The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-23

III N I'LL. outloOk george I\enllan
gives good reasons why the
Il White House should be enlarged
At the present time the clerical
work of the executive office necessi-
tates the employment Of a regular force
of about twenty men; and for their
accommodation, with all their desks,
typewriting machines, letter files, etc.
there are, he says, only four rooms of
very moderate size, one of which is
used in part as a reception and wait
ing room for persons who desire to see
the president or his secretary. Occa-
sionally when there is u press of eX-
ecutive business, clerks from the de-
partments are specially detailed for
White House service: and these men
have to be crowded into offices already
occupied by the regular force. Recently,
Mr.. KEENAN, says, Mr.. Cortelyou, the
efficient secretary to the president, had
to put seventeen stenographers, type
writer's and cOpyists into Il room that
ought not TO have held more than three.
AS the work of the executive office is
continually increasing, requiring from
time to time additions to the force OF
clerical assistants, it is evident that
something will soon have to be done.
Another point made by Mr.. KEENAN,
is that the White House, for the pur-
poses to which it is now being put, Is
unsafe. He writes: This overcrowd-
ing of the White House generally, and
of the upper part of the official wing
in particular not only involves great
inconvenience, but is attended with
some risk. The building is now more
than "a century old, and although it is
still strong enough structurally to
answer all the purposes of private
residence, there is considerable doubt
as to the question whether It's floors
can be trusted to bear the weight that
is occasionally put upon them. 1t is
not regarded as perfectly safe now for
the president to receive large delega-
tions i'm the upper part of the building;
and Colonel Bingham, superintendent
of public buildings and grounds, told
President Mckinley that If more than
two thousand persons We're invited to a
SlHSie w lllc ilOuSe lSttpllDll, ne-lnS
presldent-must assume responsibility
for any accident that might occur.
Owing TO the fact that the Offices in
the second story are mainly over the
large East room, they have no ade-
quate partition support, and cannot be
strengthened by the putting in OF
underplnning. They are regarded, there
fore, as SOMEWHAT untrustworthy, and
nothing but absolute necessity would
have compelled the pre- resident's secre-
tary to load the floor of one of them
with the weight of seventeen men and
their desks, The risk had 10 be taken
because the work had to be done; and
there was no other place to put the
clerks who were doing it,"
The mere narration OF these facts is
sufficient to point TO what should be
done. When the White House was built
it was fitting that the presidents work.
shop and his home should be under one
roof But that condition has long since
ceased TO be. The president now needs
n home separated from the scene of his
daily wrestles with Office seekers, and
designed with view 10 giving him
that privacy i'm his domestic relations
which is his birthright as am Amerl-
can citizen. The question of cost is
minor. The question of safety and fair
ness is supreme.