Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-26
CLERKS DON'T LIKE IT
PROPOSED REMOVAL TO THE
UNION BUILDING.
Crowded Quarters - Auditor McCardy
Says That the Decision is Beyond
His Jurisdiction.

With the beeinning of tte next fiscal year,
July 1, one hundred and seventy four clerks
employed in the Office Of the auditor of the
treasury for the Post Office Department
will be moved from their present quarters In
the Post Office building to the sixth floor of
the Union building on G street. The inten-
ton of Congress in appropriating SIS, 600 for
the relief OF the cramped condition of the
Office of the auditor for the Post Office De-
partmant was evidently to provide means
for better accommodations for the clerks
who would have to be transferred from the
Post Office building to other quarters be-
cause of the growing crowded condition OF
the offices of the auditor there but the clerks
do not think that this intention has been
carried cut. Immediately after the passage
Of the ppropriation the Treasury Depart
ment entered into contract with the syn
Gicate owning the Union building to rent
the sixth floor of that building for the di-
visions of the auditors office which would
have % be transferred.
The price to be paid for this floor is 81 800
per annum and the space given for that
money is 1887 square feet, The foor is
1O1 feet on the street side and about 21O
along the west wall. part of this space is
occupied by the elevator shafts and the toi-
let rooms, and Is therefore unavailable Tor
the clerks. The superficial area as comput-
ed by the auditors Office Is, as stated, 1897
square feet. This allows space about ten
feet square to each clerk into which must
be placed himself, his chair. his desk, his
files and all stationery, books, etc, which ne
has to use in the course of his labors. Ihe
weight Of this material is estimated to be at
least one ton per clerk, or ia tons on the
floor.
The city post Office rents a part Of the
first floor of the Union building, the second
floor is unoccupied, the third and fourth
are occupied by the patent office files and
the same office will soon lake the fourth
floor also, the top floor beng assigned py
the Office of the Secretary OF the Treasury
to the auditor for the Post Office Depart
ment Above per cent OF he clerks to be
moved to the new quarters are women.
Indignation of the Clerks.
A great wave of indigns ien has swept
over the office of the audi sr of the Post
Office Department since word went
round that nearly two hun ed of the en-
ployes of the office were to- to the Union
building, and many of thes were inclined
to the belief that Auditor McCardy was
entitled to their enmity, far the transfer
In talking the matter over with reporter
for The Evening Star Auditor McCardy
said that he was in nowise responsible for
the transfer of the clerks, but that the Sc
lection of quarters was iuyartaDiy IN tne
jurisdiction of the Treasu Department,
of which the auditors offics is an adjunct
There Is no question ths We are badly
crowded here" he said; rag more room is
absolutely necessary to the 'oper transac-
ton of the business of the, Files are
crowded on every floor allos my once
and the halls are filled Wit ehcrn. With
the vacating of the sixth Aopr ana the
transfer of the clerks there 70 tne new
quarters assigned to pie for that purpose In
the Union building there VIII pe more room
action of the business with which am IN
trusted u
II have never seen the Union building,
and know nothing of its qualifications Tor
the work to which it win be- put. 1 have
been busy figuring just what weight Of
men and material will have to be imposed
on the door where my force Will De quar-
tered, and will submit these figures to the
proper officials for their information before
moving the clerks and material into the
building. This weight will average perhaps
a ton to each clerk, but do not know what
weight the floor has been certified to sus-
tain. There will be nothing taken there
that will put the weight beyond the safety
line, however, l am certain
Views of a Veteran Employe.
One of the Oldest employees Of the au->
ditor's Office has inspected the Union build
ing carefully, with view to selecting his
own space when he Is transferred there
He says that more than one-balf the clerks
will be SO penned in by the files, desks and
other material that they viii have to work
all the time by artificial light, and their
opportunities for getting fresh air will be
limited to the power of the fans that will
have to be set up throughout the room to
create a draught
''The windows are small and so far away
from most of the space where the clerks
will be at work that they win afford little
chance for breath of fresh air, and the
prospect of summering there Is far from at
tractive It's nothing better than pen for
animals, and there are not many men who
would corral their stock In such a place.
The sanitation of the building is one of its
worst features. Wash basins will have to
be put in for the use Of the clerks, for
there are none there now, unless they are
in the toilet rooms intended for the women
clerks and even those are Inadequate, for
the space Is too small to admit of ampn-
fed facilities for this purpose"