National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-03-11
MORE ROOM WANTED.
CrRsaped Condition or the Congressional
Library and the winder BuiiStng.

Library ana the wtnder BuiiStng,
The visitor to Washington who slrolls about Its
magnificent streets and enjoys the sense Of pro-
prietorship as an American citizen In the huge
public buildings which everywhere meet his gaze
VIII find Il hard to realize that all the splendid
extenpf marble and granite is insufficient for the
transaction OF public business and the safe keep.
ing Of public documents; yet II Is strictly true
Every branch OF departmental work is overlooking
Its original bounds and oil over the city there are
In occupation private buildings Of various degrees
Of adNptability for governmental uses, where
regular clerical work carried on and stnterests
represented. The whole country knows that
the Library Of Congress is ridieulously made.
quate for its purposes, but the oyerorowded condi.
ton Of other repositories Of public property seems
to be accepted rs matter Of course. Perhaps In
the course Of decade Of years or so the subject
may by some fortunate chance receive attention
from the powers that be- but at present there IL
nothing for II but endurance, OF which the learned
Mr. spofTord, Librarian of Congress, is an example
under the very eye Of Congress. But, for all this
a Library building is bound TO come, and In tho
very near future. Another strong case in point
would seem to be that Of the ungainly edifce ut
the West End
KNOWN AS THE wisDER BUILDING.
Never attractive as to lis exterior its precincts but
lately SO dirty and dlngy undera former deputy
auditor, contain ono Of the most important
certain interests of the War Department The
Office Of the Second Auditor has for It's special
work the charge of all papers relating to claims
against the Government, p0ymnsters' accounts,
camp equipage, soldiers homes, arrears ofpay and
bounty, Indian claims, and all war claims. ex'
tending back TO the year lSl5-all these are here
arranged, filed, labeled, and held ready for In
spection. At first sight the value Of all this may
not be quite apparent, butan extract from letter
written by Hon. o. Ferfiss will illustrate the i'm
portRnce of these records.
HB SAYS:
Since the passage of the act of 1879 relating to the
Mexican war three months extra pay claims, more
than fourteen thousand applications have found their
been discovered to have any Just foundation, Had
not the yonchers and nay.rolls been properly pro.
fully prosecuted Again, inquiries constantly be.
ing made ns TO matters contained in the records of
Indian wars and the accounts of Indian agents Of
remote date. Not long gince claim was made for
200 BY the representative off party who had fur;
ln whose behalf Congress- bad enacted law or reso.
linton Upon exa E IL WSs found our that the
SUCH INSTANCES ARE on CONSTANT OCCURRENCE,
and q moments thought will suffice to chow the
benefit noeruing from the wonderful system by
which all this mass of testimony is managed and
utilized. Some idea of the accumulation of papers
which have to DO cared for may be gained by the
carefully. estimated fact that they number over
forty millions, that their weight is about three
hundred tons, aud that the space they occupy is
over 1--WE lineal miles 1t is also ofhcially stated
that the number yearly received averages three
hundred thousand Ono grows fatigued In at
tempting to measure the patient toll aud unoeasng
vigilance demanded by such huge responsibilities,
and there Isl involuntary sigh Of reliefin realizing
that one Is but looker-Onand not q worker In
this busy hive. Clerkships may have their bright
side, but heaven deliver ono from the drudgery
| OF some of the men whom We met in our raInbes
through the large files of the Second Auditors
office, Some years ago business lod us 70 make
an inspection OF these same files, and the filth and
dirt Of an important public Office were fully re-
| ported in the columns OF The REPUBLICAN,.