Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-20
CAN RENT, NOT BUILD
Controller Tracewell ConStrues the
Authority of Director Merriam.
TO SAVE GOVERNMENTS MONEY
Desirable to Have Clerks All on
One Floor.
E GOVERNMENTS MONEY
LETTER OF MR.. f. II. WINES

Controller Tracewell OF the treasury to-
day decided that there is nothing in the
census act which will allow the director
OF the census to lease ground in the Dis
trict of Columbia and erect building for
the use of the census bureau. The con-
trolier recently decided that the director
of the census has authority to rent guar
ters which may be especially built for his
work, but the director wanted 10 find II he
could not lease ground and put up a build
ing suitable to the work. The letter OF
Fred. II. Wines. the acting director, 10
Controller Traceweu is of great interest.
1t is as follows. and Mr.. Wines says he
writes in accordance with the wishes of
Director Merriam. who is out OF the city:
what the Director Wishes.
ut is the opinion OF the director that
the interest of the government would he
promoted by collecting she entire census
force under a single roof. There is no
building in the city Of Washington which
is available for our use which Will enable
us to accomplish this result II is further
the directors opinion that the efficiency or
the Office will be Very much greater II me
whole OF the work, except that of super
vision, can be carried on on single hoor
and in large rooms. There is certainly no
building in Washington which corresponds
IN It's nQtlnFS ana afFAit6tliltitS ~ A+4S
scheme which We have in mind.
"A number of different parties have been
endeayoriug to bring about some arrange
ment 10y which the wishes OF the director
in this regard could he met by means OF a
lease Of property. including building 10
be erected IN accordance with plans tuf-
nished by him by private capital no sat
isfactory proposition of This character has,
however. as yet been made.
'J'nler these circumstances. i'm view OF
the necessity OF getting into permanent
quarters as soon as possible, not later than
the LIST of next December. / desire To know
whether there Is anything in The census act
or in any other statute now in force which
would prevent the director from leasing
sufficient amount OF ground upon which 10
erect the building which We have designed
for the use Of the office. and paying Tor me
construction OF the said building out OF the
appropriation of $l.eoo,ooU for the organ
iZation and equlpme Mt OF the census ONCE
to perform the preparatory work necessary
to carry OUT the provisions Of this act The
erection of a building appears to be a por-
tion Of the necessary preparatory work
Cost of the Proposed building.
I'VE estimate that the cost of such
building would be in the neighborhood OF
500 000 or $4,000, and that it would pay
for itself IN the Increased efficiency Of The
service in single year. We believe that
the government would find il a better in-
Vestment 10 erect such a building than 10
pay the annual rental Tor llNt years WHICH
viii be demanded 10y the owners ~ prop
erty offered us, and which at the expiration
of the five years viii be the property. not
of the government, but Of the parties who
have put their onsy into it.
Your attention Is directed to The TACT
that the twenty-fourth section Of the act
authorizes the director to pay out neces-
sary sums foT the incidental expenses es-
sential TO the carrying out or the act, m
cluding the rental of sufficient quarters in
the District of Columbia We understand
this section 10 be permisslNe and not man
datory. The amount paid out for rent IN
the last census exceeded in the aEgr"gate
S1oo 900. The best proposal, l think, that
has been made to the director so far has
been a rental Of $25,eo0 year, which III
five years would amount to the cost of
the building which We desire TO erect, or
possibly exceed it
Not Authorized by the Act.
The CONTROL RS opinion is brief He says:
Buildings for public use are not, In so far
as | know. erected because Of the failure
of Congress TO prohibit their erection, but
because of affirmative legislation providing
for their erection.
II know of no act. unless authority be
found in the census act, authorizing you to
erect a building for use as census office.
Is such authority contained in the census
act?"
After quoting sections "a and -, the con-
trollcr concludes as follows:
1T seems to me quite a stretch or the
imagination TO attribute to the words Tor
the organization and equipment OF the CEN
sus office to perform the preparatory ~JTk
n nacessary to carry out the provisions of this
act the sum of one million dollars a mean
ing authorizing the erection Of q building
for the census office Section "a shows that
Congress had in mind a home or Office for
the census bureau, but authorizes the direc-
tor to rant quarters.
Il am therefore clearly of the opinion
that YOU are not authorized 10 rent lana
and erect thereon a building FOR the census
office out Of the appropriation contained in