Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-21
Director Merriam Has Completed His
Organization.
PLANS EgR TEE new BUILDING
Arrangements Made for the Dis
position of the Force.
T 1 NE TO BE sA WE'D

The director of the census has at last
completed his organization for the work
of taking the twelfth census. With the
signing of the contract for the new build
ing, which. is to be located at the corner
of LIST and b streets northwest, the first
direct step which insures the complete or
ganization of the system which he has,
In mind has been taken. Director Merriam
realized shortly after he entered upon his
duties that, to obtain the best results, it
was necessary to have all Of the work
conducted under one roof. All his energies
were bent upon securing such building,
and it has only been within the last week
that his wish in this respect has been real
lied. The building which is to be erected
will be a mammoth structure, covering al
most square of ground, having a 'front.'
age of 334 feet on B street by depth of
216 feet on LIST street. The building itself
will be of two stories, substantially built
and in all respects adapted to the purposes
for which it is intended The working force
will be located in two large halls, thor
oughiy ventilated and we'll lighted and I'M
der the constant supervision of the officials
in charge
Value of Time to Be Saved.
One of the statisticians of the bureau
worked out a very interesting example of
time saved ths other day. He showed con-
clusively by figures that when the offices
of the census We're scattered the average
time lost each day by clerk was seven
minutes. Seven minutes per clerk for up
ward OF 1900 clerks make great many Ia.
days in a year. and it is estimated that
by reason of the new structure, which
will accommodate all practically on the
first floor. the government will save in
time alone over 100000 year.
Those clerks who had an easy time of 1t
under the last census and expect soft
berth in this had better realize now That
every one will be expected and required TO
give a quid pro quo in work for the salary
he receives. ~ Unnecessary absence and
Hardness will not be tolerated, and the
force of clerks who will assist director
Merriam in taking the twelfth census will
realize that business methods prevail 1t
is argued that not only will the government
save large amount of money by reason OF
this organization, but that the census will
be in all respects very much better IMAM
any other taken The director has been
Known as an organizer for many years, and
is acquainted with the handling of large
bodies of people and those who are in
position to Judge claim for him a record in
the present work that .Till stand unpar-
alleled.T, x
1t must not be supposed that the director
will require any thing extraordinary from
the clerks His purpose is TO give. the gov
eminent a fair return for the money ex-
pended,I and he expects the clerks to do
their share lip this respect.
Plans for the New Building.
The director is giving the plepara ton of
the plans for the new building his personal
attention, and has introduced many innova-
lions which Ttend to the comfort and con-
venfence ofttI1e clerks. There will really be
two buildings. The administrative build
ing which. will occupy the entire width of
B street between LIST and ID, and the ex-
ecutive, building, Immediately in the rear.
The administrative building will be two
stories high, and will contain all Of the ex-
ecutive offices of the bureau. 1t will occupy
about Il, 900 square feet of ground. and will
be built of pressed brick, without orllamen-
tation. The building which will be oc-
cupied by the clerks vii be of one story and
cover 81, 600 square feet Of space, divided
into two large halls and subdiViled into di-
visions. The rooms Immediately in the
rear will be used for storage purposes, and
a fully equipped printing Office TO do all of
the printing for the bureau. A mailing Gi-
vision will also be on this floor, as well as
the lavatories.
The contract calls for the completion of
this work within five months after the ac
ceptance of the plans The plans will be
submitted within a few days, and no doubt
will receive the immediate approval of the
director. If the contract is carried out,
the the new census office will be ready for
occupancy the list of December.
All Chiefs Selected.
The erection, of this building marks the
final stepiin the preparation for taking the
twelfth census. All of the statisticans and
chiefs Of division have been selected, and
by the time the Office is ready for occu-
pancy, there will be an eligible list of sew
eral thousand from which to draw. Up to
the present time about two hundred super
visors in different parts of the country have
been selected, and it is expected that by
the miGdle of July all of the nominations
will be in. And so, as stated above, when
the doors of the new building in which the
at unplx Of am tc |,
are thrown opan, everything will dovetail
completely, and there will be no bitches in
getting to work. There are various esti-
mates as to the number of the people in the
United States, but 1t Is understood Director
Merriam agrees that the number will not
exceed z, 100000.