The Washington times., 1902-04-13

barrassment that has resulted from the
present overcrowded condition OF the De-
partment-an embarrassment that must
necessarily be increased as the Depart
ment grows. There Is no question with
the committee that it is the duty OF the
Government to provide for keeping safely
the valuable records Of the State De-
partment within that Departments own
building. The Department Is reduced,
however. to the extremity OF having to
rent additional space. and that step Is
now under consideration. A safe deposit
tory will have to be found outside the
building for important State papers
Department of Justice.
'In the FIfty-nfth Congress-. third ses-
sion, Congress provided for the erection
of a new Department of Justice by an act
approved March 3. 1899. The necessity for
this action was recited in the preamble.
as follows:
Whereas, The building now occupied
by the Department of Justice is too small
for the purpose. and is unsafe. overerowd-
ed. and dangerously overloaded. and has
been SO pronounced after examination by
the proper omciais OF the Treasury De-
partment.'
III the necessity existed at that time
for, q new building for that Department.
1t has been emphasized since by the fact
that the old quarters have been vacated
and torn down. and. because Of unfore-
seen complications. no steps have been
taken toward the erection OF a new build
Ing. The act has. by common consent Of
the executive officers. remained unexe-
cuted. and the Department of Justice is
located in private quarters not suited to
the purpose. and for which high rent is
m hp ~ In
OF executing the act Of March 8, 1893.
was the inadequate appropriation. 1t was
found that $i.000. 600. the limit Of cost
fixed in the act, was not sufficient to con-
struct building adapted for the purpose.
'The Attorney General asked for an in.
crease of the limit to 8. 800. 900. but Con.
gress did not deem 1t advisable to in
crease It. and the oficers charged with
executing the law regarded 1t wiser to
wait until such time as Congress in its
judgment should see at to provide more
money than to erect building that must
prove insufficient to meet even the imme
date needs Of the department. and which
made no provision for the future. A let
ter from the Attorney General is append
ed to this report
War and Navy Departments.
"As suggested elsewhere. by providing
for the State Department in the new
building. the War and Navy Departments
will be enabled to occupy to good advan-
tage the space thus to be vacated. The
increase in the official and clerical forces
of these two departments has been such
during recent years that both are greatly |
congested and urgently require additional
accommodations. The condition in the
Navy Department has become so serious
that the Secretary OF the Navy recently !
created a board to investigate and re-
port upon the necessity of additional |!
space. The report of the board shows |
that more space is imperatively required. |
The letter of the Secretary OF the Navy |
is appended hereto.
'.The letter OF the Secretary of War
appended to this report directs attention
to the overcrowded condition of the War
and shows that the health of
the employees is endangered by existing |
conditions, and that the convenient and
ready dispatch of the public business is
interfered with. Corridors are occupied |
by clerks and public documents to the |
confusion and embarrassment of the pub |
lie service.
'In the event the building proposed is |
erected and the space occupied by the |
State Department is divided between the |
War and Navy Departments in proportion (
to their respective forces 1T would enable /
the War Department, says the Secretary 4
Of War, to give up some of it's rented /
and relieve its present over |
crowded condition in that building
1T is obvious that the War and Navy /