Evening star., 1926-12-09
FUNDS TO IMPROVE |
CIRCLES ARE ASKED
Grant, in Annual Report, Also
Requests Money for
Water Works.

Of Grant Circle and with which to
start the. improvement of Sherman
Circle. in the Petworth section, IL
called TO the attention Of the Presl.
dent in the annual report today OF
Lieut. Col. L. 3. Grant, Sd. director of
the Office of Public Buildings and
Parks. Among other requirements
are included recommendations for
funds for renewing the water drain
age system in the Monument Grounds
and the extension of the water supply
main in Fast Potomac Park. The
report also calls to the attention OF
the President the uneconomical fea-
lures Of employing cheap help on
Government work.
An entirely new sewer system is
needed in the Monument Grounds.
SAYS the report. and adds that the
present system has been in service for
IS years and in many places Is en-
tirely filled with roots of the large
. trees adjacent to the roads. 1t esti-
mates that 1t will take $4,000 for
This work.
The report estimates that it will
take s. 900 to complete the improve
ment Of Grant Circle, and SIS. 900 for
the improvement Of Sherman Circle.
II points out that this section of
Washington is being developed very
rapidly, and that the public parks Of
flee receives large number Of re-
quests for the improvement Of this
ground and the small reservations
adjacent to it.
$1,000 to Extend Main.
70 extend the eight-inch water main
tn the field house in East Potomac
Park would require IS 900. 1t is es-
timated. and 1t is pointed out that it
is urgently needed 10 increase the sup
ply at the Hains Point end of the
park.
Discussing the question Of cheap
help, Col. Grant says that lit has
been the experience of this Office that
more satisfactory results are accom-
pished by a smaller number of com
para lively well paid employees than
by larger number of poorly paid
employees. Compared with the fiscal
year 1921. there has been an average
increase In salaries amounting to ap-
proximately 500 per annum. The
number Of employees in 1925 is less
than in 1921. although both the build
ing and park projects show substan
tial increases in area, amounting to
more than 1000. 600 square feet in the
buildings and more than 500 acres
in the parks. The unit cost Of labor,
however. has decreased 10 cents per
square foot in the buildings and SIS
Iel dtTS III lIlo IdIkS.
THE greatest difficulty encountered
during the year by the buildings
maintenance division" the report
continues, was the securing of serv-
ices of competent mechanics. In ad |
dition to being unable to obtain cOmpe.
tent mechanics. considerable discOn. |
tent was shown by the efficient work |
ers on the rolls because OF the great |
difference between their salaries and |
LA Inv n 1,,r oil
eminent establishments, such as the |
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing |
and the Government Printing Office.
Some action by Congress should be
obtained II possible. to remedy condi- |
tions in n1is respect"
More Park Police Asked.
Col. Grant recommends that the
appropriations for park police he in
creased TO provide for A captain and
20 additional privates, pointing ont
that there is now only one lieutenant,
and many times the force is without
a commissioned officer in charge. He
recommends further increase of
nine privateS in order to put these |
men on the plane with the Metropoli |
tan police SO they may have one day |
off in :. pstead of one day off in
every Ia or 90 days. A further in
nuired to provide for a 24hour pa
trolling Of Rock Creek Park
Col. Grant pays tribute to the
public buildings guard force by point |
ing out that the fire loss during the |
year was only $36.S5 and there were /
no thefts Of Government property.
The report shows that it cost near
" SIS 900 to renew the underpinning |
of temporary Government buildings
,sAl-
all of the expenditures noted in the |
report. it makes an application for |
membership in the budget directors |
one Per Cent Club for all depart |
ments, saving | per cent Of their ap
preparations In this connection the |
report points out that notwithsta nd |
ing the increase of 66.400 square feet |
in public building floor space and an
increase of 1ss acres in the parks, the |
office saved a tetai Of $63 62012, or |
10 per cent Of the 1926 appropria- |
tons.
Economics In Buildings.
Discussing the economy program |
further. Col. Grant SAYS:
Appropriations amounting to $780, |
coo less than for the previous year |
were made for an increased floor
space amounting to S6 400 square feet. |
ago to perform only such work s
was necessary has been continued |
srd together with further studies
toward more efficient operation re !
suIted in reducing the unit cost of
building maintenance 1.3 cents per |
square foot. On the present floor |
area, 7.49n,sS7 square feet this saw
in- amounts to $97.500. In passing. |
il NAV he stated that the unit cost Of
building maintenance began to de-
crease in the fiscal year 1920. AS |
result Of the application Of scientific
MANAGEMENT and the continuing
economies heretofore installed, To-
cether with those Of this year. the
Sollare foot cost of building mainte.
nance has been reduced from SIS
cents per square foot in 1919 to 3l.4
in 1925 q reduction of approximately
80 per cent. In other words. il the
1919 costs were in effect during the
current fiscal year. it would have
been necessary to appropriate $4.600..
o6n instead of $4,000 for building
M