Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-11
OFFICE TRANSFERS
UPHELD BY WORK
Secretary Replies to Crit
cism>of Moving of Pen
sion Bureau.

Defending the moving of the Pension
Office from fits building at Fifth and
q streets. Secretary Work. one 81
the tnitiators OF the transfer and The
twin transfer of the Labor Denart-
ment to the Pension Building. dc
broad scheme conceived two years ago
in the interest Of economy of none
and space
The move has been attacked b.,
veterans organizations.
Surrender of the Pension Building
by the Interior Department relea So
over 10000 square feet of space
sufficient TO house 1000 people con
nected with other Government activi-
ties. many of them now in rented
quarters the Interior Secretary said.
This has been made possible by CO
Ordinatins the activities OF the vari
Gus bureaus Of the Interior Depart
ment by our own people.
The move. which includes the re
moNal OF the Pension Bureau TO the
Interior Department Building is par
Of the broad scheme We conceived
rotary. Not only did il involve the
merging of bureaus within the dc
partment into compact units but II
also provided for the transfer Of bu-
reaus performing duplicate functions
out of the department. The separa
ton from the Interior Department Of
the Patent Office the Bureau a.
Mines and Mineral Resources h.
executive order was one of the 70
suits Of this plan.
Reductions I'm Personnel.
The number OF permanent en-
ployes in the Interior Department has
been reduced by = ,013 in the last tua
and half years. This reduction in
personnel has resulted in yacating
large amount of floor space. We have
had thorough house cleaning, tons
Of desks. chairs, files and other fur
niture being moved outs two-tOn
| truck loads from one bureau.
The Pension Office about two wears
ago had III employees and occupied
practically the whole Pension Build
| ing. Its removal to the Interior Build
ing Al that time would have been i'm
possible. But since then we have de-
creased the total number Of It's en-
ployes by 404. a onethird reduction,
| with a consequent contra ction in the
! space necessary 10 mousse II.
! space was also reclaimed from
/ other bureaus in the Interior Building
| itself Divisions 81 the General Land
/ Office were consolidated, duties reas-
signed and the services Of about 81
/ clerks discontinued. The Reclamation
Bureau cut its force in half. Saving
: If space through the decrease Of per
/ some! in the Indian Bureau, the clos
/ ing out Of the war minerals relief
| commission, consolidation OF mime"-
graphing and other activities also con
| tributed to the possible yacaJIng Of the
! Pension Building.
! Would Protect Records.
The Pension Building has quarters
! for the housing Of 1000 Government
| employees 1t has been occupied for
/ a long time by the Pension Bureau
/ and the Bureau Of Education. The
after was moved 10 the Interior Build
| ing over a year ago after room had
| erai Interior bureaus. The Pension
! Office, with it's S0T employees, max
/ now he moved and the Interior De
partmeut will for the first time IN is
I history have all its bureaus and estah.
! lishments with the exception Of its
/ eleemOsynary institutions, under the
! same roof
The records of the old soldiers are
| now filed in that part of the Pension
/ Building which is not tirepruof. there
! being no other available space for
! them. Their removal IA the interior
! Building. which Is fireproof, would
| preserve them for future generations.
! The General Nelson 4. Miles Camp
! Of tho United Spanish War Netera ns
/ and the McGrCaTty-o Cornell Post Of
/ the American Legion plan vigorous
protests against the proposal 10 move
the Pension Office from the building
! on + street to the Interior Depart
ment to make room for the Labor De
partment.
The Spanish War Veterans voted
AT meeting last night 10 request De
| rartment Commander G. A. Belknap
and the American Legion Post viii
write a letter To President Coolidge
voIcinG their protests. r. f. Shomette
was reelected commander Of the Gen
! eral Nelson A Miles Camp. other of
! f:cers elected We're:
l. c. Nelson senior vice command
! er; G. Y. MCAleer. junior vice com
mander: Alexander Jenkins. officer Of
! the day; Robert +. Culin. officer Of
| the guard; Anita NewComb Niece.
! surgeon. Charles w. McCaffrey was
! elected trustee for a three-year term.
The veterans are objeCting TO the
! transfer on the grounds that the Pen
/ sion Building was designed as a re-
/ pository for war records and me
mortal and should be retained in that
| status.