Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-10-21
FUBLlC BUILDINGS HERE AND ELSEWHERE
Report of Supervising Architect NuI
lett.
RtrOns!rEcFFoE Of Ehe East FrOsE Of the
TrGasHry BWildiE 2 - gain RssommsHdcd.


TrGaSHry BWiiGfE 2 - SdfH Recommended.
Mr.. Mullett, Supervising Architect of the
Treasury Department, has completed his an.
nual report, which is very short, covering only
ten pages Of letter paper. After reyiewin.
briefly the work which has been done dnring the
past year on custom houses, post Offices AMI
other pub lie buildings under his charge thr Jug'
cut The country, he says that proposals were
invited for a site for the proposed new govern
ment hu lding a. Cincinnati but il has been found
in possible to obtain proposals tor a piece of
prop rty well located and OF suitable size. The
commissioners report that ii will he necessary TO
POSTPONE further action until authority can be
obtained from the state 10 condemn the proper
II required. No action has been taken in re-
gard 10 the court house and post Office AZ
Raleigh, y. c., the cost of the structure
being limited to the sum OF 100000,
which Is an amount entirely inadequate
for the construction of q suitable building.
He recommends that no action be taken until
the limitation on the cost OF the building be in
creased TO sum that will enable the depart
ment 10 erect suitable, satisfactory aud sub
Etanual building, which cannot. IN his opinion.
&c accomplished for less sum than $3.50 ,OI0.
he renews his recommendation for the purchase
OF the battery, in New York, and the erection
thereon OF suitable building for the customs
department in that city, including a barge
Cfce, appraisers stores and custom house; and
says that, Gin my opinion, no public buildings
are more urgently needed at the present time"
He also renews his recommen dation for the
purchase Of the Merchants Rank property in
Baltimore, which joins. and In fact forms part
OF, the custom house building. He also recon-
mends that the hospital buildings at New Or
leans and fittsburg be sold, and new ones
erected.
He saws further sc desire most earnestly to
recommend that an appropriation be obtained
for rebuilding the east front aud the center wing
OF the Treasury building, which would increase
the capacity of those portions of the building
nearly one half, and would furnish very material
relief for the Overcrowded condition OF the
Treasury Department. In case this suggestion
Is approved, would recommend that the entire
granite work be cut before the destruction OF
the old building is commenced, in which event
the building could be rebuilt and ready for
occupancy in a very short space OF time, not ex
Ceeding two years. An examination of the
building will show that the reconstruction is
only a question of time, as the material of which
the old building was constructed is entirely
worthless and is rapidly disintegrating. The
rooms are small, badly lighted and without any
proper means of ventilation. and are in every
respect unsuitable for office purposes"
"The business Of the Office has a. a rule pro-
gressed during the past year in very satisfac-
tory manner. The principal obstacles have
arisen from the difficulty OF obtaining compe
tent industrious and reliable superintendent,
without which it is utterly impossible for this
once 10 control the cost of work or to secure
vigorous prosecution of the same" lie speaks
in complimentary terms of the services of the
employs Of his office, and recommends tn at the
salary OF the assistant supervising architect be
increased.