Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-28
STORING OF RECORDS.
An oHcial Talks of Congress Refusal
of q BUILDING

of Building.
Inc refusal Of Congress to allow an ap-
preparation for a. building in which our
records may be stored will be productive of
the greatest Inconvenience" said a gov
eminent official to a Star reporter this
morning.
AT best it would have taken two years
before hall Of records would have been
completed and ready for occupancv If
Sohstess does not provide storage room in
the shape of a suitable building by or he
lore that time for the reception Of docu
Inents ana records of the executive branch
OF the government, and which it refuses
10 ailoW 10 be destroyed, heads OF depart
menus would be justified in practically
throwing them in the street by storing them
III any place, secure or insecure found to be
aVaiiabie; and, in the event of a loss excuse
themselves or any responsibility upon the
just ground that the legislative branch of
the government had been derelict in IT'S
outy TO provide the necessary funds, with
fuii treasury, by which the old records
could be safeguarded
Two departments however bava mo.
the emergency, and perhaps others have
or VIII follow in line The pressure for
room has been so great that the Post Of
nee department and the Treasury Depart
ment nave rented space in a fire-proof stor-
age building. the former department hay-
ing taken one floor, and the latter two
floors, and several hundred tons of records
nave nave mus been securely filed away within
the past few days. Already the storage
space in the Post Office Department build
ing, the newest Of our public buildings is
oNercroWded every inch on the ninth floor
OF the big structure being packed full with
the old records of that department and
those of the auditor for the Post Office De-
partment.
1t is undoubtedly good policy to Top off
penlnd the ears needless and extravagant
appropriations Of public funds, but lack of
legislation which embarrasses the executive
pranch OF the government by the Topping
process Is matter concerning which there
can be little difference of opinion. This
Short-Sighted system Of economy recalls the
action of the Continental Congress during
the revolutionary war when the members
OF that body at the time fretted away the
session IN purposeiess debate, voted their
own pay, and declined to vote the pay for
Washington's tattered soldiers at Valley
Forge upon whom the safety OF the country
and the future of the republic depended
Either public building or ample funds
for the purpose Of renting fire proof build
ing Tor storage ought to be forthcoming at
once, or the congestion will become so
great very shortly that the heads of DEPART
ments will be compelled to act in some
manner independently of Congress- as the
rent OF space which would prove adequate
for all of the departments in the buildings
or private storage companies would offset
very high interest on an amount twice
the sum as proposed for hall of records
time ago as to what would be the result If
one OF the governments office buildings
burned down. The storage conditions In
some of the old buildings is such that the
danger limit has long ago been passed. The
picture was faithfully drawn, but Ii should
have been added to the assertion of fact
made therein that just such a regrettable
catastrophe is likely to occur at any time
huge quantity of highly-infammable ma
terial is crowded into insufficient space;
there is a great accumulation of dust
and spark from an electric WIRE a care
leSsly thrown match or even the striking
of fire from the steel nails in the heels of
ones shoes on the stone or cement floors
or doorsills would start the big fire which
all Washingtonians have been expecting so
long, and who have marvelled that 1t has
not already become an actually.
Further, the appliances and hose for
eXtinguishing fires in the halls of the de-
partment buildings seldom If ever test
ed except in one or two of the departments
and bureaus. The hose would be proved to
have been old and would probably burst if
The fire would. Of course, start in some re-
mote corner of the storage rooms. out of
reach of the hall hose, would spread very
rapidly, and the flames and smoke would
stampede the clerks out Of the building.
That there would be fatalities and terrible
injuries none can question The sum ask
ed for such a building in question was so
small that, considering it in the light of
premium of insurance it would be returned
to the government a thousand fold"