Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-12
It is the opinion Of the inspector that
Safety Of the EMPLOYEES.

Safety Of the Employees.
1.-THE inadequate and unsafe manner
Of storing files detracts from the safety
to which the employees of the files divi-
sion are entitled, and the bullying of
the walls and the sagging of the floors
produces an effect upon the minds of
those who are compelled daily to work
In such surroundings, which Is any
thing but reaSsuring.
Several of the rooms Of the division
of accounts. on the fourth floor of 1895
X street, the Attorney General explains,
are SO crowded that zone can scarcely
the hallway" Part of the books and
records of the division are stored in a
toilet room, and others in damp,
dark coalroom near an old-fashioned
furnace"
THE sagging of the door jambs is ap-
parent to the most casual observer" he
comments of conditions in this build
ing, land the danger of collapse con-
continues from month to month. With
the Ford Theater disaster still fresh
in the minds Of the people of the city.
these crowded conditions offer men
ace which should appeal to every mem
He describes the loss of time and eff
cheney caused by carrying records be-
tween the departmental buildings and
the offices in the Southern building.
Connected with this, he tells of the
devious pathways in the old buildings
that must be travelled in transferring
the records.
hot in Summer, Cold in Winter.
"A room, so-called, for the fling of
old letters" he says, lis reached
through a dark passageway with I'M
even flooring. There is practically no
ventilation in this room, and light is
obtained through skylight. In sum-
mer the heat is unbearable. and in
winter the room cannot be heated. AL
though repeated efforts have been
made to keep the roof from leaking, it
seems impossible to do so; resulting
not only in menace to health of en-
ployes, but in damage to the records
and equipment.
"A portion Of the space assigned to
kitchen; and water bugs and reaches,
in spite of every effort to exterminate
them, are a constant annoyance and
damage to papers and books"
The bureau of Investigation is so
crowded that it can keep no files that
are more than year old. The build
ing inspector bars any further weight
in these rooms. Closets are being
used for these files.
Light and ventilation in the build
ing at 1913 18th street, occupied by
the public lands division, is particular
ly bad on the upper floors. One of
the attorneys, here, has a room made
by knocking away the walls between
by feet 3 inches.
In order to rise from his DESK" says
the Attorney General. the occupant
must first open the door behind him
into the adjoining room"
The basement cannot be heated. Yet
1t is used for storage purposes.
Division Of Files Isolated.
One Of the tortuous routes is described
by the Attorney General:
ITO go to the division of files from the
third floor of the public lands division
one must descend twenty steps, ascend
five others, then descend another pair,
followed by an ascent of another single
step, and, finally, by the descent of seven
teen more-and in doing this must make
twelve turns, not counting those which
are natural to winding stairways."
This Is one of the routes most fire.
quently traversed during the business day.
The paths that must be followed from
the same place to reach the Attorney
General, private secretary, chief clerk, Ii
brary. division Of accounts, appointment
equally tortuous and time and vitality
consuming
The same is true of the congestion, lack
of ventilation and of light in all the build
ings on Jackson place, where is located
an attorney general and the division in
charge of matters before the court of
claims. Some rooms in the building on
X street cannot be heated at all There
Is but one elevator for these buildings
which must be kept running day and
night When this elevator is stopped the
occupants OF the buildings are greatly in