Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-11
LARGER FORCE is NEEDED
Growth of District Crowding Re-
sources of His Office.
CHANGE IN RECORDING SYSTEM
Local Names of Subdivisions Are
Dropped and City Square Num-
bers Used in Place.

To the healthy and steady growth OF
+ the District of Columbia District sur
yeyor NJ c. Hazen attributes an enormous
increase i'm the volume of business trans
acted by his Office during the fiscal year
ended June 80. This is brought out In his
annual report, submitted to the Commits
sioners today.
Urging an increase in the force of en-
ployes in his office on the ground of the
great increase of work required or II
Surveyor Hazen points out that large en-
terprises and big business transactions
are oftentimes suspended pending sur
vey or subdivision and that 1t Is therefore
good business to have the surveyors Office
equipped so that there will be no un'
necessary delay.
The work during the past year has
greatly exceeded in volume that or any
year during the existence of the surveyor
Office Mr.. Hazen says In opening ms re.
port During the past year the recelpts
for work done by this Office amounted &c
S20,d4.76 The greatest amount received
in any one year previous to the past yeal
was in 1906, when the receipts amounted
to over $1,000. This is an increase Iol
the past year over 1906 Of about $1,000
or 16 per cent.
Compared With Other Years.
1.-THE receipts for the year ending June
80 1903, were S13.O4O.SO. the increase for
the past year over this amount being
s7.342 81, or 81 per cent.
"The number Of orders for surveys for
the District Of Columbia for the past
year were 10. against 43 for the year
previous. This is an increase or % or
ders, or lJ6 per cent.
1.-The total number of orders Tor all
classes of work by private parties during
the past year was 1910. against 2.sOl for
the previous year. This is an increase OF
1 $50 orders, or IS per cent.
These figures show a phenomenal IN
crease in the volume of work done by this
Office during the past year. This is at
tributed, in large measure. to the pros
porous business condition of the country
and the healthy and steady growth of the
city. This increase of work has been
handled with the same force as in the
previous year, necessitating very close at
tention to duty and long office hours for
the employees.
II invite your attention to the increase
in the receipts of the surveyors office
from 81 1897 in 1900 to So. 544.16 in 1909.
The receipts will show a uniform increase
except in 1905, which exceeded all other
years except the past one, as heretofore
stated.
for the entire District, subdivisions of
agricultural ground into lots and blocks
were designated by local names, such as
Chevy Chase, D. c., City View Heights.
Sauls Addition, etc. These local names
have been discontinued on all subdivisions
now being made. and square numbers
used in lieu thereof. While local names
have been dropped. which is great bene-
tit TO the office in matter of record, there
have been recorded twenty-four large SUBJ
divisions of agricultural land taxed as
parcels against seventeen for the previous
year. These twenty-four new subdivisions
comprise in all ia new squares This
character of work involves a great
amount of time and labor.
Number of Lots Surveyed.
1.-The number of lots surveyed i'll city
and county we're 2.277 for the past year
against 1.461 for the previous year. which
is an increase of SIS In the number of
lots surveyed. or IS per cent. This is in
addition to surveys for the District of
Columbia and surveys and subdivisions of
large tracts. This has added much work
to the four field parties. while at the
same time the average distance necessary
for the men to travel in order to per-
form their work has Increased on account
of more improvements occurring in the
outlying parts of the District This has
required the field parties at all time to
give long hours to the work, there being
no cessation in the work in the most
severe winter weather.
II wish to take this occasion to COM
mend the men for their loyalty and close
application to their work.
THE number of survey certificates is
sued during the past year was 1.13O,
against S24 for the previous year. which
is an increase of 800, or 81 per cent. Du-
plicates of these survey certificates are
kept in the Office.
1.-THE number of subdivisions recorded
during the past year was 5S;. against :9l
for the previous year, which is an in
crease of 49, or 80 per cent. In the num-
Der of subdivision plats made there was
an increase of 40 per cent over those for
the previous year.
1.-The number of plats for building per-
mits issued during the past year was
1905. against SS3 for the previous year,
per cent.
Drafting Force Busy.
The miscellaneous plats and District
work has increased. which has added to
the work of the drafting force. Much of
this work has to be done while parties
ordering the plats wait for them to be
drawn. so that their permits to build can
be obtained without delay. thus necessi-
tating delay of other work assigned to
the craftsmen and sometimes longer
hours fer the drafting force to bring the
work up to date.
I'm the last report Of my predecessor
Mr.. w. P. Richards, he called atten- ion
to the fact that these men were paid less
than any other men doing the same class
of work in the District service while their
work requires speed accuracy and a thor
ough knowledge of the records of the Of
flee. and they cannot be too highly com
plimented for the manner in which thew
have performed their work
1T is useless for me to mention in de-
tail the increase In every item of work.
The work during the past year has been
very exacting on every member of the
force and has prevented me from doine
much work In establishing old property
lines n old and underlined subdivisions.
establishing street lines accord ng o the
permanent system of highways and the
preparation of new plats in place of old
ones which have become dilapidated from
long use and should be retired to pre-
vent them from eventually becoming en-
tirely destroyed by use. This class
of work that should no be neglected and
it is hoped that an appropriation can be
obtained to carry 1T on.