Evening star., 1915-05-30
Evidence Of Progress Shown in
Construction of Huge De-
partment Buildings.
LATEST ONE is PLANNED
FOR INTERIOR BUREAUS
Limited Accommodations for Of
fees Under EARLY Government Con-
trasted With Present Conditions.
BY JAMES CRoGGoN.

BY JAMES CROGGON
Evidence OF the great progress OF
the United States is seen in the neces
sity for the construction of building
between 18th and 10Th and F and G
streets northwest for the accommoda-
ton of the Interior Department. 1t
calls to mind that the department as
such did lot exist until about the
middle of the last century. when the
entire departmental service in the Dis
trict numbered about one-fifth of the
present force Of that department. In
the slxty-five years of its existence
there have come into being the de-
partments of Agriculture, Justice and
Commerce and Labor. with other bu-
reaus. Before its erection-even from
the foundation of the government-the
germs of the Interior Department, the
patent office, Indian affairs, public
lands and pensions, were to be found in
the old State. Treasury, War and Navy
departments.
When the government offices with
their employees arrived here in the sum-
mer of 1900 the work of the two Office
buildings on each side of the White
House was well under way. and the
Treasury building. known in the early
part of the century as the East Execu-
tive building, was about ready to be oc
cupied. These were about line with
the south front of the White House, at
18th and 18th streets That they were
intended to accommodate the entire
clerical force in about forty rooms in
each building is explainable by the fact
that there were less than 200 clerks in
all.
East Building" Opens.
The east building was opened at once
for the Treasury Department and it's
various bureaus were soon at work. The
Secretary's Office employed about twenty
clerks: the treasurer. three: internal
revenue, forty: register. thirty-eight;
controller. fifteen. and auditor. twenty.
An accidental fire took place in one of
the rooms on February 20. 1901. and
some of the archives were burned
About this time several certificates of
the United States stock we're missed
but not until after the departure of the
clerks in the registers office. and years
later one of the clerks and his son were
arrested and some of the stock and the
proceeds of oher certificates were re-
covered
Rented quarters were provided for
other government Offices. The War De-
partment located in a house on the
south size Oh HenflSylNdnld avenue near
22d street. but it was there but a short
time when, November 3. 1900 it was de-
stroyed by fire, with many valuable pa
pers. the home of the messenger being
also burned. The Post Office Depart
ment found lodgment at the house of
Dr. Crocker, at the northeast corner of
9Th and f streets.
Old Departments Give Way to New.
Under the constitutional government
in 1883 the old departments gave way
to the new ones. The State Depart
ment at first took the name of Depart
ment of Foreign Affairs, being author
lied under the act of July 81; the War
Department. August 4, and Treasury,
September 2. The Attorney General was
provided for by act of September "a.
The temporary establishment of the
post office was provided for by act of
September %. These acts were con-
tinued from time to time and when the
government arrived here the depart
ment was operating under the act of
March ,, 1893, which was repealed in
1910, when the Postmaster General,
having had but one assistant previous
ly, was given two and the work of the
office had rapidly expanded. In 1900
there We're S03 post offices, nearly 21,00O
miles of mail route and over s2S0,000 in
income.
For robbing the mails the penalty had
been hanging, but ttogging was even
tually substituted therefor At that
time il took forty days by the mail
coach for a person in Maine to receive
an answer from a letter addressed to
point in Georgia. The Postmaster Cen
eral was not then regarded as a cabinet
officer and it was not until 1925. when
the several postal acts were made into
one act, that he was so regarded. 1t
remained for President Jackson to in
vite Gen. Barry to seat at the cabi-
net table. i'll March, 1929, and since that
date the Postmaster Generals have
been advisers of the President. BY act
of April 80, 1898, the Navy Department
was organized, relieving the War De-
partment of jurisdiction Of naval af
fairs. June Is of that year Benjamin
Stoddert of Maryland. then residing in
secretary.