Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-28
BUSY DAYS FOR ARCHITECT
Uncle Sam is Making a Building Rec
ord for Himself.
MANY STRUCTURES INVOLVED
Supervising Architect Gives Some De-
tails of IN Immense Amount of
work that His office f.
Doing.
prom a staff Correspondent

CFrom a staff Co~rrespondent)
WASHINGTON, Aug. T.-CSpecial.)-Even
in these hot old August dog days" the
force under the supervising architect Of the
Treasury department, ]. Knox Taylor, is
working, in many Instances, overtime In
the preparation Of plans and specifications
for new public buildings scattered through
out the United States, and in some cases
in our insular possessions, as well as in
far-away Alaska. Supervising Architect
Taylor said today that he had a force Of
$50 in the washington office, $50 of whom
we're craftsmen or mechanical engineers,
besides about $50 men in the field looking
over sites or engaged in the superintend-
ence Of public buildings now in course Of
erection. and he said sorrowfully that he
should have a larger force to keep pace
with the work Of constructing federal
buildings. Al the close Of the fiscal year
I9Os-that is June 9O-there were 77 build
ings either in course Of construction In
various parts OF the country or those which
had been authorized by acts OF congress
to be constructed. Forty public buildings
were completed last year and under exist
ing appropriations there are 25 yet to
erect. Mr.. Taylor says that with his present
force he is enabled to prepare plans and
specifications for new buildings at the rate
Of ten or eleven per month.
The 1908 omnibus public bill placed at
the disposal Of the Treasury department
the vast sum Of $94. 900 for the purchase
Of sites and the erection of public buildings
thereon, located in practically overy state
of the union. And some outside Of the
continental borders of the country. And
that is going some. the treasury people
assert. In the ten years past the acutal
expenditure on account Of public buildings
has totaled close upon s12, 100000 annually.
The real outlay for public buildings during
the present fiscal year will reach close to
the SIS, 900, 900 mark, and then all money
available for this purpose cannot be spent
by nearly one-half.
Buildings in Nebraska.
In Nebraska all work authorized by con-
gress is well in hand, some having been
finished during the last fiscal year. The
building at York has been completed, those
at Grand Island and Kearney said to be
well under way, while the addition to the
postoffice at Beatrice is pretty near
ready" to use the architects expression.
In Iowa the buildings at Mason City,
Webster and Muscatine are nearly COM
plete, IL no quite so, while the Des Moines
combination of court house and postoffice
is being rushed. The buildings at shenan-
doah, Clarinda and Council Bluffs are I'M
der contract and work at these cities is
progressing to the satisfaction Of the super.
vising architect. The plans and specifica.
tions for the new postoffice at Cedar Rap
ids are near completion, and bids for the
actual construction will be advertised fol
within a few weeks. The drawings for the
new building at Ottumwa are we'll under
way and bids for construction will also
issue in this case during the early fall.
In South Dakota the buildings at Mitch.
ell and WATERFOWL are complete. The planl
and specifications for the new postoffic'
building at Lead are now in the hands o.
the printer and bids will be requested
for the actual construction within a few
days.
Forest Rangers Wanted.
An examination to fill vacancies in tn,
ranger force on 149 national forests II
twenty-one states and territories, including
Alaska, will he held October Is and 26
From this examination 1t is expected tina
800 appointments will be made.
This examination will be held at eacl
forest supervisors headquarters in the ma
tional forest states and territories, inclui
Ing Arkansas, Minnesota, Michigan ant
Florida, which are the most easterly states
having national forests.
While the examination is entirely alonI
practical lines, and knowledge of fielt
conditions rather than book learning 1
considered essential, the opportunities 70
those applicants with educational advant
ages are considerably increased. The rapi
) development Of the national forests 1
making continually increasing demand
Y upon those engaged in their management
E and men with ability to assume responsi
5 bfity and serve in supervisory capacitie
5 are in demand. These more responsible
y positions on national forests are filled b
u promotion from lower grades, so ths
u anyone entering as a ranger is eligible fo
, promotion to any of the more responsible
= and higher paid places, including that {
forest supervisor.
Only those men who are at least 81 year
8 Of age, not more than 40, of good characte
i temperate and in good physical conditio
a are eligible OF take this examination. I'll
d salary paid to beginners is 5000 a year.
r Applicants can secure information col
r corning the examination from the Unite
States Civil Service commission, Washing
e ton, D. c.; district foresters at Missoul
Mont, Denver, Colo. Albuquerque, N. NJ
ogden, Utah, San Francisco, Cal, ar
Portland, Ore. or forest supervisors.