Evening star., 1915-12-18
Secretary RedfieId Says Coast
and Geodetic Survey Is In
adequately Housed.
NEED OF AN AQUARIUM
ALSO URGENT, HE SAYS
Would Take Pen of a Humorist to
Describe Conditions, Annual
Report Adds.

Inefficient management of the bureau
of fisheries and the coast and geodetic
survey caused by the necessity of using
buildings poorly adapted to the work
is made the subject of special comment
today by Secretary Redfeld of the De-
partment of Commerce in his annual
report. For a superintendent in pri-
vate employ to allow such conditions
run further than the time necessary to
provide new quarters would mean his
discharge, he said.
| To describe the ineficiency practiced
at the coast survey, at New Jersey
avenue and B street southeast. he said,
would require the pen of a humorist,
for while old and expensive heating
| apparatus is being used, supply OF
| heat from the so-called central heating
plant which supplies the Capitol and
other buildings runs right through the
coast survey. But it cannot be tapped
for use in this building, because the
| law does not permit it.
The Secretary points to the need of
| an aquarium here, not so much Tor
| amusement purposes, but for labora- :
| tory studies to improve the breed OF
fishes. The report in part says:
New Building Sought.
The old building in which the fish
cries service is housed has lasted one
year more and changes have been made
on the lower floor which provide more
office room. an enlarged tank for the
| live seals and give a much more at
| tractive appearance to the venerable
structure. 1t is, however, wholly unht
| for it's purpose and of more value as
historical relic than anything else.
| Almost sixty years ago it was an ar
mory. After twenty years 1t became
| a storehouse. Four years later 1t was
used as a fish hatchery. The manager
| of an industrial plant who permitted
| it to continue in the service to which
it is put would probably be discharged
| for incompetency. / renew the recon-
mendation made earlier in this report
that the administrative portion OF the
fisheries service be combined with the
rest of the department in a new gov
ernment building. and that suitable
working aquarium be provided for the
study and development of the impor-
tant food supply the fisheries service
has under it's care.
THE fishing industry throughout the
land, whether on river, lake or ocean,
the interest of science studying how
to maintain and enlarge the supplies
of food which our waters provide, the
interest of those who fish for sport the
country over, would all be enhanced
by providing a modern aquarium for
the bureau of fisheries, suited alike for
the scientific work of the bureau and
for those scientists who collaborate
with it for the development OF the fish,
ing industry, and for the education Of
the public. This aquarium should be
housed in a separate building located
as nearly as practicable to the pro-
posed new building for the department.
Interest was displayed by the throngs
that have visited the exhibit of the
bureau of fisheries at the Panama
Francisco and in the number of Wis.,
itors at the small temporary aquariums
of the fisheries service in Washington
and in Woods Hole, Mass.
The aquarium, however, would not
| be primarily to furnish amusement or
to provide place of pleasant public
resort. These are incidental uses
which because of their educational
value are important. The aquarium
would be useful chiefly as a working
tool to provide new sources of food
supply.
"a bill will be introduced, with che
approval Of the Department Of Com
merce. asking the authorization Of such
an aquarium la boratory at the next
| session of Congress.
Buildings overcrowded.
'It is an old story to again. call at
tention to the inadequate conditions af-
forded this bureau in the buildings at
present occupied. which cover 10000
square feet of floor space, distributed
in such manner that work is difficult
and expensive. They are improperly
lighted and are overcrowded. One of
the worst features about them is the
fact that they are not f1reproof, and
records that cost millions of dollars
and could not be replaced short of the
expenditure of other millions of dol
lars are constantly in danger. To re-
model these old structures would avail
| nothing; rebuilding is the only means
of providing permanent relief. The
| efficiency of the bureau is daily dis
turbed by the incommodious Office con-
ditions and by the Inconvenience and
loss of time involved in communication
between widely separated portions of
| the buildings.
The foregoing statement cannot be
overemphasized- The further expendi-
ture of money on these old buildings
would be an actual waste.
| 1t Is recommended that authority he
given to tap the central heating main
| to permit the wasteful, ancient boilers
| now in use to be discarded and to allow
the room these fossils occupy to be
| turned to some useful purpose This
| will save the government $246o per
annum. in addition to the time and
labor required for the care OF the pres
ent boilers.
THE coast survey uses in a portion
| of the premises occupied by it electric
| current furnished from the Capitol
| building, a practice which began at
| the time of the Spanish war, before
the present power plant for the Capi-
| tol was erected. For the rest of the
premises it'pays private producer for
| electric current.
| There is an electric main belonging
TO the government directly across the
street. 1T is recommended that a con-
nection to this main be permitted in
order to save the money now paid to
| private parties.
| With government heat and light
| thus near at hand-indeed, in one case
passing through the building--whiIe on
| the other hand separate expense Is In
CURED for both. one wonders what
would be said of the practical efficiency
| of the management under which such
things are allowed to continue. How
| ever. legislation is required before this
condition can be amended"
WORST OF STORM rs OVER