Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-10
Capital Sidelights

That most inefficient elevator at the
Bureau of Efficiency is again vexing
official Washington. 1t is probably
the oldest elevator in Uncle Sans
service, and has to be cranked up like
| a flivver. Several years ago the
writer of this column spent about 20
minutes in being elevated three stories
! in the historic Winder Build. on
this old-fashioned lift" and published
Il terse comment on the inefficiency of
| the Bureau of Effic:ency's elevator
service. That prompted an investiga-
ton, which disclosed that when the
| elevator was installed a valve was put
| in upside down and all it's long life
| the elevator had been eXhausting it.
self in service.
| Now an appropriation is to be asked
for a new elevator, because q study
by the mechanical engineer and me.
chanical superintendent for the Gov
eminent buildings shows that it needs
exactly II items of major repair at
an estimated cost Of $1,000, while a
representative of one Of the large
| elevator companies has told Lieut. Col.
| U. 5. Grant, Sd, engineer officer in
charge OF public buildings, that the
designated repairs would cost approx
mately $4,000. Then the Government
would still have an inefficient installa-
lon, Lieut.. Col. Grant emphasizes, be-
| cause so long as an hydraulic car re-
mains in this building it will be neces-
Sary to keep fire in the boilers dur
ing the Summer season when there is
no demand upon them except the NO.
cesslty of supplying steam for operat-
| ing the elevator pumps. With TIL eX-
penditure of slightly larger sum, a
n2N modern electric car could be in
called, which would permit the com
rlete shutdown of the boiler plant
during the non-heating season.
The study of the mechanical engi-
neer and superintendent shows that
the cost of supplying power charge
able to this elevator is $1,7136O per
year, or approximately $1.13 per car
mile; while the cost of current to
| operate new electric elevator would
be $500 a year, or 40 cents per car
mile. against $1.14 as the present
cost.
To repair the old elevator would
cost $4,000 to $4,000 and the new
elevator would cost SO, 900 to SIP 900.
So it seems real economy as we'll as
efficiency to give the Bureau of Eff
cheney and the Bureau of Mines a
new elevator.
y X y
Two Of the three achievements for
which Thomas Jefferson wished DOS
terity to remember him, and which
are engraved on his memorial, are
that he wrote the Declaration of indie.
pendence which brought this Nation
into existence and that he founded
the University of Virginia. This JEFF.
ferson school still speaks for him., be-
| cause it is opening next month an
Institute of Public Affairs" or a
Peoples Forum" with speakers of
national and international distinction
No more appropriate place could be
chosen for the discussion of political
PHILOSOPHERS than at this institution
founded by one of the greatest politi-
cal philosophers u modern times.
The Nation as a whole, irrespective of
partisan politics, is more and more
regarding Monticello and the univer-
sity hard by as a shrine for political
guidance.
This Institute of Public Affairs will
differentiate itself from other insti
tutes of politics in that it proposes
to emphasize the domestic policies of
the United States and have them dis.
cussed in not too highly technical or
philosophic character by men charged
with the task Of public administration
|
cal public life of this day.
X X y X
There Is one automobile in opera
ton for every &c persons throughout
the entire world, and of these more
than So per cent are of American
manufacture, according to one OF
Secretary Hooyer's bright young spe
cialists, /. II. Taylor, who has a
penchant for figuring out such auto
motive industry statistics. '--
The United States far outrivals all
other countries for being most ex
tensively populated with automobiles
Mr.. Taylor says, as we'll as for the
greatest per capita ownership. The
United States, the United Kingdom
/ France and Canada, representing less
than II per cent Of the world pop
ulation, have about 80 per cent OF
all the automobiles in use throughout
the world.
The Marines are not only both
sea and shore soldiers, who study
geography by touring the world and
getting first-hand information in for
eign lands, but they also have one
Of the best educational systems tC
train sound minds in sound bodies
The United States Marine Corps In
stitute offers 233 academic and voca.
tional courses, and there are 1864 in.
dividuals enrolled in one or more
courses. This institute is free to all
Marines, and it has had 1854 grad.
yates.
Apropos of the delay in the Wash.
ington school building program, which
is now threatened with still further
delay by whiting down the District
budget. it is Well for the incoming
Congress to note that this country is
already suffering from lack of suf
ficient schoolhouses. The Ma.
tional Capital should be an example
to the whole country for adequate
school provision, instead of setting
a reverse example.
While school construction has been
active in the United States in the
last two years, it is by no means
equal to the demand. New school
buildings erected in PSI cities OF
10000 or more population cost $245.-
S11,715, or an average for each city
Of $874,755, as shown by study
just completed by w. S. Deffenbaugh
chief of the city schools division of
the Federal Bureau of Education. He
figures that II similar activity existed
in cities that did not make any re-
port to the Federal Bureau there
must be 1880 new school buildings
erected in this country during the
biennium. at total expenditure of
| $714,314,365.
| notwithstanding this great activity
in city school construction, made
| quate school facilities necessitated
part-time instruction Of number of
elementary children in 81 Of the 4O4
cities reporting and Of high school
pupils in 10 of the cities for which
statistics are available.