Evening star., 1902-03-05
TO PRESERVE FILES
SAFE KEEPING.
Attention First Called to Proposed
Structure in 1S7S-Records Are
Increasing Each Year.

| Il hall of records in this city, and asked
| that it be printed document.
Il have heretofore called the attention
Of the Senate" said Senator Fairbanks,
| Ito the very urgent need of hall Of rec
| Ords. 1 know of nothing connected with
| the public service that is more necessary
! or more urgent than this subject Of a
hall of records
Secretary Shaw, in referring to the need
| of such building in which to keep the
! valuable records of the government, said:
1T seems proper at the outset to re-
| mark upon the extreme Importance of this
matter as exhibited by the persistence with
| which it has compelled the attention of
committees of Congress and officers Of the
| executive departments during many years,
| and to notice the consensus of opinion
| as to the imperative demand for provd-
| ing safe-keepng for the invaluable records
| of the government
| Attention First Called in 1873.
| Mr.. Shaw calls attention to the fact that
| this proposed structure is first mentioned
| in the annual report of the Secretary of
War in 1873, in which the Secretary en-
| phasized the hazardous situation of records
| Of great value in the auartermaster gen
| erals office, such records containing the
| original proof in claims against the Unit
| ed States to the amount of many millions
| of dollars. This action seemed to have
| been prompted by the alarm created by the
| losses which had lately occurred by fire
| at the patent office and Interior Depart
| ment. 1t does not appear. Mr.. Shaw says,
| that the matter considered by any
| Congress until March 16, 1852, when the
| House committee public buildings and
! grounds reported in favor of the erection
| of a suitable tireproof building for the safe
| keeping of the records and official papers
| of the several departments. The bill upon
| which this report was made did not pass,
| but the sundry civil bill approved August
| Z, 1882, required the supervising architect
| of the treasury to report to, the next SeS-
sion of Congress as to a suitable plot of
! ground belonging to the United States
| upon which such hall Of records could be
| erected. On January H. 1888 the super
! vising architect reported some what in de-
| tail upon a site, plans and specifications
| for the building. but Congress took no
action this report
| In December, 1888 President Arthur trans
| mitted to Congress letter from the Secre-
| tary of War stating the necessity for the
| construction of tireproof building for the
storage of public records. In 1856 the
| Treasury Department again took up the
| subject, and in March of that year the su-
| rervising architect recommended the cor
| struction of such building During a be
| rod of ten years following this recommen-
| dation nothing was done either in Congress
| OF in the executive departments looking to
| the building of a hall of records. March Z.
| 1894, the House committee on public build
/
urgent need Of a hall of records. 4 biz.
| was introduced but nothing was accom-
| plished toward Its passage. In 1896 the Sec
| retary of the Treasury again urged upon
| Congress the need for such a building
| showing the overcrowded condition Of the
| Winder building, with records that were
| not safe from destruction by fire. The See
] retary in his next annual report again Ersed d
| the needs Of such a building. and on d1sch
| ID, 1888, the assistant secretary Of the treas
| ury, referring to a statement published in
The Evening Star of that date, showed the
| great necessity for file room in which
valuable records could be stored. In 1899
| the Secretary of the Treasury repeated this
| urgent demand, as he did again in 1900
| In addition to these many attempts on the
| part Of the executive departments to secure
| a hall of records the Treasury Department
| has urged upon committees of Congress the
| urgency of this need. In almost all cases.
| says Secretary Shaw, the sites referred to
| In bills for a hall of records have been re-
garded as insufficient in size for the ac-
| commodation Of building of suitable ca
| pacity for the purpose desired.
The Secretary says that the need for a
| hall from the point of economy is quite as
| important as it is from the standpoint Of
| safety for the records. At the present time
| costly public buildings that are neeaed for
| space taken up by files of records that
| could be put in separate building.
Estimate of Space Required.
/
for halls of records that have been SUBJ
mitted by the Treasury Department and to
| discussions Of them. He then says:
| "Appreciating the Importance of making
| a right beginning in matter of such mag
| nitude, the department has given very care
| full consideration to the proper size CT the
| building. 1t will be observed that the esti-
| mate of about 1000, 600 cubic feet made
| January ii, 1898, was based upon the tab
| ular statement received in reply to the re-
quest of the Secretary of the Treasury
| dated August 2o 1896, and was increased to
| 100000 cubic feet May 5. 1900 The events
| OF the year 1898 had already begun to ex-
| hibit marked effect upon the growth of
the files, which indicated that there was
| more probability OF Understanding, than
| OF overestimating the space required In q
| hall OF records.
j THE figures from other departments and
Congress are not In my possession. but it
! Is possible to state the increase in the flies
| OF this department. Since 1896 1t has proved
necessary to rent two buildings for the
| storage OF records containing a space of
2o5 eco cubic feet. which is now practical
| ly hlled. and yet the Treasury Department
| IL still crowded with files as it was in
1896. at which time 22SOOO cubic feet
| were occupied by files. SO that it is clear
| that the records have almost precisely
| doubled in bulk in six years.
| ut has been said that the department
Is without data as to the growth of the
files in the other departments, and several
Of the departments have not stated in
| their response to Secretary Carlisles re-
quest the cubic feet of space which was
used by them at that date for files, al
though they gave an opinion as to future
requirements. 1t is impossible, therefore,
| to generalize from the figures of the tabu-
lar statement. except in the case of the
| Treasury Department. It Is believed, how
ever. that conditions in other departments
do not differ materially from those in this
department 1t Is even probable that the
files of the War, State and Navy Depart
I and Of the two h0uSeR
gress. have Increased. more rapidly than
those of the treasury.
"A building Of 5.e0OO00 cubic feet Will be
about two-thirds the capacity of the treas
ury building. and 1t should be satisfactory
reply to any criticism Of the dimensions
recommended that the building may be
undertaken in sections by constructing on
one or more sides Of quadrangle at one
i time ard caunpletiusr the fralcfare q Con: