Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-18
DISALLOWED BY AUDITOR
Claims for Preparing Buildings for Govern
ment Use.
1t is Held That Congress Appropriated
Only for Rent and Not for
Alterations.

Auditor Timme, for the State and other
departments, recently disallowed a number
of claims which had been submitted to him
by persons who had been engaged in the
work of removing the Department of JUS
tice and Court of Claims. These accounts
lad been approved by the Attorney Cen
eial. They involved a total of about s., 800
and still others of the same class are to be
presented. The largest of the claims We're
for changes in the Baltic building, oc-
cupied by the Department of Justice; the
old CorcoIan Art Gallery building, at pres
ent occupied by the Court OF Claims, and
the building at No. Lafayette Square,
which is occupied by that portion of the
Department of Justice having business be-
fore the Court of Claims.
One of the claims. for instance. Is by
Motley Anderson. for carpenter work,
plumbing, etc. Auditor Timme holds that
these claims are for repairs to private
property" and cannot properly be charged
to the government. One claim OF $50 for a
flag pole over the Court Of Claims is disal-
loved this ground.
When the bill passed Congress making
an appropriation for a new building for the
Department of Justice it provided for
temporary quarters for the Court of
Claims, naming specific sum for rent.
No such provision was made for the De-
partment of Justice, the supposition being
that the department would remain in the
old building until the new one had been
completed by it's side. When Attorney
General Griggs was informed by competent
architects of the Treasury Department that
1t was unsafe to remain in the old build
ing he at once decided to find tenn
porary quarters. He secured advance
decision from the controller Of the treasury
that he authorized. under the general
intent of a statute, to secure new quar-
tiers. The decision applied to the rental of
new quarters and not to necessary changes.
The decision of Auditor Timme was re
ferred to the Department of~Justice, and
Col. James Boyd acting attorney general,
has written letter to the controller, who
will have to pass upon the matter. 1t is
probable that the whole number of claims
which will be held UP under the auditors
decision will be in the neighborhood of
$4,000.
The Acting Attorney Generals View.
In answer to the assertion of Auditor
Iimme that the expenditures are for per-
manent repairs to the buildings involved.
and that under the terms of the lease the
owners of the property should have made
these repairs, Col. Boyd says that the own
are not called upon to make changes,
alterations or additions to the buildings"
He thinks it unnecessary, however, to dis
cuss this as the buildings were leased to
the United States they stood, the owner
agreeing to keep them tenantable. Changes
had to be made for the transaction of pub
lie business. The Baltic building, he says,
had been used as a hotel. 1t was in good,
tenantable condition, but as it had been
used as a hotel its rooms, apartments and
conditions were totally untitled for occu-
pancy by the Department of Justice. Of
fees, libraries, rooms for stationery, etc,
had to be fitted up. This had to be done at
expense, and could not be charged to the
landlord unless an agreement had first been
made with him to do this work and in
crease his rental. The department preferred
to do it's own work
,1,,, Ho1
just as necessary as the rental of the
buildings themselves
Col. Boyd refers to the claim of the au-
ditor that the placing of flag pole on the
Court of Claims building was permanent
Improvement, and comments on this say
ing that it is something unusual for pub
lie official to find objection to a pole on
which to put the stars and stripes.