of 18 articles of food and clothing, that rise is shown to be some 40 per cent., which, added to the 69.5 per cent., will make 110 per cent. If we take the prices of the articles of food, clothing, fuel, and house rent, which latter item the second table of the Statistical Bureau had omitted, we have a difference of 148 per cent, instead of 110 per cent. In Appendix, Table No. 2, we have prepared a list of prices of leading articles of daily consumption in 1860 and 1866, with the ])er cent, increase of each article, and also the value of the dollar now to purchase these several articles as compared with 1860. It will be seen from this table that the average rise of 18 staple articles of food, fuel, and clothing, is 138 per cent., and the average value of the dollar is 4i cents, while house rent has increased 34-1 per cent., and the value of the dollar is but 22.5 cents. Combining the two classes, house rent and other expenses, the increase is 148. b per cent., and the value of the dollar is 40.15 cents, at which rate the $1,200 Clerk now receives but $481, less the income tax wliich he pays, $30, is $451 — that is, $451 before the war is equal to S 1,200 now. It we call the articles of food and clothing in Table No. 2 to be, instead of 138 per cent, increase, the same as that of provisions and fuel, viz., 131 per cent., then the house rent, at 344 per cent., is 213 per cent, extra over and above the rise on other articles. House rents that were $108 before the war, are $480 — that is, rooms that were from $8 to $10 a month, came to be $30 to $50 a month — the two periods averaging respectively $9 and $40, being an average rise of 344 per cent. Another instance is of $15 to $65 ; another of $10 to $50, or 400 per cent., situated in the north part of the city. To give the actual figures of the cost of living in "Washington, we adduce the case of Mr. H,, living in the north part of the city, wh' se cash books of expenses each year since 1859 show that in the year 1864 his expenses were $1,352, and for 1865 $1,379, giving an average of $1,365 a year. Having owned his house since 1859, he pays no rent, but s^ys, as houses now rent, this is worth $600 a year, which, added to $1,365, is $1,965, giving 30 per cent, for rent and 70 per cent, for ex- penses of Jiving. Mr. Il's salary at that time was $1,400 — the income tax being $40 and the special income tax in 1864 of $40, making $120 for the two years, or $60 a year, leaving his salary $1,340; and supposing he had to pay rent, leaves him a deficit from his salary of $625 a year, or $1,250 for the two years. His family consists of him- self, wife, two children, and servant — five persons. Furthermore, the clothing of the family is now $200 less value than in 1860. All who are acquainted with Mr. H. know him to be a most frugal and eco- nomical liver, as he is a most faithful and competent Clerk. . Applying our tabular result to his case, $590 of the former period was equivalent to $1,365 now, and his house, at $600 rent, is $120 above the highest rate ($480) of our table. The figures of our table are more than backed up by the irrefragable ones in the case of Mr. II. The rent of a medium class house was $108 Now the same house is 480 Increase rent $372 If there should be added to Clerks salary 33 per cent., then the $1,200 Clerk would receive but $640. Deducting from the increase $400, the 5 per cent, tax, $20, leaves $620, but little over half even then what the former Clerk received. There is yet another item of much consideration. The Clerk before the war worked 6 hours a day, now 7 hour^. A gentleman of high position in the Treasury Depart- ment says that some Clerks have worked 15 hours, and that the aver- age time of all Clerks may be put at 8 hours. Besides, the amount of work performed t-ince the war commenced has been, from the pressure of business, 25 per cent, more in 6 hours tlian formerly, aggregating, in the 7 hours, 45 per cent, more woi'k. II. The Relation of Clerks to Property-Holders in Washing- ton. The rebellion called for an additional clerical force in the Depart- ments, as well as armies to the field. Before the war there were not quite 1,000 Clerks (989) in the Departments, now there are 6,000 — 5,000 more. The increase of population, arising from the necessary increased help therefor in boarding houses, laundresses, etc., and of the families of those Clerks keeping house, will average two adult persons to each Clerk — three in all — aggregate, 15,000 increased population to the city. The population in 1858, as estimated by John Sessford, was, 62,978 ; the number of houses stated at 9,481, giving seven persons to eaeh house. In 1860 the population was 65,000 ; the number of houses built in that year 262. The population at the present time is 100,000. an increase of 35,000, or 53 per cent.; of which the increase on acicount of the Clerks is, as above, 15,000 — f, or 43 per cent, of the increase But as the total increase is largely from blacks, we consider the class of houses which Clerks would occupy as being to the landlord, instead of y, as fally equivalent to one-half of the increase, or 18,000. A population now of 100,000, at 7 persons to a house, gives 14,285 houses; the increase in the number of houses, at this rate,. 