Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-25
PUBLIC BUSINESS
BADLY AAMPERED
Government Bureaus Scatter
ed All Over the City.
NEW BUILDINGS NEEDED
Purchase of Avenue Property First
Important Step.
TIME IS RIPE FOR ACTION
Department of Commerce and Labor
Furnishes Striking Example.
Inadequate Quarters.
TIME IS RIPE FOR ACTION

oh tiiN SoutI VI SliIlSt valid ave
nue as far as the Mall and from
the Botanic Garden to 18th street
is fully illustrated by the embar-
rassment that is felt in many of
the government departments in
this city. This embarrassment
comes from inadequate quarters
in many scattered rented build
lngs and adds greatly to the diff
Guilty of administration. This
difficulty is not only experienced
in annoying delays because of in
accessibility OF the various bu-
reaus, but it has proved extremely
annoying to people who have
business with the departments.
A member of the House of Representa-
tives recently came to Washington to
transact some business with one of the
departments. He naturally first went to
the principal building in which that de-
partment is quartered. only to be told that
the particular bureau he wanted was not
there. He Travelled about the city a con-
siderable distance before he finally dis
covered the official he was looking for
tucked away in small rented structure.
He did a little polite swearing at the
methods of business of the department.
but he soon became aware that the fault
lay with Congress in not having given
heed to frequent requests of the depart
ment for adequate facilities for the trans
action of its business
Among all the departments In this civ
that are given trouble and involved In
added expense on account of having bu-
reaus scattered. none presents a more
striking example of neglect than the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor But
that department is not alone by any
meal and there are other branches of
the government that suffer heavily be-
cause of the same conditions
Thousands for Rent.
The expense involved in these embar
easements adds to the cost of maintain
Ing renting quarters for the government.
Last year The government paid $780,
3S2.76 for the rent of buildings or quar-
ters occupied by the governme mt in this
city alone. AS immense as is this rent
account. 1t represents but a part of the
expense in which the government is in
VOWED because of occupying rented and
Inadequate quarters.
This fact was brought out very clearly
by the Secretary Of Commerce and Labor
in his last annual report. Secretary Met
calf was then at the head of that depart
ment, and he was astonished when he ex-
amined the conditions under which he
was obliged to labor. Being a business
man, who has made a marked success he
was not accustomed to seeing money
wasted in the manner that characterized
the conduct of his department, the blame
for. which he could not fix upon any one
in the department.. but which tvery one
WasT obfige to- acknowledge was to be
placed at the doors of Congress. The
needs OF the department for better quar-
tiers had been urged upon both the Senate
ana the House of Representatives.
through their committees on appropria-
lions, by Mr.. Cortelyou when he was Sec
rotary of Commerce and Labor Since he
was Transferred from that department to
other cabinet positions the conditions
have become worse than ever
Today the Department of Commerce
and Labor is scattered in eight buildings
of this city, and when the Secretary
wants to see the various men in charge of
bureaus there is not only delay but ac-
tual loss in many ways. Not only is the
department scattered, but the bureau of
manufactures and the division of supplies
have been forced into temporary quarters
in the census building where they have
been placed at considerable expense and
from which they will be elected in the
near future because the census bureau
will soon have to get ready to take the
next census. Then these bureaus must
be removed at additional expense, and
they Will doubtless be forced into quar-
ters that Will be only temporary. That
Will surely be the case because it is not
now possible for Congress to act promptly
enough to provide an ADEQUATE structure
to be built by the government for it's own
use.
Housed in Many Buildings.
The Secretary of Commerce and Labor
in his last annual report named the fol-
lowing buildings as containing various
parts OF the department under him: VIII
lard building, 513-515 14th street; Emery
building. LIST and streets northwest
Zj4 and 206 18th street; National Safe De-
post building, corner of New York ave-
nue. and 10th street: Builders Exchange
building, 1921 18th street; Adams
building, l335-1335 F street; 1137-1139 l7th
street. Since that report was made the
department has been obliged to rent quar-
tsrs In the Munsey building, and has
been forced to remove the bureau of man.
and still later was placed at an immense
amount of trouble and large expense In
transferring its division of supplies from
the Willard building to census building.
For these scattered quarters the depart-
ment is paying an annrNal rental of s5S.-
$50, which Is nearly per cent interes.
on S3.OUo,OoO Two per cent is about the
ITate of interest. the government paws on
Its loans, and 5000 600 is sufficient 70
provide splendid marble building on the
south side of Pennsylvania avenue large
enough to accommodate all of these bu.
reaus of the Department of Commerce
and Labor.
But the rent does not repre- sent the cost
10 the government of occupying scattered
| quarters. The Secretary estimated>in the
cost of administration of his department
! that this scattered and Inadequate condi.
| ton represented an annual loss of al
least $4,000. and that estimate included
| only such items of expense as telephone
service. messengers, etc, and did not take
into account the great loss of time of off
Gals and clerks resulting from this con
dition The Secretary appe aled to Con
gress for an appropriation sufficient t.
I a ant incr 90