Evening star., 1922-07-22
PLAN SINGLE HEAD
FOR j. S. BUILDINGS
Guarding, Fire Protection
and Maintenance Lack
Unity at Present.
SHERRILL HAS TWO JOBS
Proposal Would Provide Clear-Cut
Division or Else Positive.
Merger.
SHERRILL HAS TWO JOBS

A proposal to centralize all the
maintenance, guarding and fire pro-
lection of federal buildings in the
city-so far, at least. as the executive
department buildings are concerned
under the authority of one responsible
office. instead of allowing this service
to be dissipated, as 1t is said to be
at present, with lack Of uniformity.
economy and efficiency. has achieved
such proportions that 1t has been
formally presented to Gen. Lord,
With Gen. Lord out Of the city to-
day, no word was forthcoming from
the budget offices as to the status Of
the proposal. or who made it-but it
was definitely learned elsewhere that
such a proposal had been gaining in
favor among certain departments.
had been documented and laid on Gen.
Lords desk as a proposal to further
the administrations drive for econ
omy and efficiency.
Concentration Satisfactory.
Col. c. o. Sheriff., who is superin-
tendent of State, War and Navy De-
partment buildings, has now under
his control the buildings of the In
pension Office, patent Office and gen.
eral land Office building.
The transfer of the Interior De-
partment buildings was effected the
first of this month, and is understood
to have proved satisfactory, with a
tightening up of the guard particu-
larly.
Col. Sheriff., in his capacity as Of
ficer in charge of public buildings and
grounds, which is separate from his
duties in connection with the other
buildings. has supervision of the
White House. Monument and other
public structures.
Whether the proposed change
would place an officer such as Col.
Sheriff. in charge of all the execu-
tive department buildings in addition
to the public buildings and grounds
was not made clear.
Would Centralize Authority.
1t was learned, however, that there
had been a growing sentiment in
favor of some more clearly organized
and systematic control over the build
lngs OF the government, by which all
the grounds might be under one au-
thority, and the buildings, under an
other. Or, it was pointed out, the
whole could be merged in one officer.
But that ofhcer, 1t was said, should
be more Independent than Col. Sher-
rill is at present, for under the pres
ent organization he is under direc-
tion of the chief of engineers of the
War Department, and that was
what some Of the Interior Depart
ment officials were unable to under
stand, July l, when they came under
Col. Sherrill's jurisdiction. Why, they
wanted to know, did the War Depart
ment want to assume authority over
the home of the Interior Department
Col. Sheriff. has authority over the
various buildings under his direction
at present in . peculiarly divided
manner. As officer in charge of pub
lic buildings and grounds. he is re-
sppnsible for the parks, White House
monuments, and certain other similar
public buildings. For this, his ad.
ministrative office is In the Lemon
building.
Operates Under Commission.
As superintendent Of State, War and
Navy Department buildings, and
others which have since been added
to that onice, he has an Office in the
State. War and Navy building, in
charge Of the assistant to the super
intendent. Capt. F. W. Hoover. It il
to this latter office that the Interior
(Contfnued on Paee Q. Column g