Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-10

been granted up to date and. Of course. each
holder of document. granting his or her par
ucuiar right TO exclusiveness for a stipulated
number Of years, needs to have that document
spread upon the files in proper shape. Thou
sands upon thousands Of models help along the
general jam entailed by the papers themselves.
ana the end no man can foresee. The patent
ONCE fire in 1877 thinned matters out some
what and reduced the burden Of archives con-
siderably. but this is a where ''there are a
few left, and a great many more than few
besides. although the stringent regulations
adopted some time ago With reference to patent
mo els have lessened the strain more or less
that score. The msps, plats, plans, records of
grants and the thousand and one other kinds of
documents in the land Office have already prac-
tlcally confined the clerks TO a very limited
space in this section of the building. while the
care that needs TO be taken OF all records bearing
upon the woes OF poor 10, and the ra;ions.
DC. which the Great Father issues to the red
brother every two weeks only add to the general
crowding.
Secretary Noble is usually a very patient
man. but he might be pardoned FOR displaying
trlfle of the opposite article al the space econ
omy which he must practice in the depart
ment, with his hundreds of assistants. In fact,
there Ism t room OF any consequence left now
except about the Railways and corridors and
in some quartersit has already been necessary
to call those into a semi-storage use At the
same time the department is substantial enough
In Its construction to undergo some more over
crowding Of floors without endangering the
lives of the employees and on that score at least
the Interior people have the call on their
brethren of the civil service under Mr.. Wans-
MAKER standard.
THE UPTOWN DEPARTMENTS.
The Treasury Department and the State and
Navy portions OF the latest of Uncle Sans ad-
ditions to his stock of public buildings are not
as badly hampered for space as might be sup
posed after enumerating the mess at the In
terror and Post Office departments. But the
section presided over by Secretary Elkins is in
the latter state,aud for the same reason. Under
ordinary circumstances the transaction of ex-
ecutive matters in the record and pension di-
vision at tho Ford's Theater building and much
OF the surgeon generals business down at the
museum would relieve the pressure were il not
Tor the ordnance end of the War Department.
The quartermasters adjutants and Judge ad-
vocate's records are not SO bulky but that the
department has so far managed to handle them
without extraordinary exertion. But the ord
nance bureau Is as much cramped, il not more
SO, than any under the entire government. It's
complete museum had to be dismombered some
time ago. although that is practically nothing
compared to the difficulties encountered
through the non-accessibility of plans
and files. which are among the most
valuable papers In the department There Is
absolutely no room for any of these to be kept
close at hand IN the building proper, and the
whole list, relating to improved guns, arma-
ment generally and Notifications, is stored in
small structure next the Winder building and
to the rear of old stable, where they are
likely to be destroyed by FIRE at any time. Un-
questionably, they could not be replaced in
that event. Whenever it il necessary to con-
suit these files the bureau officials are compelled
70 rummage around the old storehouse for the
document required, and much valuable time is
frequently lost, the danger of having the col
lection destroyed by fire being, however, the
principal thing to be feared.
Last on the list comes the need of the District
itself. There is tre-proof vault at the Com
Inissioners stamping ground, where the most
important city documents are preserved. But
this place, which is the only available part Of
the building and is located on the floor beneath
the building inspectors Office, has long been
packed to overlooking, and now the receiver Of
taxes and his confreres, the assessors, must
take chances against fire with their most i'm
portant official papers. The records of the en-
gineer department. the water and gas d.
visions. the building records and dozen other
concerns are in the same category, but until
Congress steps into the breach in some way the
rule will be every division for itself and devil
take the hindmost."