The evening times., 1899-12-19
RECORDS OF THB DISTRICT
Efforts to Secure Them From the
Government Unsuccessful.
Maps and Plats of Original Subdi-
visions and Squares which Sur
veyOr LOCKER Believes should BE
in His Onice-Reasons in support
of the Justice of the Claim.

The Surveyor of the District, Henry B.
LOCKER, has called the attention of the
Engineer Commissioner to the fact that
despite his efforts of a year ago there are
still on file at the War Department a
number Of maps and plats of the original
subdivisions and squares of the District
which he believes should be given over to
the custody Of the District Surveyors office.
The employees of this office, he says, are
the only person who are capable of appre-
ciating and understanding the papers in
| question. and now that the fireproof vault
for the reception OF such documents is to
be constructed Mr.. LOCKER, Is OF the opinion
that they should be delivered to him. The
action Of Congress in establishing the office
of Surveyor OF the District made that officer
| the legal custodian OF the records which
| were In the office OF the Engineer Commits
sioners at that time and also Of the Dis
| trict records in the possession OF the War
| Department.
These records are in the War Depart
| ment, and they consist of maps, plats, and
other documents showing street lines in the
| city OF Washington. the boundaries and di-
| mensicns of the squares and lots. and the
| division Of lands made by the commission
ers between the United States and the
| original proprietors when the Federal City
was first laid out.
There are also in the Surveyors office
four bound volumes Of copies of original
| plats of squares and lots 1.-THE originals be-
ing at the War Department., the original
notebook containing the record of sound
| ings taken for the Dermott map and prob
ably other data.
In Legal Form.
In support OF his statement the Surveyor
uary IL, 1909, establishing the Office of the
Surveyor and defining his duties This act
provides that all records of divisions,
squares, and lots shall be kept in the Office
Of the Surveyor and all Transcripts there
from must be certified by him.
Continuing, the Surveyor states:
Down to this time t1S09) it is perfectly
apparent that the Commissioners, and sub
sequently the superintendent, had the legal
custody Of all the records, maps of the Dis
trct and of the city, plats of the squares
and lots, deeds OF the original proprietors,
&c, as well as contracts for the erection
of buildings, bonds, obligations, and az
counts of every sort connected with their
been reached when the laying out Of tie
city had been completed, and division of
the records and duties of the super irten-
dent became not only a natural and logi-
cal sequence, but a business necessity.
That il was the intention OF Congress in
passing the act OF 1909 to bring about just
such a division and 10 make an absolute
and complete separation of the two offices
seems clear, from the fact that new tit'e
h
defined and enlarged; he was required to
take an oath; he was equipped with the
records pertaining TO his new office; he was
made the only officer whose certificate of
transcripts OF those records was legal evil
dence and he was given the power 10 sub
divide government property as well as that
Of private individuals.
The Surveyor of the City of Washing
ton thus became the legal successor OF the
original Commissioners and of the super
intendent, SO far as relates 10 the survey.
location, and subdivision of land, and the
custody OF all the records tthen in the su-
perintendents possesson) bearing upon
such work; and if it can be shown that the
present office OF Surveyor OF the District
of Columbia is the legal successor to the
office of Surveyor Of the City OF Washing
ton, mentioned in the act of 1909, it must
necessarily follow that this Office is en-
titled to the same records.
Several early acts OF Congress are then
cited to show what legislation hal been
enacted regarding the office of the Sur
veyor of the City of Washington, up TO
1867, when the office of the Commissioner
of Public Buildings and Grounds was
abolished and the Office placed in the han6s
Of the Chief OF Engineers, U. S. A.
Mr.. LOCKER states:
The Chief of Engineers of the Army
consequently became the custodian of all
records legally held by said commissioner,
but this law does not specify the transfer
Of any public property, as is clearly done
in the two previous acts transmitting these
duties. The Chief of Engineers in his re-
port Of 1895 (p. 4150), referring to this act
of March 2, 1867, says he thereby became
the lawful successor of the original Com
missioners appointed by President Wash
ington in 1891. and the custodian of the
original records
Needed Legislation.
In this conclusion 1 cannot concur. SO
far as relates to the records Of division of
lands in the city of Washington, and the
maps and plats relating thereto, because
as has been shown above, those maps. pats
and records had been diverted from the
Office of the superintendent by the act Of
1909. --
aside from the legal aspect of the case,
and as a mere matter of expedency and |
of District officials and citi- |
zens, who are frequently unable to trans |
act their business without reference to the |
originals, it is submitted that this office is |
a more appropriate and suitable, location |
for these records than is the Office of the |
officer of the army detailed in charge OF |
the public buildings and grounds.
1.-The proximity of this office to the Dis |
trict Offices, the record office, and the courts |
makes this location Of great advantage to |
all interested in these land records, which |
are by law under the control of the Sur |
veyor The large number Of persons who |
are compelled to go to the War Depart |
ment to examine the original records is in |
dicated by the report Of the Chief Of En-
gineers above referred to 1S95. part z, p.
4150). in which he says: The time Of the |
only craftsman allowed this office is mainly |
taken up with the care of old records of /
the city OF Washington. and his services
are required in this Office the greater por- |
ton of each day in order that he may ex-
hibit to those interested In city property. |
He is frequently summoned to produce the
records in court
"In conclusion, I would say that there |
does not appear to me any necessity for |
additional legislation on the subject. II /
certain records be in such shape that they |
cannot be divided, 1t would seem to me
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