Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-04
U. S. Treasury Building Is
Remode|ed Extensively.
Many Improvements and Work
To be Expedited.
Money Was Handled In 81 Rooms
Printing Office Goes.

Improvements in the Treasury Build.
ing, to cost $lS0,000, are to be made
this summer, writes the Washington
correspondent OF the Boston TRANSCRIPT
Secretary MacNeaGh has placed the
work in the hands Of York & SAWYER
the New York bank architects. with
Instructions to push it to a speedy
completion. The adjustment of the
building to the business OF the Depart
ment of the building to the business of
the Department and the accommodate
ton Of the public has been given de-
tailed study by this firm of architects
for the last year. and the work will be
in the hands of contractors within a
few days.
Its principal features will be the
elimination of the huge exterior gran
ite entrance steps on the Fifteenth
street side of the building. placing in
their stead several entrance from the
sidewalk. installing passenger elevators
directly within: establishing locker
rooms for clerks: locating all the mon
ey. handling divisions on the ground
floor; arranging for the shipping of
supplies from the sunken courtyard on
frieze windows on the third floor to
make it more available for Office pur-
poses. and generally to readjust the
bureaus and divisions with respect to
their convenient interrelatiops.
When Secretary MacVeagh took Of
fee. he expressed great interest in
the employees of the Department, and
the conditions under which they work,
and was shocked to find such crow.3ipg
and unsanitary conditions of light and
ventilation as then existed. especially
in some of the rooms where money is
counted. In small room in the south
west corner of the basement. having an
area Of only 600 square feet, he found
for example. twentV-scven women who
counted last year 10000 900 notes; an
average. month in and month out of
over thirty one thousand notes a day
by each counter. There was no vcnti-
lation. the women being crowded so
close ~ the windows that they could
not have them open without discomfort
the greater part of the year. The
money was dirty, and this odor reached
the upper corridors by way of the
stair well, and permcatcd the corner of
the building.
The new secretary found himself in
stalled in a structure which had grad
ually become so filed that hardly d
single division was working to the best
advantage in properly lighted room
big enough for it. Across the hall from
his own office was a part of the divis-
ion had seven rooms in three places on
the east side of the building on the
floor below. two rooms and a document
vault over the west portico side of the
third story; that is. tn get an area of
$500 square feet. the division had been
distributed in thirteen rooms in six
separate locations on three floors. To
reach them all one had to walk half the
length and width of the building.
Money in 81 Rooms.
The fiscal divisions were as widely
separated us the others. Money was
handled in thirty-seven rooms (and
stored in thirteen vaults and four
minor receptacles on four HoOrS). Unit
ed States notes received for redemption
were trucked through the public corri-
doris between the different places IN
which they were handled. q third of a
mile. and had to wait for the single
nally arrived at the macerator in the
endorsement for destruction.
Beside tho serious oVercrowding OF
the divisions themselves. there was a
lack Of space both for filing and stor-
agt; the public corridors were used for
clerical work, for money handling and
canreling and were otercrowded with
flies and boxes.
These conditions were not only I'M
healthy and inconvcnient; they made II
impossible to run the building properly
and keep it clean. The sub basement
corridors in particular were used as
storage spaces for tons of paper to be
used at the Bureau of Engraving ana
Printing for postage and internal reve-
nue. stamps. the narrow alleys between
these boxes forming the only means VI
communication between the coal bunk
ers under the terraces. at the north ana
south ends of the building and the
heating plants.
The south end of the sub basement
was occupied by cabinet shops. ana
there We're stored supplies of paints
Narnishes. benZine. etc. Searated only
ny wooden partitions from fling spaces
hlle6 with papers stacked on wooden
shelves. Such q fine risk could not
nave existed. of course. in any private
Concern where the underwriters Would
promptly have required it to- be RENE
died. The Government carries no in
surance. however. ard is consequently
Its own judge in such matters.
OF course, all these conditions are the
result OF a growth so gradual thai
there has neSer been time when q
survey If the whole organization has
- h0essA undertaken, and progressing
scheme Of the. reass1s.nn}ept of spade II