Evening star., 1899-03-06
The Inquiry Must be Continued.

1t is most unfortunate that the Senate
investigation into the methods employed
in constructing the Washington post office
building should not have been either car
ried to conclusion before Congress ad-
journed or else continued during the re-
cess. Only one session of the sub-com-
mittee assigned to conduct the inquiry
was held. AT that session enough was
disclosed, according to the official print
of the proceedings, to justify the most
sweeping search for facts and figures. The
statements which have been printed in
The Star concerning the quality and econ
omy of this building We're abundantly prov
ed, as far as the quest was carried. The
testimony of the former superintendent
laid the foundation for an inquiry which
should have revealed an astounding state
of affairs in one of the most important
branches of the public service. Two most
consequential facts ware indeed established
as a result of this preliminary hearing.
1t was developed that the present officials
of the department do not consider that it
was good administration to order the
change in the character of the stone work
of the building at the contractors price
of S229,OOO, when at the best estimates the
change should not have cost more than
the department considers that the roof
of the building is fire-proof notwithstand-
ing the enormous amount of infiammable
material which has been used in it's con-
struction, the walls are not sufficiently
strong to bear the weight of an absolutely
fire-pToof roof"
These two propositions open up of them
selves unending vistas of valuable facts
and interesting speculations. The question
naturally arises whether it is not impor
tant that Congress should ascertain how
it is possible for a system to be conducted
which permits such costly errors as that
of the change in the stone facing without
bringing those responsible to book. There
is no reinsurance to the people for the
department TO assert, as it did to the in
vestigating committee, that the faults en-
bodied in the building and the delays en-
countered are the work of men who have
passed out of the public service. There is
no guarantee that similar faults and de-
lays will not be repeated in the future as
long as the service remains organized as
al present.
Congress has already indicted this bu-
reau at the session just closed. The pass
age of the bill for a new Department of
Justice building was in itself serious
aIeSaloh OF incompetence on the part
OF the supervising architects office The
placing of the enterprise under the exclu-
sive control of the Attorney General was
direct evidence of distrust. Added to that
reflection was the series of disparaging
remarks made by eminent senators of both
parties concerning that office when the
Legislative bill was under consideration
These facts and the testimony already
taken and printed are sufficient to warrant
the expectation that when Congress reas-
sembles steps will be taken to carry out
the orders of the Senate which have thus
far been ignored. The feeble attempt to
investigate which was actually made will
not be allowed to pass muster as a suffi-
cient inquiry into a condition of real Sc
riousness to the government and the
people.