The Washington times., 1908-07-06
EMPLOYEES IN RUSH
AT NEW BUILDING
Offices of Many District De-
parments Open in Hand
+ some Quarters.
OTHERS WILL MOVE
THIS AFTERNOON
Clerks Delighted With Palatial
Home, Anxious to Get Set
tied Again.

The busy tread Of hundreds of feet,
foreman shouting orders. and activity
rampant on all sides marked the first
real business day in the new District
Building.
Before the town clocks struck the
noon hour today practically every Of
fee which vas formerly housed in the
ed District Building in Louisiana ave-
nue. had been moved to the new quar-
tiers, except the effects Of the three
Commissioners. There Is every indi-
cation that Commissioner West may
get into his new Office tOday-if the
heat is not too slow in reducing the
vsrnish to its proper place-and by to-
morrow it IS thought Commissioners
Macfarland and Morrow viii have come
into their own.
Entrance Barred.
With a view to avoid getting the
front steps all mussed up before the
Commissioners settle down to work in
the building, the main entrance has been
barred and anybody who is anxious to
pay taxes or take out a dog license Will
have to make use Of the side door. That
was where a steady stream Of citizens
made their way into the building to-
day to be confronted by crowds Of
worlSmen and other citizens all mixed
up in the elevators and on the corridors.
Two or three husky men carrying
big desk would call "Gangway, therel'
and the local citizen would have to hop.
Old District employees could not get
used to the brand-new, roomy elevators
and walked UP stairs.
All in Confusion.
Throughout the building there is a
ness The tax office is all n shape.
and looks positively giddy with Is
bright. shining brass cages. Behind the
cages in the great big room are a
half dozen young women clerks who
have not yet become used TO the nov
city of being able TO move about with
out digging the other girl in the ribs.
The desks are in place, the records ar
ranged in the most approved fashion.
and to top il all OF there are windows
along both sides, one opening out 10
the breezes which blew into the bright
new qarterS.
The Health Department IS located in
the new building, but IL probably will
be many days before the offices are
in good shape. The office Of the Chief
Clerk Of the Engineer Department is
in good enough shape 10 have Q mes
sengeT sit outside the door, and up in
building everything is in apple-pie
order
on the fifth floor. where the Commits
siOners' rooms and board rooms are sit
uated, there is little 10 see except desk
here and there. with an occasional
leather upholstered davenport. The fur
niture in the Commissioners rooms has
not been arranged. but that is only d
matter Of few hours.
Press Room.
The press room. which adjoins the pri-
vate office of Commissioner mcfarland,
is not equipped. II has one large win
dow in 1t, but. Ike corresponding rooms
on the same floor, the windows are set
so high that it is impossible to see the
streets below. 1t is a big, light, airy
room.
The Office Of the building permit
clerk was doing business blitheIy this
morning and the plumbing inspector
was busy in his Office in spite of the
fact that things were more or less
quarters looked more or less temper
airy, but the general air Of newness
about the building excused everybody.
The glistening white corridors and
stairways were an inspiration TO the
clerks who have worked so long in the
dingy offices down in Louisiana ave-
nue., and today was more like a hoIi-
day than real work day.
Chief Belt, OF the Fire Department
moved part Of his Office equipment from
49, 9 street to the new building this
afternoon. He expects TO be installed
tomorrow morning.
The Police Department including the
ofhces OF Major Sylvester and detec-
tive headq .arterS. expect to make the
transfer Wednesday.