Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-24

IN RENTED BUILDINGS
Inconvenience to the Depart
ment of Justice.
CHIEF CLERK FIELD
TELLS OF THE TROUBLES OF THE
OFFICIALS.
Force is Distributed Among Seven
Force is Distributed Among Seven
Buildings at an Annual Rental
of $25, 200 Per Annum.

The effort to secure an appropriation at
the present session of Congress for new
Department of Justice appeals strongly to
officials of the department, which, 1T Is
claimed. certainly needs relief in some
way. o. ]. Field, chief clerk Of the depart
ment. in reply to inquiries from Star re-
porter, gave a clear idea of the needs of the
department and of the inconvenience that
have been gone through with in recent
years. He said:
In Rented Buildings.
1.-THE Department of Justice has been oc-
cupying rented quarters since May, 1917.
the old building on Pennsylvania avenue,
opposite the treasury, having been declared
unsafe. At that time an appropriation had
been made by Congress for new building
on the old site, and 1t was expected 1t
would be ready for occupancy in about Two
years. Bids for the erection of the build
ing were called for. when. owing to the
rapid advance in cost of building materials,
1t appeared that building. in keeping with
the dignity and needs Of growing execa-
tive department could not be erected with
in the limits of the appropriation. Inc act
providing for the construction OF this bullo-
Ing was afterward repealed and the Attor-
ney General directed to cover into the
treasury the balance of the appropriation
unexpended.
1.-THE department first rented the old Bal
tic Hotel at 1895 K street which has hfty-
six rooms. divided into suites, such as one
would find in an apartment house. The
only elevator in the building Is small one,
Installed when part of the building was
occupied as a residence. AT the same time
the department rented the building at No.
Lafayette square for the offices and force
Of the assistant attorney general represent
ing the government In defending suits be-
fore the Court Of Claims, while the library
of the department, consisting Of about
30, 600 volumes, was installed in a portion
Of the old Corcoran Art Gallery. at 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue. TWO years
later the department rented the old Lowery
residence, adjoining the Baltic building on
the east. cutting passageways through
from one building to the other. This build
ing has sixteen rooms. There are seven
rooms on the third floor, occupied by clerks,
but without proper facilities for heating,
there being only three registers for the seven
rooms. The clerks in the other rooms are
made as comfortable as possible by the use
of gas stoves.
Increase Of Business.
Owing to a large increase In the business
Of the department, and a corresponding in
crease In It's force Of officials and clerks, 1t
became necessary, last year, to rent addi-
tional quarters. and the building at 1889 X
street. adjoining the Baltic building on the
west was rented. This is the building for
merly occupied. by the Carnegie Institute.
Passageways were cut through, so that the
three buildings occupied by the department
on X street, are connected on the first and
second floors. and two of the buildings on
the third floor, but the floors are all on diff
ferent levels.
THE Department also rents a suite Of
nine rooms in the Bond building for the
offices and force of the assistant attorney
general charged with defending Indian
depreciation claims.
There is also rented by the department
the building at 1411 H street for the Spanish
treaty claims commission, and the Offices
and force OF the assistant attorney general
charged with defending these claims for the
government.
THE offices of the commission to revise
and codify the laws of the United States
are also In rented quarters in the Bond
Spanish treaty claims commission are, In a
measure. connected with the Department Of
Justice, and might very we'll be considered
as part of the department.
THE official force Of the department,
numbering about $50 persons, is now dis
tributed In seven buildings, and the total
rental paid is sos. 200 per annum The
library of the department Is several squares
distant from the main offices, and when any
Of the officials desire books from the library
1T is necessary to send a messenger for
them. This delays the work Of the law
officers of the government very materially.
Owing to the distance Of the library from
the department it is practically out of the
question for officials to go to the library to
do any work in the preparation of cases or
briefs. Assuming that the occupancy Of
rented quarters would be but temporary,
the library was fitted up with common pine
bookcases, stained dark.
Difficulty as Tn Heat