Evening star., 1924-12-31
In TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

housed, unprotected, in Temporary
Building d. These records are the
looseleaf sheets written up by CEN
sus enumerators each decade since
the Constitution was adopted. Abso-
lutely unduplicated and, when de-
stroyed by fire or water, impossible
| to replace. They contain data of the
| birth and family connections OF every
person who has ever lived in the
United States-not only data of inter
est to geneologists but important in
| much litigation over wills and in
heritances. A fire might sweep all
| into an ash heap in so minutes. be-
yond the power of any fire depart
ment to prevent. Every department
of the Government is similarly at the
mercy Of the fire hazard.
x
The Department of Justice is un-
| hampered by any law of limitations
| in recovering fraudulent eXtortions
made by profiteers. and is in litiga-
tion all the time, involving many mil
lions of dollars. A single case, II
| lost through inability to produce
| evidence, might cost far more than
the cost of a modern archives build
| ing. Claims are pushed against the
| Government by private litigants. and
! when lawyers learn that the Govern
pressure is made upon points of weak
ness so created.
The Office OF the alien property
custodian has the records OF $4,000
properties of alien enemies. If these
records are lost, Will the alien enemies
not rejoice at getting even witE
''rich American
X = x =
The records of the Department OF
the Interior include data of entries
upon public lands, some of which
land is now of great value. 1t con-
tains 100000 pension records, from
the Civil War veterans and theis
! widows. 1t contains patent records,
Indian and reclamation records.
The State Department wants rec
ords from our consulates and EN-
bassies, when no longer in use, stored.
| methodically and safely in an ar
chiyes building. Their Importance
will grow with their age.
* \
An official especially qualified and
connected so that he speaks with au-
thority, states that a suitable archives
building, as large as the Arlington
Building, now housing the Veterans
Bureau, can be erected, without the
shelves, for 100000. 1t is estimated
that the metal shelving may cost
another million, and the site will cost,
according to location, perhaps half
million.
Such a building would release space
needed in the present departments for
clerical help, amounting to 451,45S
square feet, and space in rented
buildings now occupied for such stor-
age, amounting to 1880 square feet
"a total of 4S2,779 square feet.
The rental value of the space so re-
leased, estimated at the minimum
rentals of downtown business prop
erty, is $1.25 per foot, per annum, so
| that the released space is worth $6o3,-
425 per annum. The temporary build
ings, which the Government is now
| using, are rapidly going into decay,
| and they will be unavailable almost
before an archives building can be
| finished. The cost of the space, at
| rental value, is equivalent to 81 per
| cent interest on the investment re-
Quired-about seven times the rate
! the Government pays for loans.
| According to Senator Smoot, chair
man of the committee, there is no OPP
position in the Senate to immediate
passage of the appropriation, for all
Senators are impressed with its vital
| Importance. There will be some op-
position in the House, and an effort to
couple ali Capital buildings with local
buildings in the districts of the Rep
| resentatives-a plan which President
| Coolidge announces in advance will
not be sanctioned. Since the archives
are not of more concern to Washing
tonians than to citizens of the utter
most parts of the Union, Congress and
| the President will refuse to enter into
competition of the National Capital
with local communities.
toop5<ight. 1924. bs Psni Y. cai1azAA