Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1890-02-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. FEB. 10, 1880.

From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. FEB. 10. 1880.
Though not formally presented to
the house the majority and minority
reports of the committee on rules have
been in the hands of the journal clerk
since Friday and have been ordered
printed, in preparation for the big de
bate. The majority report in great
detail explains the differences between
the new code and the one formally in
use, but the statement Of differences is
unaccompa2ied with argument, except
in the case of the rule as to ascertatning
a quorum and that providing that "no
dilatory motion shall be entertained by
the speaker" These and the rule that
one hundred members shall constitute
a aquorum in committee of the whole,
are the only radical changes. Against
these, the minority report, signed by
Messrs Randall and Carlisle is mainly
directed. The minority report indi-
Gates that the debate on these three
pOlnCS VIII DC prOGracLeQ.
The senate committee on public
buildings and grounds has been ordered
to report by bills, or otherwise, plans
for the erection of several public build
ings and the purchase of sites and for
an addition to the white house. The
debate on the question has awakened
general interest and the public appears
as much in favor of the idea as do the
senator's. Only niggardly legislation
has prevented the erection of several of
the proposed buildings long ago. By
this delay the government has lost sew
eral million dollars, for now that the
necessity can no longer be fought off
for any length of time, land in the
business portion of the city has in
creased from the prices of five years
ago in startling manner. Land now
sells in the open market for three to
ten times what it brought then. What
it will bring in a few years more can be
family immagined. And Uncle Sam
needing land, sits with his hands in
his pockets full of gold and let's oppor-
tunity drift by.
Senator Morrill, told the senate in his
speech the other day that Uncle Sam
is paying over $4,000 per annum in
this city in renting buildings, often
awkward and archltecturally unsuited
to public business. insufliclently lighted
and ventilated, and generally making
no pretension of being fire-proof. Many
of these rents, by tricks that are dark.
are double what any other tenant would
pay. In. these insufficient structures
are stored thousands Of tons of govern.
ment records that could only be repro.
duced and that at immense cost. The
only person who derives any benefit is
the happy landlord.
The newer government buildings are
tireproof. but Il few of the older ones
make no claim to being so. Senator
Morrill, pronounced the government
printing office to be mere shell, {
death trap. The government owns
some of the finest printing machiner,
in the world, with tons OF excellent
material, and possesses the electro
types of works that cost thousands t
produce, and all this property is con-
tained in a crazy shell OF abuildings
thin walled, built piece-meal as urgent
necessity called for additions, racked
out of shape by machinery, and witt
floors sagging from the weight of ma
| terial.
These interesting barracks are hardly
less Objectionable from sanitary
standpoint, If one considers human lif,
of any value. Ventilation is wretchet
and the heating apparatus, upon tht
construction of which local engineer!
are placing so much stress since tht
awful Tracy tragedy of last week, is O
the most antiquated description. There
would be- no supply of water on th'
upper floors in case of fire. The build
| ing is full OF dark passages and corner!
where men work as in a mine and witt
hardly elbow room.
This overcrowding retards work ant
that seriously, in seasons of grea
rush of work as in December, and dur
ing the last month of each session. Ane
every year, as the country grows, th'
amount of work increases. About th,
only thing satisfactory about the print
ing Office is its site. The location is il
a neighbordood where workmen car
tlive at a reasonable rate and rents ar
low, and it is convenient to the capitol
with which the hurried business of tn
Congressional Record is transacted.
/ OF more purely local Importance j
the question of the new postoffice. Th
present building is an ancient hotel
4 dark, dirty and unhealthy. The major
ity of the clerks work under gaslighi
4 and sewer gas reigns supreme. Th
difficulty OF procuring a suitable sit
has thus far prevented congressiona
action in thic case, 1t viii be of som
| interest to learn what congress will d
for two of the hardest worked classe
of people in the employ of the govern
ment.
4 Try keIlar's new Java coffee.