Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-27
OUR PERISHING RECORDS
BY Frederic J. Haskin
ASHINGTON, Jan. 22.-Fire in the
census bureau causing $4,000 900

chives building?"
1t is the positive belief of every congress-
man we have talked to that some day the
United States will have an archives building
1t may not be in the next few decades, but
in the course of time-maybe you and I will
be tottering around-there is to be place
where government records will be properly
preserved, if there are any left to preserve.
For years now, congress has been talk
ing about this building. 1t is to be proof
against fire and water, dust, rats and bur-
| glars-a sort of heaven for documents that
have done their share in making our history
and pass on into the oblivion of the national
archives
| Here. in say 1876, will be carefully LAID
away the tattered papers showing tnat we
paid for the Philippine Islands and Alaska
and the Canal Zone. If they were destroyed
the United States government might nave
difficulty in proving that it did indeed set
tie it's obligations in these deals: In the ar
chives building, too, will be the big treatles
that the United States made, with nlstotic
SIGNATURES on them-that is, the treaties Will
be there if nothing happens to them In the
meantime. The state department has been
asking for $4,000 for years so that 1t coulo
build fireproof vault for some OF It's unpro-
tected papers Congress has never felt, now
ever that it could spare that much money,
especially as there is only one chance in
good many Of fire in the state department
The archives building is to contain many
other thousands of documents, from sucn
important papers as the Declaration OF In
dependence to ordinary army enlistment rec
ords and land patents. There are tons OF
these national documents-we are not speak
ing at all of state records which are kept by
the individual states. Nobody could posi-
bly, figure exactly how many federal record
papers there are, we will just say, AFTER
the manner of our best mathematical sharks,
that there are enough so that if they were
placed end to end and side by side they would
carpet most Of the United States. And most
of this mass of deathless literature is to be
crammed into the safe haven of the ar
chives building.
Say All Are Valuable
| realization of the extent of the national
records has caused some argument as 10
whether unimportant papers might not De
safely destroyed. Those In favor OF reuuc-
ing the records by few tons maintain that
high government officials should have the
right to say that certain papers are worth
less and need not be placed in the national
morgue.
Most historians hold contrary view. Iney
saw that the stacks Of enlistment papers OF
past wars, for instance, may look IKE SO
much Junk to the uninitiated, but to the SUI
dent of history they are of great value. 10
take very obvious case: Suppose years
after the war there is question as 10
whether certain national hero served In
that war as boy. The official record would
be his enlistment papers, and even II 1t re-
uuired long search to locate these documents,
when found, they would be worth the trou-
ble Again and again just such papers-land
grants pension claims, army records-haVe
supplied actual historic facts to prove or
disprove rumors and legends.
Of the tons of these papers OF potentlal
historic value, scarcely any are now stored
in fireproof containers. Some are in near
fireproof vaults, which means that they
would not be protected in case of real need
for protection. The treasury department has
a vault built under it's front yard, in which
some of the most important records of our
financial history lie in what must necessa-
rily be damp atmosphere, even with
heating system. And dampness is more
insidious destroyer of papers than fire; 1t
works slowly, but steadily.
The great mass of government records is
not so we'll cared for as those in such vault.
In almost any department, even IN some or
the newest buildings, you can walk down
long corridors lined with open shelves, ana
you will see that these shelves are crammed,
| tier upon tier, with papers. In some corr1-
| doris the walls appear made OF solid mass OF
| bundled documents bound with red tape
You can see this in the easements and top
stories of almost all of the buildings.
Patents Not Safe
In the patent office, where over million
patents are filed, no attempt is made to safe
guard them, except the ordinary precautions
! of having guards to watch out for lire, anu
hatchets and fire extinguishers hung ABOUT
the walls The building is supposed TO pc
| fireproof it is true, but the papers are ID
wooden file cases or on open shelves
| In such conditions as these, Hgnteu
match is dropped, or a cigarette licked over
some ones shoulder, and you read next
morning of the sort of fire that has just dam
aged the census bureau. In this case rec
ords that cannot be replaced by two years
| work were destroyed, not so much Dy the
flames, as by smoke and water.
After every such occurrence there is an
agitated demand for better care for tmpor-
tant papers. But where congress will cheer-
fully put up half a million dollars to build
Greek temple postoffce in Mud City anG
other half millions for similar postoffices IN
similar towns, demand for $2,OOO.OD0 TO
store the records of our national existence
always calls for remarks about economy and
ga more seasonable time"
This time a resolution has been introduced
into the house proposing that the pupilc
buildings commission inquire into the ad'ls-
ability of immediate work on an arcnWes
building and report to the house ana SEN
ate This means a congressional 1nVestlga-
ton The committee referred to IS g JolDt
committee of senators and representatives.
It is to get around to the resolution tnls
, week. but by the time conclusion IS reached
and a report made, indignation over Inc
$4,000. 900 census fire will probably have SIM
mered down below the point where the need
for the building can be made convincing.
If the report should be favorable, 1t Would
not he necessary to draft bill, for the Us
borne bill appropriating the required sum IS
still hanging over from the last session.
Then congress was seized with violent at
tack of economy before the measure was
adopted The present congress is also m