Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-04


seash Undertook. requiring a thorough
study 10 be made of the difficulties in
vowed, In order that remedies might
oe Iouno, the employees better taken
care or and the divisions grouped ir
proper relation to each other. so that
the work might be done under some
such conditions of health, comfort and
convenience as would obtain in a mod
ern business organization.
The First Move.
me ErSt move was to eliminate the
printing office, which, with it's oil. hen
zine. etc., constituted a fire risk I'M
Justlhable in so important a building.
This led to the abolition of the branch
printing establishments in all the de-
partments, and the concentration of all
inns work in the hands of the publk,
printer thus obtaining better service
ana erecting great economy
the secretary then caused the offices
Of the supervising architect to be
moved INTO the area vacated by the
printer which, with additional space.
was provided for the purpose on the
|
cabir:at, varnish and paint shops. di-
rected that the printing of the seals on
the United States currency, which had
been done in the building, be taken
care of at the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing. where it becomes a part of
the final operation. without entailing
any additional expense to the work
which has always been done there He
arranged to have the distinctive paper,
on which currency. Postage and inter-
nal revenue stamps are printed. stored
outside of the building until the new
bureau is completed when it can be de-
livered from the mills to the bureau,
and he took up in detail the question of
providing proper light. ventilation. loo
ker rooms. toilet and elevator service
for employees and the public
Arthur Young & Comany, expert &C
countants of Chicago, were engaged to
report upon methods and bookkeeping,
while the architects were directed to
study in detail the problems involved
in the improvements mentioned above.
paying particular attention to rear
ranging the money handling divisions,
providing for their convenience and
ing to suit their needs.
No More Sidewalk Transactions.
1t was recommended that all the re-
Ceiving and shipping of money. sup
plies. etc. which now takes place
across the public sidewalk on Fifteenth
street. should be removed to the sub
basement court on the west side of the
building. where it will be out of the
way of the public safer and removed
from interference with the rest of the
work carried on in the building. 1t
was suggested that the money hand
ling divisions should be so placed that
the currency delivered from the vans
in this west Sub-basement area should
move naturally by the shortest route
the divisions handling and be
sorted. examined. counted and placed
iii tine vaults, issued. or destroyed in
the macerator without going above the
basement floor or into any part of the
building accessible to the public or to
the employees of other divisions not
directly responsible for it's care. Such
an arrangement is made possible by
the removal of the supervising arch-
tect 10 the newly constructed space on
area in the basement and provided
space for the first move in the 13-puZ-
zlc of reassigning the rooms in the
Old Drafting Room Cleaned Out.
The old drdftingro of the Suepr-
vising architect. temporary building
in the south court. was cleaned out, its
ceiling raised. and it has been provided
with a modern SYSTEM of ventilation IN
which fresh air, taken from outside
the building tits temperature controlled
by passing ii through screen of
cooled water) is supplied through nu-
merous ducts. while enormous fans
exhaust the warm air from the upper
part of the room. This space is to be
occupied by the largest of the money
counting divisions, so arranged as to
work to the best advantage. while the
other divisions handling currency are
grouped on the same floor.
The recommendations then take up
each of the remaining divisions in the
building. and assign them to sufficient
SPACE in the hest relation to the other
divisions VITA which they have to DO.
For instance. those activities whlch
have frequently to report to the Secre-
tarv. and from whom he must con-
stantly ask for information or reports.
are placed wherever possible in the I'M
mediate vicinity of mis- office. while III
the case of independent divisions. IL
was only necessary to find sumcl"nt
area in single location. and remedy
the difficulty which has always arisen
from their being scattered in number
of places.