Evening star., 1902-09-01
A SERIOUS PROBLEM
How to Relieve. the Crowded
Treasury Building.
Is .M
oUTsIDEPLACEs RENTED
VIEWS OF ASSISTANT sECRE-
TARY ALLIES.
Various Plans Suggested-Need Of a
Hall Of Records-Another Story
Proposed by Architect.

The Treasury Department is becoming
seriously overcrowded every day, and the
problem Of what to do IS a difficult one."
said Assistant Secretary Allies today Mr.
Wallace Hills, chief clerk of the depart
ment' added his approval to the statement
of Mr.. Allies. Both of these officials were
at the treasury today going over matters
of business.
Mr.. Allies views are shared by every
oH1clal OF the department because they
fully realize the Importance Of the con-
stantly pressing question of what to do
with the overcrowded condition Of affairs.
Arrangements are now being made to send
the life-saving service, presided over by s.
l. kimball, and the bureau of navigation.
presided over by Commissioner Chamber
lain, to what is known as the International
Exchange building, 719 and 721 18th street,
between and H streets The light house
establishment was moved to this building
some time ago. So, in a short time, the
treasury Department will occupy the en-
tire building at rental each year of s7,Ooo
me space now occupied in the treasury by
these three bureaus will go to the office of
the tn supervising architect Of the treasury.
Inc large number Of public buildings au-
thorized by Congress makes it necessary
for the supervising architect to have a
great deal Of additional space for his draft
idS ulSlSiOu IdylOr, the supervising
architect. has asked for 1000 or 5000 addi-
tlonal feet, and this must be given him.
Buildings Rented by the Treasury.
The renting OF the 18th street building
adds to the numerous buildings now rented
by the treasury and to others owned by
the department in which are lodged vari-
Gus bureaus. But for the existence of a
good telephone system, bringing the scat
hJIr r1-ifn ofo
other, public business would positively be
delayed and incumbered. Even as It is
omciais of the treasury recognize that the
necessity for this kind of thing is menace
to speedy and satisfactory business.
The treasury owns what are known as
the Butler and Winder buildings. The But
Ter building is situated near the Capitol,
and Is occupied by the marine hospital serv-
ice The Winder building Is occupied by
the auditor for the. War Department, and
is located at the, corner of 17th and T.
streets northwest. +
Among the rented buildings are what is
known as the Cox building near the Win
der building, in whcn are stored tons of
files. and costing 5000 a year: the Adams
building on r street. occupied by the bu-
reau of statistics and costing $2954 year,
and two floors of the Merchants Dispatch
building on E 8treet between 9th and 10TH
where files are likewise kept
The scattered condition Of the depart
ment Is easily seen by the different build
ings mentionedHo FROM the Capitol west Of
the War Department the Treasury De-
partment is spread cut in different build
ings. some owned and some rented. Even
with this condition the question Of more
space Is still pressing one.
Hall Of Records Needed.
Unless haIl of records is authorized by
Congress- SO that we may get our files and
records away from the department" con-
tinued Mr.. Allies. when he was questioned,
''we will before long have to rent more
buildings. Besides various buildings now in
use we are using the basement of the build
ing occupied by the Court Of Claims, and
just as soon as the new building for the
government printing office Is completed we
want to find room at the printing office to
send our printing plant there.
I'VE are much in need Of more room at the
bureau Of engraving and printing. In all
proba bility Secretary Shaw will ask Con-
gress for an appropriation for an additional
building there. 1t has not been long since
we put up a large building there, but the
work of the bureau has grown so fast and
the force has increased so largely we need
yet more ROOM Two years ago the total
number of employees in the bureau was
1890. The number Is now $500. The fact
Is that the business Of the treasury through
out is growing and the force is increasing.
Everything becomes more congested each
day. hall Of records would release a
large number of rooms now crowded with
files, and would at the same time make less
serious the chances of a bad fire in the
treasury in case blaze should start any
where among the files.
"One avenue of possible relief Is the prob
ability that Congress will establish a de-
partment of commerce and that many of
the bureaus of the treasury will be in
cluded in that Even this, however, will
furnish no relief for a number Of years as
the chances are that the bureaus trans
ferred to the new department will have to
remain in the treasury until the department
of commerce Is provided with it's own build
Ing
Many Plans Suggested.
"a number Of plans for something like
immediate relief have been suggested for
several. years Among them is that of
adding another story to the treasury prop
err Mr. Taylor, the supervising architect,
thinks this could be done without marring
the architectural beauty and lines of the
treasury The cost Of this has been esti-
ma ted at $25O,O0O, and probably more than
that sum. The supervising architects office
would use the most OF this floor, which
would be better lighted than the present
location Of the bureau
In speaking on the need for space Mr..
Hills said: ave are constantly confronted
with the lack of space in the treasury and
are yearly being forced to push some of the
bureaus out into buildings outside Some
thing ought to be done to remedy this state
of affairs"
Mr. Allies and Mr.. Hills both called atten-
ton to the fact that the treasury has never
had more money in It's possession than now,
never in better condition. and yet 1t has to
resort to all kinds Of schemes to find space.