The times., 1901-06-27


Room for the Board of Charities
Ventilation of Cellars Through
SideyyalI-Street Cleaning stopped
With the beginning of the next fsca
year there will be several changes in the
offices at the District building. The
changes were inaugurated in order tC
secure offices for the Board of Charities
in the basement. To bring this about
the office of the Chief Engineer OF
the Fire Department will be moved
to the basement of the Harper Building,
already occupied in part by the Police
Headquarters. BY this means the present
Office of the Chief Engineer is vacated
and will be occupied by the Board of
Charities.
While these changes were being deter
mined upon it was decided to make more
room for the Inspector of Buildings, and
accordingly the Superintendent of Prop
erty viii also take offices in the Harper
Building. With reference 10 the several
changes, the committee having the mat
ter in charge has submitted the following
report to the Commissioners:
An examination of the Offices occupied
by the various branches of the District
government showed such a cramped and
crowded condition already existing as to
put out of the question any further sub
division of the available space. In order,
therefore, to have the quarters of the
Board of Charities in the so-called Dis
trict building, as seems desirable for the
convenient and proper conduct of the
business coming before the board. it be-
comes necessary to secure space in some
building close at hand for the Office Of
some other branch of the District govern
ment. After due consideration of the
matter and after consultation with the
various heads of the departments, having
in view also the convenience of that por-
tion of the public who have business with
the Board of Charities, we agree upon
the recommendation that the room at
present occupied by the Chief Engineer
of the Fire Department be placed at the
disposal of the Board of Charities, in
addition to the room on the sixth floor
now occupied by them, and that three
front rooms in the basement floor of the
Harper Building be secured for the use
of the Chief Engineer of the Fire De-
partment. We were informed by the
owner of the Harper Building that the
rooms selected can be available for the
District by July 10. The proximity Of
these rooms to the street well adapts
them for the purpose of the Chief En-
gineer of the Fire Department, and that
official was consulted and his approval
obtained before their selection was made.
with reference TO the further re-
arrangement of offices, we have to report
that the Office of the Superintendent Of
Property is crowded to a point1of serious
Inconvenience, and that the office of the
Inspector Of Buildings is SO badly crowd
ed as to cause confusion in the conduct
of business and positive discomfort to en-
ployes and the public.
TO relieve these conditions, we recon-
mend that the four rooms nearest the
front in the third floor of the Harper
Building be secured for the Superinten-
dent of Property and that his present
Office be assigned the Inspector Of Buil0-
ings.
''The above recommendations, if adopt
ed, would, in our judgment, provide the
most suitable accommodations practical
bic for the Board OF Charities, and would,
to some extent, relieve the diScomforts
resulting from the crowded condition Of
the building. Inconvenience must result
from locating offices in a separate build
ing, but this inconvenience cannot be
avoided for the simple reason that the
present building is not large enough TO
accommodate the District business.
"Our examination into the matters re-
ferred to us has brought forcibiy to our
attention the urgent necessity for a new
District building, especially designed with
the needs of the District in view"
The committee appointed by the Com
missioners to obtain quarters for the
Board of Charities vas composed Of Capt.
Chester Harding, ]. T. Petty, and George