Evening star., 1902-03-14
MOREROOM WANTED
SECRETARY LONG WRITES TO
CHAIRMAN CANNON.
Asks for an Appropriation for the
Rent of Neighboring Building
for Department Use.

Secretary Long has written a letter to
Representative Cannon, chairman of the
House committee on appropriations. in ad
vocacy of increased office accommodations
for the Navy Department. In his letter
the Secretary says:
Sir: AS the space at present occupied
in the State. War and Navy building by
this department is entirely inadequate for
its needs. the War Department having
called for the restoration of the rooms
signed by law to that department, ard
many of the subordinate offices of the navy
already occupying partly accom-
modated by rented premises in widely sep
arated places outside this building. it is
necessary to acquire additional office room
and desirable to concentrate the Office in
one building.
Proposed Mills Building.
a board ordered to consider and
report upon the matter. 1t reports that it
has been informed by General Anson Mills
that he proposes to erect an eight story.
modern steel frame, firepr0of building on
the southwest corner of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and 18th street northwest, and that it
will be for rent wholly or in part.
The estimated cost of the building is as
follows:
Land Observation-Disclosures. S1OJ 900
lotai. ....... S455, 900
On which he desires to realize ; per cent
ret. so $50 the fixed charges being approx
imately $500 annually for taxes and 5000
for insurance, making a total of $27 $40.
No contract, promise or agreement could,
however. be entered into prior to an ap-
preparation by Congress for that purpose
The board reports that it finds the conges-
ton of the office rooms of the several bu-
Teaus unbusinessike, inSanitary and detri-
mental to the proper conduct of the Navy
Department. The number of officers ara
employees in the Navy Department buildin,
has almost doubled since 1883. The aver
age floor space per occupant Is only sixty
sauare feet for the whole Navy Depart
Ilent building. and for one bureall-nayiea-
ti-lt Is only thIrtS-SiX square feet.
The Room Needed
The board reports that about 10000 adj
tttlonai square feet is needed to relieve the
!: -:esent congestion without any allowance
tor future expansion. This is an increase
# ~ per cent over that now occupied bv
the Navy Department in the State, War
and Navy Department building
To fully realize, the cause of this need
II may be mentioned that the appropriations
for the navy have increased from $15.UOO.OOo
In 1SS:. to SS-,.Usn. .en in 1901 The navy con
sisted of nineryfour vessels of 177-
ID tons in 1883. At present we
have 80 vessels of 490122 TONS with
1ftN-nine vessels of 2S1 .:s5S tons under con-
struction. 1t is reported that the CORE
si'"ndence of the bureaus has increased
over 1000 per cent, and that the number
oi letters filed in the bureau of navigation
vas 3b1.UW III 1SSs. and is now 42O3 600
The Navy Department now rents in
buildings outside the department c231S
square feet of floor space at yearly rental
OF ~. ITO, or about "A cents per square foot
W lth the exception of the rooms in the
Bond building occupied by the marine head |
quarters. none Of these buildings is fire
proof The price per square foot per year
al present paid in rental varies from 81
cents per SQUARE foot TO 81. The former
sim Is paid for buildings not fireproof. and
net including heat ard light. The latter
sum IS pad for tireproof building and in
ciudes heat and light Where the govern
ment pays for heat and light watchmen
etc, these charges amount 10 sum about
equal IL the rent.
Appropriation Asked
I'm View Of the report Of the board dated
March I, 1902. as to the insusiciency for
present needs of the space occupied by the
Navy Department in the State. War and |
Navy Department building, and in rented |
buildings i'll the city of Washington and |
being Of opinion that the fixed charges |
above referred to should not be included in |
tle rent, have the honor to recommend
that Congress insert the following para
srapn IN one OF the appropriation bills now
pending, viz:
That the Secretary of the Navy be- and
ne i hefeby authorized to rent a suitable |
Ifeproof building, containing not exceeding
approximately 10000 square feet of floor
slace. In the Vicinity of the State War and
Navy Department building, for the use of
the Navy Department for the six months
ending June ~. 1903. and the following
sums are appropriated therefor, namely:
For rent Of a suitable fireproof building
containing not exceeding approximately co.
tan square feet of floor space, for the six
months ending June 20 1903. S11.375 and
Tor heating and lighting same, $1,000