The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-30
BOTH WANT THE ROOMS.
UNITED STATES COURTS AND
WEATHER BUREAU IN A CONTEST.

Judge Speer and Observer Boyer
Both Apply for the Same Rooms
in the New Federal BuiIding-0ne
Wants Them to Establish a LIZ
brary and Consulting Room for
the Members of the Bar, and the
Other to Install the Printing Plant
Used by the Weather Bureau-BOth
Have Appealed to the Supervising
Architect-As the Race Now
Stands the Court People Lead by
Neck.
There Is contest in progress between
the United States Courts for this district
and circuit and the weather bureau, that
has for it's object the acquisition of two
rooms in the new government building,
that are wanted by both the judicial and
meteorological departments of the govern
ment service.
The contest is spirited, and though the
courts seem now to have the upper hand
the weather people have not despaired and
will probably continue their efforts to Sc
cure for its use one or both of the rooms.
The story of the contest begins some
months back, when Judge Speer applied to
the supervising architect to have two
rooms ON the second floor of the building,
that had not then been assigned, given
over to the courts for a library and con-
sulting room for the officers and mem
bers of the bar. Some considerable time
after this application was put in, the
observer of the weather bureau, Mr.. H. B.
Boyer, decided that the quarters that had
been allotted to his department were not
sufficient for its need, and that an extra
room on the second floor was urgently
required in which to operate the printing
plant used by the bureau in the prepare
ton of its reports and charts.
Observer Boyer applied to the supervis-
ing architect for the room adjoining the
suite that had already been set apart for
the use of The bureau, that at the corner
of Whitaker and State streets on the
north side and which CHANGED TO be one
of the rooms for which Judge Speer had
already asked. In support of his request
the observer stated that as things would
be when the department was moved 10 It's
new quarters the printing would nave 10
be done in one of the rooms of the tower,
and that as the plates were prepared on
the lower floor and must then be carried
up stairs, it would subject him and MS
assistant to great inconvenience dhlloS-
ance and delay.
on the other hand. the court officials
declare that a library and consulting room
for the use of the bar of the court are
needed for the purpose of facilitating ana
expediting the work Of the courts, 0haI
they have been needed for some time, ana
that the two rooms for which they had
asked are especially well fitted for the
end in view The ACCESSIBILITY of having
such rooms in the United States Court
has long appealed to the officers of the
court and the members of it's bar, and
they prophesy, should the rooms be as
signed and used for this purpose, that
there will be a marked increase in the
volume of business and in the ease with
which it can and will be transacted.
Judge Speer has been advised of the eff
forts that are being made by the weather
bureau to secure one of the rooms. and
yesterday a petition was circulated among
the members of the bar who practice
largely in the federal courts, asking the
judge to use his influence and all other
available means to secure the assignment
of the rooms to the uses of the court. The
petition was signed by all of the members
of the bar to whom 1t was presented. The
opinion seems TO be quite prevalent among
the lawyers that the rooms that it is de-
sired to secure are needed for the purpose
to which they will be applied and they
are anxious TO have Judge Speer's desire
in the matter, which they share, carried
out.
The assignment of the rooms rests I'LL
timately with the supervising architect
and his decision is awaited with strong in
terest by those who are interested most
closely in the matter.