Evening star., 1923-11-21


! veterans to see the Army-M Marine
game, an address by William Mather
Lewis. president of George Washing
ton University, and adoption Of the
report of the law and legislation
| committee asking for an immediate
appropriation for an adequate build
ing for the recorder Of deeds office.
| featured the meeting last night of the
Washington Chamber of Commerce at
| the Willard Hotel.
Disabled veterans of the world war
at Walter Reed and other hospitals
near Washington will see the great
| foot ball game at the Griffith Stadium
on December 1, If plans of President
! Isaac Cans and the members of the
| chamber are completed. More than
as seated at the park now. because
that Is the number of tickets bought
last night.
| Raise $500 Quickly.
| Cans, Gen. Smedley D. Butler and
Gen. John A. Lejeune, commandant
of the Marine Corps, In which 1t was
pointed out that no funds were avail
able to pay for seats for the veterans,
members of the chamber rallied and
$500 was raised in few minutes.
At the close of the subscriptions
last night Mr.. Cans announced that
an individual canvass by letter for
additional tickets for the veterans
would be made throughout the MEM
bership.
Plans are going ahead rapidly TO
make the game one of the biggest
events ever held in the National Cap
ital. Following the contest a dinner
will be given TO the coaches and in
vited guests at the City Club, with a
ball at the Willard for officers of both
Army and Marines. In order that the
enlisted men may also be given en-
tertainment, the Arcade dance hall
and various theaters have promised
upward of 1000 free tickets to mc
| In uniform that night. The organi-
cation feels that 1t is but a stepping
stone to bringing other athletic
events of national Importance to
Washington.
Cites University's Value.
Plans for the future of George
Washington University and the rela-
ton of the university to the business
| interests of the District were cited
by William Mather Lewis, newly
chosen president of the university.
Pointing out that the university
had an enrolment of approximately
5000 students and that more than a
million dollars a year was spent by
these students in the business center
or washington. Mr.. Lewis said that,
besides this fact, the college intend
ed to go ahead and interpret the Ma
ttonal Capital and it's ideals to people
living in other states.
He called attention to the conven-
tiOn of the National Educational AS
sociation, which will meet here in
June Of next year He said the COL
lege intended to hold many of the
teachers attending the convention in
Washington by means of special
courses at the university. \ free lee
ture course also has been planned. he
| asserted, with speakers OF national
Importance.
Urge New Deeds Office.
Stressing the urgent need of new
quarters for the recorder of deeds Of
! fec, the law and legislation commit
tee asked that the chamber take i'm
mediate action on this project. The
report follows:
: THE office of the recorder of deeds
, of the District of Columbia was
! opened for business in the year 1872.
This Office was located in the
United States courthouse until 1917,
| when the courthouse was remodeled.
Since that time. the office has been
! located on the first four floors Of the
F.! Century building. 412 9TH street
! THE office of the recorder contains
J over 5000 deed books. and there are
/ at present sixty-seven clerks, typists
1 and comparerS employed therein.
| Space Is Inadequate.
| There are twenty mine rooms on
| the four floors mentioned, but the
rooms are entirely too small for the
: purpose for which they are used
There is between 5000 square feet of
| floor space in these rooms. two-thirds
( thereof being taken up by books and
| record cases, leaving for the sixty
| seven employees of the Office. with
/ their typewriting machines, tables
! and desks, only about 1000 square
feet.
The rooms occupied by the recorder
| are not only too small for efficient
| work, but are lily lighted and poorly
ventilated. The public, having the
F; right to examine the records at all
/ times. should have ample space and
comfortable surroundings in which to
! work. The lawyers abstracting land
! titles are frequently forced to go
! from the first floor to the fourth floor
! to examine records, resulting in great
| loss of time. The quarters provided
| by the recorder for the title exam
iners and the general public are
wholly inadequate for their accom-
/ modation, these rooms. like the rest
| of the rooms, being badly lighted and
! too small.
] Facilities Are Strained.
The records of this office show that
/ the number of instruments received
for record has been greatly increased,
| as will appear from the following
table:
FISCAL YEARS