Evening star., 1902-03-24
BAD MANAGEMENT.
How the Government is Losing by
Renting It's Office Buildings.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
1 notice that a board appointed by the
Secretary Of the Navy has reported In IA
vor Of renting part Of building to be
erected by a private citizen, for which he
wants per cent net on the value of the
site and Of the building. That the depart
ment needs the room there can be no ques-
ton, and the rent asked Is reasonable; but
the question naturally arises, why should
the United States government pay five per
cent when 1t can get all the money 1t needs
at two per cent? Why should it not be far
more economical, and better in every way,
for the government itself to erect building
sufficient for the needs Of the department,
not only for the present but for years to
come, instead Of renting rooms in various
places outside?
There Is not single department building
that Is not crowded to excess, not only
with the employees, but with records and
other material, the halls and passages even
being filled with them to such an extent
as to render 1t necessary to use artificial
lights In the day time as can be seen any
day in the patent office and l presume In
others also AS a result Of this neglect on
the part OF Congress to provide the neceS-
sary public buildings for the transaction OF
the public business, the government is COM
PEELED to rent private buildings in which to
transact the public business. These are
scattered about in various sections of the
city wherever 1t can find them, not one OF
which is adapted to the business or Is pro-
vided with suitable ventilation or other
sanitary arrangements such as public
building crowded with human beings ought
to have. Then, too, consider the enormous
amount of valuable public records stored in
these buildings-so great, In fact, that at
least two Of the buildings were dangerous.
and had to have supports put in to pre-
vent them from falling and killing the In
mates. as was the case with the old Fords
Theater, in which so many were injured
while putting In extra supports! Year after
year the heads of departments have begged
Congress to provide a separate freproOf
building for the storage Of these valuable
records. and thus relieve to some extent the
overcrowded departments and rented build
ings, and although numerous bills have
been introduced session after session moth
ing has been done to this day.
The amount which Congress is asked to
appropriate for the rent of private build
ings for the coming year is in round num-
bers $225 600, which would pay the Interest
on 81, 1,25O,OOO. This sum would build two
magnificent department buildings with all
the modern Improvements and conven-
fences.
At this very moment the government
needs at least three. If not four, new de-
partment buildings, one each for the Stata
and the Navy Departments and one for
the Interior Department and the new De-
partment of Commerce, soon to be estab-
lished. The patent Office building, a con-
siderable portion Of which was paid for
by the inventors of the country and who at
the same time paid their proportion for
the support OF the government the same as
all other citizens. should be turned over to
the patent office, which needs and can use 1t
all to advantage
Then there Is needed a building for the
Supreme Court, with its law library. etc. In
nearly every Congress for the past twenty
FIVE years bills have been introduced In
both houses and repeatedly passed In the
Senate for that purpose, and yet to this
day the court Is crowded into q room in
sufficient for counsel and exhibits, to say
nothing of the thousands of citizens who
desire to see that body in session; while
its library is crowded into dark basement
ROOM where there is neither room nor con-
veniences for those who have constantly
to consult 1t. such as 1t should have, and
for which petitions from the bar in various
sections Of the country have been presented
time and again. The room occupied by 1t
is sorely needed for the use OF Congress,
to occupy the Maltby and Butler buildings
distant from the Capitol, and rooms under
the terrace, most Of which have but q
single window, and no means for ventila-
tion, and where q guide is required by
those having business with the committees
| In order to find them.
Then, too, the District sorely needs a
suitable building for the use of the District
| government. instead Of renting, 1t now
does, and for years has, several private
buildings, at cost Of over $50 600 This,
| too, has been under discussion for years.
| anG a view OF a proposed building has been
hanging In one Of the committee rooms for
years past and still nothing is DONE There
Is not another city Of its size in the Union