Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-11-13

specified day After the offers have
been considered an agent Is sent TO
look the sites over and he reports 10
the secretary Of the treasury as TO
which in his Judgment is the best
piece of ground to purchase. If the
secretary approves, the ground is Sc
cured. II the price asked is above
the average OF other ground selling i'm
the immediate vicinity the courts are
resorted 10 and the ground under
consideration is condemned. OF all
the ground bought by the government
about 20 per cent has To be condemns
cd, either as result Of exorbitant
prices or in order 10 get ciear title.
At this iihcturc the title papers
are secured and forwarded to the de-
partment of Justice, when the attor-
neY general has To certify to the sec
retaIN Of the treasury that the title is
good and sufficient Then, but not
before, can the secretary pay for the
ground. II is not until all these pre-
liminaries have been gone through
that the plans Tor the proposed build
ing are begun.
If the treasury department has the
erection Of but one building to con
slider the work goes forward without
Interruption. But where. as at The
present time there are 500 some or
der has TO he maintained For this
reason q system has been inaugurated
which completes the erection OF every
building as soon as is justifiable un-
der the existing circumstances. Each
site as soon rs the title papers have
been declared clear, is given a con
secutive number and the erection of
the buildings Themselves is taken ia
that order.
There are two sets Of plans drawn
up. The first, or preliminary draw
ings, are the ones upon which the es-
Inmates are made. These are submit
ted to the cabinet board. This hoard
Is composed OF the secretary Of the
treasury and the heads OF such de-
partments rs viii have employees In
the new building. ii the accommoda-
tions are sufficient the sketches are
signed and the drawings are then
ready for the draughtsmen. The sec
ond set of drawing is the working set
They are submitted to general con-
tractors by advertisements for COM
petitive estimates. As in the case Of
the purchase Of the site, the con-
tracts are opened at the department
on a certain day. and if estimates are
within the limit of cost fixed by the
committee on buildings and grounds
the lowest will be chosen, the con-
tracts awarded and work started.
The building is then, in sense, out
Of the hands OF the department. mas
much as they simply wait for its com
pletion provided that the contractor
lives up to the demands of his con-
tract But in the meanwhile the d.
vision or the treasury department
having charge OF the furnishing and
gas fixtures will get to work. Tho
majority of the furniture used in the
offices is of standard
and is usually bought by the
government under an annual contract.
Whatever is needed outside of this Is
generally bought by advertising
When the building has been com
pleted and furnished custodian Is
appointed This office must be filled
by one Of the government officials,
who will be located in the building,
and after his appointment his recon-
mcndation is necessary before any re-
pairs can be made. lie also has
charge OF the maintenance Of the
building. This last duty Is one which
has been put in charge OF the division
OF the Supervising architect of the
department only recently.
that division is held respor
sible for the maintenance of the huild-
ing and the mechanical plant, in adj
1ition to the repairing. and must also
appoint the janitor and necessary
force to attend to the building. That
duty has heretofore been incumbent
upon the chief clerk OF the depart
ment