4,854, and one-half the increase due on accountof the increased number of Clerks since 1860, would be 2,427 houses, at the rental now of $480, as before, amounts to $1,164,960 per year ; but, granting to the householder the common increase before established of 131 per cent, on the former price of $108, gives an excess of $231, which, on the 2,427 houses, is $560,637, and which, for the 5 years, amounts to $2,803,185 extra house rent paid to landlords in Washington consequent upon the in- crease of the clerical force. But if we take the whole number of Clerks, 6,000, instead of the increase, 5,000, a tabulated statement will be as follows, adding one-fifth, 485, making the number of houses 2,912. 1 Year. 5 Years. 2,912 houses, at the former rent, $108 per year $314,496 $1,572,480 Ditto at the 131 per cent, advance 726.485 3,632,425 Ditto at $480 per year 1,397,760 6.988,800 Ditto, the extra being 213 per cent., at $230 671,275 3,356,375 Some may be ready to say that the prices of building materials and of labor are so high that houses cannot be built and rented lower than at present prices. Our inquiries show that on ten different descrip- tions of sawed lumber the average cost now is 85.5 per cent, higher than in 1860, ranging from 29 to 136 per cent, higher, while the larger quantity used in the building of the lower-priced quality will make the average even less than 85 per cent. The price of brick is 107 per cent, higher than in 1860, wages of carpenters 60 per cent., brick lay- ers 80 per cent., laborers 20 per cent, higher. The lumber dealers of whom wc made inquiry say that the house, complete, will not cost 100 per cent, more than in 1860. So the cost of building a house now does not reach the 131 per cent, higher, as we called the average on provision and clothing. The 15,000 added poj)nlati()n arising from the Clerks has paid a portion of the city taxes and given a large patronage to the city rail- roads. The valuation of real estate in the city is made every five years. The Assessors' books for 1864 show the value of real estate of indivi- duals was $87, 835,886, gold basis, and includes the lot and house. It is usual to charge as rent 10 per cent, of the valuation. A gentle- man quite conversant of prices of real estate and rents, says that in Washington 20 per cent of value is charged as rent, and that whereas the population in five years has increased 53 per cent., the naked lot has increased in value but 25 per cent. Now, 20 per cent, rent on, sav $30,000,000 of lots with houses on them, is $6,000,000. annually, of which the increase of the number of Clerks and dependents pavs annual- ly $2,080,000, and in five years $5,400,000, in the proportion of 82,000 citizens to 18,000 on account of the clerical force. In five years pro- perty holders in Washington get in rent $30,000,000. Citizen's property having increased in value from 1859 to 1864, $7,835,886, gives to the increase Clerks, in tlie proportion of 18,000 to 100,000 inhabiiants, $1,401,459, gold value. The Assessors' books for 1854 show the valuation of real estate of individuals in the seven wards comprising the city, in the table of "Ri- capitulation," to be $12,537,096. 'J'his.does not include the value of the building, and is for the naked lot In 1850 the work is not footed ; but from Mayor Wallach's letter, as per sequel, where he says the value of the Government land — the "reservations" "and the expenditures for the public buildings thereon, amounted, in 1859, to $28,121,631, which was nearly equal to the assessed value of citizen's property," we infer that the valuation of the city in 1859 was about $30,000,000. III. The Relation of Departmext Clerks to Goverxment Land IN Washington. From a pamphlet letter of Mayor Wallach to the Secretary of the Interior of November, 1865, to be presented to Congress, one ob- ject of the letter being to show the propriety of the United States pay- ing their proportion of certain expenses incurred by the city, we make a