Evening star., 1925-12-14
Dangerous Delay.

In his annual report the commits
sioner of Internal Revenue calls at.
tention to the difficulty and the waste
Of time incident to the present hous-
ing of this bureau. which is established
In ten different buildings, widely sep
arated. He stresses the inefficiency
due to this dispersal of the force and
the grave risk OF loss of invaluable
records by fire. a new building for
this most important branch Of the
Government service is urgently re-
Quired.
\ distance of nearly two miles sep
arateS some of the branches of this
bureau. and communication between
them is essential at all times. The
ransfer of papers between them in
wolves risk of loss. The time of
clerks and chiefs of division is squan-
dered In passing 10 and fro. Not even
the constant use of the telephone Is
effective to cut down this heavy 'over-
head" Of time loss. One result is a
slowing Of the work. which is seriously
in arrears in the settlement of claims
and the closing of accounts.
In respect of the fire risk, the Gov
ernment has for some years been run
ming dangerously close to the edge in
this particular bureau. Some of the
units of the Internal Revenue branch
Of the Treasury are housed in the tenn
porary war buildings, constructed OF
Nd a1r6a6v in
state of decay and dissolution. These
structures would never be insured by
any company save at Virtually pro-
hibitive premium rate. Yet in them
are stored original documents, rec
ords, reports, tax returns, the ac'
counts of individuals and corpora
tions, with an enormous aggregate of
represented value. In one certain
building a fire would destroy, beyond
the possibility OF salvage, files upon
which depend the settlement of claims
mounting into billions of dollars. Their
Replacement, if at all possible, would
require several years of labor.
This condition will continue until
new building is provided to house all
the branches of the Internal Revenue
Bureau. 1t is proposed to include such
q structure in the program of new
public building work in Washington.
No less than deliberate invitation to
disasater is involved in delay.
Nor is the situation with regard to
the Internal Revenue work different
from that Of other branches of the
Government. Every department is
crowded and scattered. Bureaus that
should be assembled are dispersed all
over town. The headquarters build
packed, with the health of all work
ers in jeopardy in consequence. In
all of them records Of the highest
value are exposed to loss.
No business corporation could func-
ton effectively or economically in such
conditions. The Government Is not
immune to the risks incident to neg
lect of the first essential of good ad-
ministration, proper housing Of the
executive operations. This fact is
thoroughly recognized in Congress,
and action Is promised at the present
session. But the situation was quite
as urgent a year ago and action was
then assured. 1t was not had, and thus
The fear arises that procrastination,
which is causing a heavy loss in the
rapid advance of costs of construc-
tion, may continue. Assuredly delay
IS the worst economy. The prayer of
all who know the situation with re.
gard to the Government housing is
that disaster will not occur before ac-
ton is had.