Evening journal., 1916-04-08
MORE ROOM NEEDED.
,m the Dover State News.

From the Dover State News.
The State House at Dover is too
small to accommodate all the State
offices in a satisfactory manner The
time is rapidly approaching when the
State will be compelled to acquire adj
ditional property, and it would un-
doubtedly be a good thing if this could
be done before the next session of the
Delaware Legislature.
At the present time the Offices of
State Commissioner Of Education
Charles A. Wagner are located in the
committee rooms in the rear Of the
state House and when the General
Assembly oonvenes it will be neces-
sary FOR DR.. Wagner to move to tenn
porary quarters until the State body
adiourns This will work q great
hardship upon the commissioner. for
the work of the state Board OF Educa-
ton. and especially that work coming
under the supervision of DR.. Wagner,
has rapidly increased in volume dur
ing the past year. and will continue
10 increase during the coming year.
Dr. Wagner was practically a new
official at the session OF the Legisla-
ture year ago, but even at that time
the work of his Office was greatly ham
dicapped by the enforced moving Of
/ his Offices during the session. Per-
sons who are familiar with the work
Of Dr.. Wagner's Office are emphatic
in the assertion that he should have
permanent offices. where bis records
and papers will not have 10 be dis
turbed for a couple of months every
other year.
It is suggested that it would be a
good plan for the State to purchase
the County Building. which is located
next to the State House, and alter it
to conform with the new wing on the
opposite side. II necessary, an arch
way could be constructed over the
street TO connect the buildings, al
though without on archway the Coun-
i tv Building is located very conven-
iently for State purposes.
The money paid by the state to the
county for this building could be eX-
pended upon the Kent County Court
house so that the county offices could
be removed to that building, which Is
where they properly belong. In New
Castle and Sussex counties. and in
! fact. in almost all county seats
throughout the country. the county
Offices are located in the County Court
House. The Prothonotary is the Clerk
of the Superior Court. and the Clerk or
General Sessions, and II would be far
more convenient to have these offices
/ located in the same building in which
the court sessions are held. At pres
sent the Kent County Prothonotary
and Clerk OF the Peace are required to
carry all their books and documents
from the County Building TO the Court
House and back again. before and ar
ter each session of the court.
It is also pointed out that the pres
ent quarters Of the county officials are
overcrOwded. and the valuable county
records are in danger of destruction
bv fire. Should the Offices be liked up
in the Court House Of rthese officials
there should be fireprOof files installed
for the protection Of these papers.
Money used in providing protection for
such records would be money well
expended. for if they are ever destroy
ed by fire they can never be replaced.
and the loss would always be great
handicap to the county. And the coun-
tv would then save the expense or
heating and upkeep of one building.
In the case of State Commissioner
Wagner. however, no time should be
lost in providing him with permanent
offices where his work can go on WITH
out fear Of interruption. In moving
around from one Office to another
there is always the chance that some
OF his books and valuable papers
might be lost or so mixed up as to
cause loss OF much time in straighten-
ing them out His Office is just as inn
portant as any other State office, and
there is no reason why he should not
have the same conveniences they
have.
/