Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-22
GENERAL LAND OFFICE
1t May Need Al the Space in the Old Post
Cfice Building.
Its Present Requirements Are Large
and With New Territory
VIII Increase.
LAND OFFICE

When the time comes for the removal or
bureaus of the government into the old
post office building, which will be IN the
near future, there is apt to be some con-
tention as to the space that will be found
necessary by the officials to be given quar-
tcrs there. In a general way 1t has been
decided to turn the building over TO the
general land office and the Indian bureau
and to allow space for the bureau OF edu-
cation If there is any room for It, The
first needs to be provided for are those of
the general land office, as its removal from
the Interior Department building Is neces-
sary in order to give additional space for
the patent office. The bureaus of Indian af-
fairs and of education are in rented quar-
ters. and while their removal into the old
pest office building is desirable for num-
Der of reasons. among which is the saving
of rent now paid on their account, thelr
needs are regarded as secondary to those
of the general land Office.
Needs of the Land Office.
The available space in the building to
which they are to go has not been allotted
among these bureaus and officials Of the
general land office who have been looking
into the matter closely are inclined to the
belief that their bureau will demand all
The room available Records are now near
ly all stored in the wide halls of the In
terror Department building. The halls of
the old post office building so narrow
that it is not contemplated that they can
be used for this purpose. that a very
large number of rooms, suitable for offices
for clerks, will be used for storage.
Another disadvantage which will be en-
countered in the building IS in the fact
that lis rooms are nearly all small and
cannot be made to accommodate the num-
Der of clerks that could be located on the
same amount of floor space were 1t divided
in large apartmentS. A project of knocking
out partitions so that larger rooms could
be secured was considered. but it was learn
ed that the building is so constructed that
the partitions are necessary IN order TO
preserve the strength of the structure. For
that reason little change of that kind can
be made in the building when it is prepared
for its new tenants.
May Take Up the Whole Building.
Officials of the general land office believe
for these reasons that the old post office
department building contains no more
room than they need at the present time.
Their future needs they say, are to be
considered also. Two years ago it was be-
lieved that the general land office had
reached its greatest Development and even
those best acquainted with the work of the
bureau declared that in the future it would
decrease. The public land having been all
given away. and various questions requir-
ing work on the part of the land office set
tied, ii was thought that any further in
crease was Impossible.
This view Of the case was even response
hle for recommendations for reductions in
the force. A good deal Of surprise was eN
pressed when the work coming to the
bureau continued to increase in bulk so
that last year it was found necessary 70
have more help. and Congress allowed
twenty-five additional clerks in response to
earnest appeals from Commissioner Her
mann. Now the acquisition of new terri
tory suggests a vast amount of additional
work for the land office. In view of this
condition, it is likely that an effort will
be made TO have only the general land office
occupy the old post office department build
ing.