National Republican., 1883-04-18
A TREASURY TURN OVER.
Report Of the Committee on the Redistribution
Of Space Among the Divisions.
They Find the Building Too Crowded tor
Comfort and Ask for Outside Room.
4 Number Of Changes Suggested That viii Afford
Temporary Relief 10 Some.
The Solicitor vigorously Protests Against
Encroachmcnts on His Quarters.

The committee appointed by Secretary Fol-
ger to inquire into the necessity for reas-
signment Of rooms and space in the treasury
building has made report. They say their
work was delayed by several things, princi-
pally by measures pending in congress which,
II passed, might change the requirements Of
several divisions, and thereby lessen or in
crease tho amount of room needed. Then,
too, they were obliged to consider the
character of the work each person
was employed to do, the amount Of space de-
manded, light required, &c. They have found
the building crowded. almost to its utmost
capacity, and unless some relief can be OBJ
tanned by tho destruction of documents, and
files Of various sorts which are or may be Of
more or less value, space will soon have to
be sought outside the building. They have,
however, readjusted matters 80 that some
temporary relief can be obtained in the most
crowded divisions.
The officers to whom additional space is u.s.
signed are the public printer, for the accom-
mediation of the branch of the government
printing office located in the subbasement;
tho supervising architect, in the basement;
the second comptroller, on the first floor the
commissioner of CUSTOMS revenue marine
division of the secretary's Office, and the
government actuary, on the second floor
the third auditor, on the third floor,
and the treasurer for flo purposes, on
the fourth floor. The additional space as
signed the branch printing Office is required
mainly for the accommodation Of the forms
from which the quarterly interest schedules
are printed, numbering about LOO, and con-
stantly increasing, which are now mainly
stored in one end of the composing room, oc-
cupying space which is desired for other pur-
poses, and in the public hallway where they
cannot be properly cared for. The recovery
of the space which 1t is proposed to assign to
this office involves several other changes,
which with one exception are desirable in
themselves and will result in the better ac-
commodation of the interests affected by them,
but would not be recommended except to
meet the requirements of the printing office.
1t Is proposed to vacate the space in the
northwest wing of the subbasement now
used as carpenter and model shops, and
assign the space vacated by the modelers
to the branch printing Office, moving the
modelers to the space vacated by the carpen-
ters, except that portion which is located be-
yond the north wall of the west wing, being
the south half of the small room next to the
north hallway, the north half of which is oc-
cupied by the assistant superintendent for
storage purposes 1t is recommended that the
temporary partition which now divides this
room be removed that the room be vacated
and assigned to the assorter of waste paper,
removing them from the north wing and
assigning the room thus vacated for occupancy
as n paint shop, vacating thereby portion of
the large room in the northwest corner of the
building now occupied for that purpose
vacate the remainder of this large room
by removing the plumbers gasfitters, and
blacksmiths and the space thus vacated, being
In all seven windows on the west wing of the
north front, is given to the loan division of the
secretary's Office for the storage of fiber
paper, to be removed from the large room on
the south side Of the north wing. Divide the
room thus vacated by partition, and assign
the west portion, being the space of four win
dows, to the carpenters and the east portion
to the plumbers and gasftters, and the small
room now vacant, Immediately east of this
space, to the blacksmith. The artisans af-
fected by the proposed changes are under the
direction of the supervising architect.
THE BASEMENT.
Tho supervising architect represents that
the construction of the large number of new
public buildings authorized by congress at
the last session will require the employment
of large additional force of draughtsmen
and considerable increase of the general
force of his office; that better light should be
found for the present force Of draughtsmen,
and floor space provided for the accommoda-
tion of the expected increase.
The register calls attention to the crowded
condition of room No. on this floor, and re-
quests that relief be afforded by the reassign-
ment to his Office of room No. go, now occu-
pied by the assistant superintendent for stor-
age purposes.
ableness of the supervising architects de-
mands for better light and more space, and
have made an earnest effort in the direction
of their realization, but with only partial
success. 1t was found that, to afford all the
relief desired, itwould be necessary to require
the register to vacate all the outside rooms
occupied by him in the west wing on this
floor except the space under the west portico,
and for the treasurer to surrender the west
end 1.-TWO windows) of room No. 116,
and assign all the space thus vacated,
including the west end of the north
hall, to the supervising architect, who would
then occupy all the outside space on this floor
from the south hall to the northwest corner
Of the building except the space under the
west portico, and would surrender in ex-
change the inside rooms now oc cupied by
him numbered Is to % (even numbers) to be
occupied by such of the force of the registers
office removed from the outside rooms as
could be accommodated therein. Some OF
these changes were found to be impracticable
The following changes and reassignments are
recommended upon this floor:
l. Assign TO the register, for his personal
occupancy, room No. l, which has q floor
space of 400 square feet, and corresponds in
size and appointments to rooms occupied by
other bureau officers of the department..
2. Assign to the clerks now occupying
IoOlu IoOlub 10 Db NHChUeu Dy
the register, which contains 300 square feet
more of space than the rooms they are now
In.
3. Vacate room No. 27, and assign the same
to the supervising architect, the present oc.
cupants to be provided for on the first floor
A. Vacate rooms Nos. AZ and 40, occupied by
the disbursing clerk of the registers office
and for files and assign the same to the super.
vising architect the files removed therefrom
to be accommodated in the attic story.
s. Vacate room No. 80, and assign the same
TO the register for the use of the disbursinl
clerk.
g. Vacate room No. 81, and assign the samC
for the use of the watchmen.
FIRST FLOOR.
The force of the second comptrollers Office
Is increased by the addition of eight clerks
and he asks additional rooms for their accom-
mediation. Space is also 10 be found for thu
accommodation of the force removed from
room No "a, basement To accomplish thes'
objects, and also to provide outside and better
ventilated rooms for a portion of the force o
the division Of warrants estimates and ap
preparations Of the secretarys office, which Il
required to work at night during a part of thu
summer, the following changes are recon
mended:
l. Vacate rooms 65 and 81, the former nov
occupied by force belonging to the frs
comptrollers Office and the latter by the ex
amining board, and assign the same TO the sec
ond comptroller; the examining board to bC