The times., 1897-12-19
new DISTRICT BUILDING
Commissioners Appeal for. One
Particularly Strong,
Thousands Being Paid for Rentals
Annually That Might
BE Saved

The Commissioners are peculiarly inter
ested this .eai in the project Tor new
district building. Every year the crowded
condition OF the District government has
become More and more apparent. Ills
year il is worse than ever.
The teaith department has half enough
room. The different branches of the en-
gineer department are unable to accom-
plish their work satisfactorily on account
OF crsmped accommodations. Mr.. StUtler
and the street sweeping office and Col.
Haskell and the weights and measures
office put into SIX by ten boxes, so
small that whcI the heads are present
the forces have 10 take yaca tions. The
property clerk piles desks and chairs aud
floors with his goods until his place looks
like the old Congressional Library in minia
turc.
But worst OF all the police are crowded.
Major Moore and Ibis people could use
four times a much rooiG as they do now
and not waste any. The efficiency of the
department undoubtedly is cramped by this
lack OF space.
The annual report this year was particu
larry app aline in it's tone. II is not known
what, If anything, will come of it all.
They now have under consideration a
recent bin providing for S2,5000oo
struci uTe in Judiciary Square, where the
present court house is. and to take up as
much in"re loom in the square as is neces-
sary. This till provides for building
Ia acc1 nlmodafe both the courts aud the
district executive government. This prob
ably will never becpne law. Aside rrosn
the ordinary difficulties or the situation
the Commissioners themselves do not lili =
1t, muci. as they need new accommodations.
Capt. Black. the Engineer Commissioner,
said yesterday to a Times reporter:
In the opinion ot the Commissioners, n
combination building for the courts and
the District guvernme mt would be mis-
take. The idea is fatally defective. Th.
tive branches should be kept separate.
They are utterly different, nd, more
than that. the District government has
enough departments to fill rs big build
ing as should be constructed.''
Another defect OF this bill to ma ny is that
it suggests using more of Judiciary Squa re.
When the Pension Building was erected
there vas a strong protest against &C
cupying more of the city's parks with
bui;dii Is. II seemed to be the general
sentime Mt Of the people that at least no
more oil this particular square should
be utilized.
1t seems possible that a building for
the police department. 1T least may be
secured this year. The need here is 80
giaring That Commissioner Wright isnla king
heroic effort He and Ma ior Moore have
been out on general prospecting tolrs in
the neighborhood and finally. have decided
on sits in tile nei eighbor hood Of the present
District building. They do not care to
make their choice public as yet, but ma he
the statement that the lot is eminentiy
suited t. tie needs Of the police.
During the last thirty years the District
officosbaye CO 81 many hundredsuf thousa ntts
OF dollars i'll rentals.
The old board o public works in ST3 oc
cupied Building On Four a nd a-1alf
street, just north of Pennsylvania venue.
Their Ell tai of the place wa So 6 90 a year and
there were many outlying rented offices
! for branches. Then too, the Cover II
ment fu'ce was much smaller than now.
To this building the boar made an ia.li
ton that cost 81 100000. When the buill-
ing was given upin SS1, this addition was
lost.
The old building on First street west was
occupied from thCr until 1895. The Rental
here aud that OF the health office, the police
headquarters and other branches amounted
TO $4,000 year. An these years there was
woefully insufficient accommodations.
The move to the present building W Is made
in 1895. Its rental is $4,000 according
to agret ment, but the appropriation for it
has never been more than $4,000. Every
year the owners have added $1,000 to
their bill against the Government. Probably
it will never be paid and the owners will
lose taeir money