The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-25
THE PROPOSED NEW DEPART.
MENT BUILDING.

WASHINGTON, April "a few days ago
the Senate Committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds reported a bill for a new
public building in Washington. The pro-
posed structure is to provide suitable ao-
commodation for three departments which
are greatly in need of such quarters. the
Departments Of State, of Justice and OF
Commerce and Labor.
The Department of State is now packed
in a building which, although Of huge pro-
portions, Is too small for it's three tenants,
the Departments Of State, Of Wal and OF
the Navy. The removal OF one would re-
lieve all three, and all need the relief. The
other departments for which provision is
thus proposed now do their work in rented
buildings, a dozen or so in all, scattered
about the city. Their operations are
hampered and the cost Of administration
greatly increased, to say nothing Of the
serious risk Of fire, which may at any time
destroy papers and records Of inestimable
value. The rental Of these unsafe and in
convenient structures Ia reported as $3.50 600
a year, or about two and a half times a fair
interest rate on the investment in a build
ing properly adapted to their needs.
Our national Administration should have
loolh dCSOIulHB I'VE oOAChbNh'
Root calls attention to the fact b a the
quarters Of his Department we're provided
thirty years ago, and while at that time
they were sufficiently spacious they are
totally inadequate for the needs Of to-day.
He says:
The increase of business. the increased complex.
ity OF business. and the increase In the number OF
Oonsuls and Of foreign missions. brings with IL not
merely q necessity for 80 many moro CLERKS doing
the same thing. but also q necessity for orVaniEa-
ton and system. which necessity. when the budlness
was small, did not exist. To do a great business
you have got to have system or you win be swamped'
We are coming in the State Department to . point
where We are going TO be swamped for lack OF
proper org anlEation, and we cannot have o proper
organization without having room for the men TO
do their work.
When the Department OF Commerce and
Labor was organized a few years ago 1t
assumed control over a group OF bureaus,
some associated and some quite unrelated.
This batch includes the bureaus OF the
Census, Corporations, Manufactures, Labor,
Navigation. Lighthouses, Standards, I'M
migration, Coast and Geodetic Survey,
Fisheries and Steamboat Inspection. These
ave their Offices in seven or eight different
buildings in different parts Of the city.
Although Of recent organization, this de-
DartfnenU mas come 10 budy, anu L neeub u
home in which its activities can be central
lied. To say nothing Of the inconvenience
Of which Acknowledgement Moody COM
plains, the buildings provided by the United
States for its Department OF Justice look
like sauatters' cabins when compared with
some of the structures provided by other
Powers for the same purpose. 1t is not too
much to say that they are a disgrace to the
country.
In the report which accompanies the bill
Senator Wetmore says:
We believe II is wise to consolidate in one build
ing two or more departments rather than to erect
q building for each department. for the reason
that as time goes on these departments. with the
ever growing demands, will necessarily Increase
In size, and when this increase reaches q point
making 1t necessary to provide more space. II Will
be far easier and more economical to move one
department to a new building and to allow the
remaining department or departments TO expand
than to alter and add to the smaller buildings.
The effect OF the city OF Washington as a whole will
be much more i'm posing II It Is filled eventually
with structures OF great importance In size and
scale than with a mass OF smaller buildings.
This is at once sensible, practical and
economical. The building is needed now,
and the need will be even greater before
the structure can be completed. The
initial proposal is for an appropriation OF
SO, 900, 900, and the estimate for the COM
pleted structure, including grounds, is
about 81, 900, 900.