Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-23

Promptly at o'clock the board goes into
session. Around long table in the pleasant
bay-windowed board room the three Commits
sloners gather and seated in comfortable arm
chairs talk over the matters which have en-
gagged their attention during the day. Mr.
Douglass sits at the head of the table with his
back to the window and at his left sits Major
Raymond. On the other side Mr.. Hine occu-
pies large arm chair. 1t is in this pleasant
room that proposed orders are talked over, pa
| pers examined, proposed changes discussed and
bids opened. The sessions vary in length from
fifteen minutes to hours. and sometimes the gas
has to be lighted before the meeting adjourns
The Commissioners are frequently Joined by
one or more heads of departments whose opin-
ion is desired on some measure which has been
| proposed. The meetings of the board are all
| secret and informal for the most part, but when
| you see Secretary TIndall go to the room with
| sharpened pencil behind his ear you may
| look out for some important announcement
THE AUDITORS OFFICE.
At the west end of the hall is the auditor s
Office, where Mr.. Petty will be found at the
| head of a corps of assistants To get to the
auditors Office it is necessary to pass the rooms
| Of Capt Lusk and Capt. Rossell, assistants of
| the Engineer Commissioner. The auditor dis
burses the money which the collector takes in
| down stairs and a great deal more besides, for
it is through his hands that the appropriations
| made by Congress every year are paid out. Paw
day at the District building is indeed a busy
| time and the hundreds of people employed by
| the District crowd up to the window with their
vouchers, receive their checks from Mr. OAR
| nielle, the disbursing clerk. and go away look
| ing happy and contented. Street laborers,
| pick in hand, stand shoulder to shoulder with
dapper clerks and solid-looking contractors.
| Large sums of money are disposed of by the
| checks given out at this Office and il takes a
good many people to keep account of where it
| all goes to. They are always busy at the audi
tors office, but the week just preceding the
regular pay day and the several days following
| are the busiest. There is a regular flow of peo-
| pie all the time, for the witnesses from the Po-
lice Court present their vouchers for payment
here and so do the jurors and witnesses before
coroner's juries.
| THE BUILDING INSPECTORS OFFICE.
| There is no officer in the employ Of the Dis
trct who is looked upon with greater respect
than Mr.. Entwisle, the inspector of buildings.
What he does not know about building house
| ls not considered worth knowing. Before one
| can be erected the plans have to be submitted
to him for his inspection. If he finds that they
| do not conform strictly 70 the regulations gov
erning the erection of buildings he refuses to
issue a permit and the plans have to be
| amended to meet the law. All sorts of char
acters are to be found in this room, some ap-
plying for permits to build others to repair
and others to enter complaints. Mr.. Entwisle
| says his room beats the building for cranks
1t is in here that all plans for public school
those already built are under the supervision
Of the building inspector. When a person
makes application for permit to build he first
submits the plans to Mr.. Entwisle, who ex-
amines them carefully. II they are in accord
ance with law he turns them over to Architect
Brady, who, in turn, submits them to Plumbing
Inspector Robinson. An examination is then
made to see if the sewer connections are all
right, and if Mr.. Robinson reports favorably
upon it the permit is issued.
ON THE THIRD FLOOR
are located several Of the Offices Of the gov
eminent, such as those Of the superintendent
of streets, county roads and sewers These
officers arc all under the engineer department.
There also the property clerk. who keeps an
alert eye upon the property owned by the Dis
trict, and he is responsible for it all, has his
headquarters. On this floor rooms are now
being fitted up for the Offices of the attorney
for the District. The attorneys presence in
the building will be great convenience to the
Commissioners, as his opinion is often needed
on questions which present themselves to be
Immediately disposed of. The Office of the
computing engineer is also on this floor and q
glimpse into it will reveal force of draughts-
men bending over boards covered with sheets
of drawing paper cutting imaginary streets
through, grading and paving, laying sewers
and planting trees-an on paper.