few extracts: " When the city was laid out, the owners of the soil gave to the General Government not only enough for the streets and avenues, of such unparalleled width, but likewise every alternate building lot, and nominally sold to the Government at the minimum price of £25 an acre, or $36,099, all the large reservations on which the public buildin:5^s stand. Of the 7,134 acres of land comprising the whole area of the city, the Government obtained as a free gift, and without the cost of a dollar. Acres. For streets and avenues 3,600 10,136 building lots 1,508 And nominally purchased 512 5,626 Leaving to tlie proprietor of the soil every alternate lot 1,508 7,134 " The whole area of the city, exclusive of all east of Twenty-fifth street east and of the basin at the west end of the canal, is 6,110/Vo acres, or 266,192,564 square feet, divided as fcdlows : Square feet. Public reservations [ 578 acres.] 25,189,402 Building lots [2,780 acres.] 121,095,214 Alleys 7,141,105 Avenues, streets, and open spaces 112,767,225 266,192,546 " The General Government and the proprietors of the soil were joint owners of all the property (land) on which the Federal City is built, in the proportion of 6,6^6 to 1,500 acres, 5,114 acres of Government's portion having been obtained without cost, and 512 acres, though nominally purchased, were really paid for out of the moneys arising from the sale of the very alternate lots so generously given by the proprietors of the soil. " Of the 10,136 lots given by the proprietors for the purpose of im- proving the Federal city, 6,411 were sold previously to the year 1802, at a time when not in demand, and there were but few bidders for them, and of the proceeds of the sale ($642,682) $330,508 was ap- plied towards building the Capitol, and $240,632 towards the erection of a mansion for its Chief Magistrate. Upon the property reserved for the use and purposes of the nation, the General Government has expended in buildings and other improve- ments for its own exclusive use, the sum of $14,709,338, partly taken from the Public Treasury, and partly from the sale of the lots donated from private individuals, while the reservations themselves are valued at $13,412,293, making the aggregate value of the nation's real property in this city, at the time of the assesment, now some years since, (1859,) to be $28,121,631, nearly equal in value to all individual property, and which, if liable to the same burden, would yield by way of taxation, a revenue to this city of $210,912 annually." Of the 10,136 lots, the Government has none lelt, but has in 17 reserva- tions 578 acres. We have seen that the Department Clerks, by their residence in the city, have been an important element in enhancing the value of individual property, but the Government lands are, pro portionally, equally enhanced in value, and hence an increase in 5 years of 25 per cent, on naked land on the valuation $13,412,293, is $3,352,573, of which the proportion to Clerks, 18,000 of 100,000 popu- 6 lation, gives $603,463, gold value, increased value in five years to the Government land from the residence here of the Government Clerks. Some of our calculations are made for the 5,000 mcrrc/ve — by adding one-fifth, making 6,000, the whole number of Clerks, we have the figures of calculations correspondingly increased. The Government, in making Railroad land grants, donates one-half of the public land to a certain distance from the line of the road, estimating the remainder of equal value as was the whole originally. Here it may be suggested, that if Government Clerks could be allow- ed to purchase articles of provision of the Commissariat on the same terms as do army officers, it would be quite a saving, the difference between wholesale and retail prices. A REMEDY FOR THE EXTRA PRICE OF HOUSE RENT. Let the Government build 200 or 300 cottages, located on its '' Re- servations," to be rented to its Clerks only, at a low rent. Such is the precariousness of Government emplo3'ment iiere, that Clerks, if they had the means, would seldom buy property here, but would r^jadily rent a cottage at a low price. One great result of such a measure would be to knock down the high prices of house rent, and such a number of cottages would do it. If each cottage had one-eighth of an an acre of land, 25 to 40 acres would suffice for the 200 or 300 cot- tages. Acres. In the Reservation south of the President's House, are yet.' ' 44 The lot between the Smithsonian lot and the Monument lot 30 From the east side of the Monument lot 13 Part of Armory Square, 14 The "Infirmary" north of F street and Judiciary Square 10 