Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-21
WORK OF SURVEYOR
Annual Report for the Year Ended
June 80, 1901.
ESTIMATES FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR
Large Increase Noted in Business
of the Office.
ADVAN NOE IN RES

The annual report Of Henry B. LOCKER.
| District surveyor, for the fiscal year ended
| June 30, 1901, was transmitted to the Com
| missioners this morning The report shows
| that the work of the surveyor in some
respects quadrupled since the Office was es-
tablished and that the average increase
| in the work over last year was SO per cent.
THE salient features of the past year S
| work" says Mr.. LOCKER, " Is the extraor-
binary increase in the demands Of private
citizens and the District officials for sur
veys, subdivisions and information. More
than ever before is this office depended on
for every service within it's scope by heads
| of other District departm a consum-
| nation which the surveyor has invited
whenever opportunity presented, the result
| being to largely diminish duplication of
| surveys, and to transfer directly to the in
dividual needing it information attested by
| the surveyor officially, and therefore avail
able for use in court or as the final state
| ment of the Commissioners in any case de-
pendent upon survey.
This very proper use Of the office has
had great effect in the increase of work
done. AS to work for private parties, the
office has been taxed beyond it's physical
ability during the entire fiscal year, and
will be in arrears for a month yet, even
with the third field party just organized
Details of the Work.
Taking up in detail the various principal
divisions of the work of the office and the
percentages Of increase over last year. it is
found that the number of Individual re-
corded lots surveyed for private parties Is
$50, an increase of SO per cent and twenty
four unsubdivided parcels of land were
surveyed. Three hundred and twenty-seven
subdivisions were made in duplicate and
recorded, an increase of nearly 40 per cent
OF suburban tracts six were subdivided
into blocks and lots. One thousand and
nineteen estimates of cost were made out,
in triplicate the resulting orders being
entered on the order book which shows a
total of 1,019 orders for private parties for
survey or subdivision, or both, or for plats
Of all sorts, an increase of % per cent In
preparation for surveys and subdivisions
LOIS plats of whole or parts of squares
were made up an increase of % per cent.
Six hundred and eighty survey certificate
plats were issued and the same number OF
duplicates entered on the books, an in
crease of 40 per cent. At least 400 sketch
plats of subdivisions were made on request
of the inspector of buildings, preliminary
to issuance of building permits. Eighty
two large plats were prepared, of which
thirty were recorded for the District.
Endorsements were made on SIT en-
gineer department communications and 81
plats We're forwarded Herewith, an in
crease of 81 per cent.
seventy-fve localities. scattered all over
the District, in city and county, fixing lines
of all kinds of municipal real estate and
to obtain data for reports. Ninety reports
(other than those by indorsement), of
which fourteen included plats. Two hun
dred and fifty Of the ST. Endorsements We're
upon as many different subjects relating
to the engineer department.
Field Duties.
expended 663 hours in surveys for the Dis
trict, and three times as much. 1858 hours,
for private parties; total, 372 days of eight
hours, or SO days of extra time, 10 per cent
over and above the ordinary Office hours,
and the Office force worked at least 25 per
cent over time. The relative amounts of
time expended for the District and private
parties by the Office force are very diff
cult to differentiate. but it is certain that
at least one-third of the Office time Is ex-
pended in answering questions and assist
ing those interested in real estate in the
examination of the records. which Is as it
should be.
In addition to the plats above noted,
many others of temporary character.
probably 800, were made, bringing the total
up to about 1920, an increase Of SO per
cent.
'Three hundred and sixty-three letters
were written and copied, and at least 500
other letters were written, of less import
ant nature. and not requiring copying;
total, 663. Probably 1900 telephone calls
were made or answered.
In view of the fact, as above noted, that
the increase in various branches of the
work range from 2S to 40 per cent, and
actually average at least SO per cent over
the work of the previous fiscal year, which
itself exceeded the one back of that by 20
per cent. the surveyor is justified in stating
that the work cannot in reason be handled
by less than three field parties, fully
manned and equipped. and an Office force
of at least the present size,
1.-The growth of the subdivision work is
shown by the following table:
Subdivisions made and recorded:
July, 1895, to July, 1896, 81; July, 1896 to
July. 1897, 12S; July, 1897. to July, 1893,
122; July, 1898, to July, 1890, 172: July, 1899,
327
work was behind. and until May Is, when
the deficiency appropriation was first util-
lied. the Office work had also accumulated
So heavily that the increased force then
work up to date. Three series Of books are
kept. one for the city. including George
town. one for the county" for resubdi-
visions and small plats. and one for large
bulky plats. These are the record books
proper. and in addition most valuak.e
series of certificates books of survey is
kept. by which every survey or plat or
preserved, In precise duplicate, and by the
aid Of the card index system is instantly
available for public inspection. Plans are
on foot to make this series of records Of
surveys in the near future very much more
valuable than now to all landed interests
insufficient field force has made 1t prac-
tically useless to attempt the exceedingly
important work of referencing valuable
points of survey destroyed by street i'm
provements. This Is a deplorable loss, as
whole days are often spent by field party
In what Is often a vain endeavor to replace
them. Hereafter 1t is hoped this loss may
be stopped.
An Old Landmark Gone.
Turning to matters not purely statistical
the fact is noted that an interesting old
landmark. the initial point or the corner
of several original tracts west Of George
town. known for many years as the Dolly
Barber Tree" huge poplar on the south
side Of the New Cut road west Of Foundry
Branch, has recently fallen. and in order
to preserve Its exact site, this Office has
placed a permanent monument I'm the CEN
ter of the space once covered by the trunk,
this monument carefully referred to aux
Hilary points recorded in the Office notes,
to secure the main point against possible