20,000 APARTMENT OFFERS FOR THE DURATION OF THE EIGHTH OLYMPIC GAMES

BUT A SELECTION IS MADE

Prices are carefully studied and an inspector from the housing office sets them himself after thorough examination.

The housing office for the Olympic Games is not idle. Every day, families offering either a room or an apartment come to register and it's a real parade up the staircase of the building. Women, not all young, stop to take a breath because the offices, which are not reached by the elevator, are on the fifth floor; others precede them and, in a hurry, climb the steps as if they were setting out to conquer the happiness.

Illusions…

At the bottom of the staircase of mourning ladies, a shy mother led by two authoritarian daughters, discussing out loud:
— Give up a room for 25 fr. per day, it would only be interesting if we had to keep the same resident for the duration of the Games. But if there is turnover, if there is a risk of changing hosts every eight days...
— My house is not a hotel, sighs the mother who does not seem very enthusiastic and who had to be dragged into this adventure, despite herself.
The eldest suggests, peremptorily:
— Better to rent the whole apartment; at least then it will be monthly.
The lady raises her arms big, going to protest. But already the youngest, daring, specifies:
— Only, if we are offered less than 3,000, we don't work.

While the discussion between them drags on, I come across a gossip, coming back down the stairs, who doesn't hesitate to stop me as I pass. The spite is suffocating her and, since I am here...
—Would you believe? They didn't want to register me! For what ? Because I don't have a bathroom... I've lived in my home for sixteen years and I don't need one. And they couldn't do without it for three months? Come on!... In the anteroom, standing women who have never seen each other exchange confidences:
You know, I have two grown-up daughters to marry, I'm asking for a single person, you never know! If we rented, we would treat ourselves to a vacation. Since we haven't been able to leave Paris!…

(Continued first column, page 3)
Thursday May 15, 1924
THE HOUSING OFFICE
(Continuation of the article in the 6th column
page 1.)

The employee hands over a form and we write down the number of pieces we have, the address, the asking price. An inspector will come and see and it is only after his report that the offer will be accepted or not. The office will thus avoid unpleasant surprises for our guests. This is, moreover, said to me Mr. Albert Cointet, the active director of services, one of his goals:
— We wanted to assure our visitors against any speculation and allow them to stay in the best conditions. The office has established a scale; it is a kind of price regulator. Of course, we first transmit to hoteliers 7 0/0 of their rooms reserved for us the requests of foreign committees, and then distribute the visitors to individuals. Depending on the size and location of the hotels, you will find rooms from 20 to 65 francs with toilet, from 35 to 90 francs with bathroom. These will be worth, in families, 50 francs, the others 20 to 30 francs. Breakfast tea, coffee, chocolate, bread and butter will be priced at 3 francs with the locals. No service should be counted additionally.

Something changed

— What kinds of offers have you recorded?
— The most diverse. Families from the aristocracy living near the Champs-Elysées registered. They ask, on average, 10,000 francs per month to give up their apartment and only give it up for at least two months. Small people offered us accommodation which we had to refuse: lack of comfort. The abundance of offers, more than 20,000, allows us to select. Some Parisians had also had illusions about the prices; a three-room apartment with a bathroom, well located, rents for around 1,000 francs monthly. For the rooms, and this is the big difficulty, we cannot determine the duration of the rental.
— Do families have preferences?
— Yes. Most of the time we are told: “We want Americans.” Some mothers specify: “No couples…” Scandinavians, who have a reputation for being very careful and respectful of the property of others, are also in high demand. The eighth Olympiad will have changed something in the morals of the French family. Until now, as in so many other nations, paying guests were not admitted. We get used to it... It can only be excellent for international relations.

HUGUETTE GARNIER.