In all Ill The localities are central as to the Departments. The cottages would be pleasant, interspersed features of the city. See Appendix A. A summary of the whole matter may be thus stated : The extra number of Government Clerks caused by the rebel- lion is 5,000 That whereas the 1st class Clerk received before the war $1,200, the same $1,200 by reason of increased ex- penses of living, is but $481 00 Less the $30 income tax 30 00 $451 00 That increasing the salary one third, gives 641 00 And commencing the addition at 1865, he is then re- ceiving but half the $1,200, besides leaving a previous deficit of the three previous years, compared with the Clerk before the war, in gold, of 802 00 That the whole clerical force (6,000,) have been the meai s of paying house rents in Washington in the last five years, of '. 6,989,760 00 Of whicli sum they have paid, after allowing to the householder an equal rise for it as on other articles of living, as EXTRA rent 3,363,820 02 That the rise of real estate of private property, caused by their residence here in 5 years 1,692,550 00 The same on Government real estate — the naked land 724,153 00 Sum of the three last items 5,780,525 00 That the house rent paid, and the rise on real estate in the city, owing to their residence for past 5 years, is 9,406,463 00 The above sum of 5,780,525 00 is a consequent or incident of the Clerk's residence here, for which he has not received a farthing. Nor is the near 50 per cent, greater amount of work than was accomplished by the Clerk before the war to be unheeded. With all this reduced compensation, as compared with the period before the war, the Clerk has labored on faithfully through cold and through heat, as did Jacob for his wife. The " Boys in Blue" con- quered the rebellion, were voted bounties, and such of them as sur- vive have gone.home. But the" Boys in Black," aye, and the old men, too,* never a "reserve corps," but ever on active duty, are still battlingthe Extra rents precipitated and entailed by the rebellion — a large force of whom, let it never he forgotten, are still toiling, as they have toiled, to get the accounts of the former adjusted with the Government for final settlement and payment, as for the one-legged and the one-arm, as for surviving friends, widows and orphans. f The Department Clerk, then, in "black" and in " hoop," has the con- sciousness, keenly abiding, of having labored through some difficulties and pecuniary sacrifices, to sustain the Government, and assist in bear- ing aloft " The Star Spangled Banner T , ., A. V. Washington, January 5, 1867. (/(/ ',■"' ^ / jL^/I *0f the latter class, was one who gave, in a letter which was handed bj an official to President Lincoln, his, the President's, first idea of Gen. Sherman's march from' Atlanta to hold Savannah river, the military movement to be followed by ulterior^-' measures, looking to a great financial achievement, coupled with an early resumption^ of specie payments. The ^^ great march" suggested to President Lincoln, and acted ' upon by him, was executed by Gen. Sherman. The "march" commenced two months subsequent to the letter to President Lincoln. fA late number of the New York Tribune, 26th December, had an editorial — " Strong men struggling" — of a low, mean, scurrillous and most rabid attack ou the Department Clerks, for petitioning Congress for an increase of pay. Whatever stands in the way €f the Tribune'' s pet. specie payments, is forthwith taken to task. The pJiobial char- acter of th« editorial is all the more evident, developed and marked, by appearidg on the heel of a Christmas dinner. ArrENDlX A, To Page 6. Tlie following Editorial in the Washington Chronicle of JJe- cember 30, 1866, is here inserted: "THE DEMAND FOR DWELLING HOUSES. "We alluded som« time ago to the subject of livint; in the Capitol, and suggested some means by which it might be ameliorated and improved. Since then we have received a large number of communications on tlie subject, some of them comtuending and some taking issue with our views. The majority of them, however, warmly sup- port the chief idea which we endeavored to set forth, to wit, the necessity for an in- crease of dwelling houses. As the session of Congress advances, and the city becomes more crowded, the iuconveuieuce as well as the expense of living in the capital is more keenly felt, and the question is again afiked. What is the remedy .' We know of none other than that whiclx we have already proposed, and we are glad to learn tliat the attention of Capitalists here and elsewhere has already been attracted to the subject. Notwithstanding the great expense connected with building, owing to the increase in the value of everv description of material, we believe that, with the proper encourage- ment and protection from Congress, associations could be formed for the construction of a large number of dwellings of the cl^ss which is so much needed. We have abundance of large liouses, suitable only for the purposes for which they are now used, to wit, huge sleeping and feeding establishments, more generally known as boarding houses. What wh want is houses built with some view of being used as homes ; houses which could be rented at rates within the means of the majority of -the clerks in, the deportments, and of the other employees of Government. The etfect of this reform would be t» lower the present exorbitant rents, and to increase the general business of the District. Instead of a man paying fifty dollars a month for a couple of rooms for himself and family, and from fifty to a hundred more for board, he would be enabled to occupy a Louse containing six to eight rooms and support his family decently and comfortably for the same amount of money. In this calculation we have not taken into the account the personal comfort, cleanliness, and health of the misera- ble victims of boarding-house life. We leave each one for himself to add this to the sum total.* The advantage to the general business interests of the city would bo scarcely less marked than the complete revolution which would follow this reform in the coustruction of society at the capital. The thousands who are now penned up in poorly furnished rooms, simply because they cannot do better, and who are as useless to the majority of our merchants as non-producers are to a country, would at once become customers to dealers in all that pertains to housekeeping mer- chandise. Thousands of dollars which now go out of the city and are expended in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and other places would find their way into the coffers of our own merchants. The money, too, would be more evenly distributed, for instead of the grocer, the butcher, and the produce dealer receiriog the chief patronage which is in inevitable under the present arrangements, other branches of trade would come in for their share. The effect upon the morals of the city would also be apparent. It is a well established fact that large numbers of people congregated together in one house or place are more liable to demoralization and crime than when separated and surrounded by the elevating and purifying influences of home. In whatever aspect the subject is viewed, the argument in favor of an increase ol dwelling houses suitable for homes is overwhelming. We trust that Congress will manifest a disposition to encour- age any association which may inaugurate this much needed reform. We say asso- ciation, because we do not suppose that it will be accomplished by individual eflfort. Should any number of capitalists combine, and we have already h(>ard of a movement in that direction, they should receive all the encouragement which can be afforded, both by Congress and our citizens." Would there not be, in the scheme of incorporating companies to build houses in Washington, a tendency to have the old landlords and the incorporated companies coalesce and unite in grand combination under a legalized monopoly to maintain these high prices of house rent? *Iu this arithmetical operation of the category of the "miserable victims," there should not \h^ omitted the elegancies of " Washington privies." o ^ lu r*.^ -^ ■> «■ c u c^ ^ s 00 ■u c I— 1 '55 -^ >? ;u r-! c* c g in ^ S ft CT) s f^ T— 1 g 5j -* y^ •»^ (to « T) - 5>. 1 =>i « .<= s 3 to ':^i s % an ^ e a >5 s i: ro o '^> ■^. 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ARTICLE?. 1860. Flour per bbl ... Sugar per lb Tea do Coffee - do Beef do Mutton do Hams do Butter do Lard do. Coal .per ton .. Wood per cord... Average 11 Items Cottons per yard... Board and Room per week... Boots and Shoes — average 6 Articles... Woollens Best Coat Best Suit 1865... Making Coat — Journeyman's Wages.... Average 7 items Do .18 do House Rent, $8 to $10 a month, $30 to $50 — Average per month Do. per year Average 19 items 85.25 07 75 20 12 10 15 20 10 5.00 3.50 12^ 4.00 25.00 40.00 G.25 9.00 108.00 1866. $17.50 17 1.75 45 25 20 25 50 22 12.00 8.00 55 10.00 50.00 100.00 15.00 40.00^ 480.00 ^ PER CENT. VALUE OF I.NCRBASE. DOLLAR. 233 143 133 125 108 100 66 150 120 140 128 131 340 150 58 100 100 150 140 148 438 344.44 148.8 ■''■^■::''i:':.i..'-'['i^ -'•, -.'n :■■■'■■■ ^■MliViBt LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 010 092 395 6 #