Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
Mall Plans Provide for Beau
tifuI Structure Facing
Plaza.
PATENT OFFICE MOVE
REINSURANCE GIVEN
Commerce Department Report Ends
Rumors That Old Location Will
Be Maintained.

The site bounded by B street and
Pennsylvania avenue and Twelfth and
Thirteenth streets is one of the loca-
tons known to be under consideration
as possible site for the new. Post
Office Department. This Is directly
west of the present building.
This site is to be developed with a
beautiful building facing what is known
as the grand plaza on the west and the
great circle on the east, according to
the plans for the great Mall-Pennsyl-
vania avenue triangle.
Plans for the building development
generally have been approved, but the
assignment of all buildings to the vari-
Gus departments and Government
establishments has not as yet been
finally completed.
To Move Patent Office.
Meantime, reaSsurances have come
from the Department of Commerce
that the Patent Office will be located
in its new home between Fourteenth
and Fifteenth streets south of Penn
sylvania avenue, where the new De-
partment of Commerce building is now
rapidly rising. Unfounded rumors had
started to circulate that the Patent
Office would remain in its old location.
The principal reasons for moving the
Patent Office into a new building out of
the old structure where it is now To-
Gated were the inadequacy of the IA
cil!ties available and the lack of space
to handle the great patent business of
the country in an efficient manner. Of
f1cials of the Patent ONCE for years
have been asking for better facilities in
order that the Government may keep
pace with the enormously increased
business. Applications for patents have
been pouring into the Patent Office at
such a speed that the Government has
been struggling with increasing difficulty
to keep up.
The new quarters for the Patent Of
flee in the north end of the new De-
partment of Commerce Building. it was
explained yesterday by one who was
closely associated in making the original
plans for this part of the building, are
especially designed for handling this
growing and important branch of the
United States Government.
The old Post Office Department
Building mechanical equipment, which
is 80 years old, rapidly is falling into
bad condition, according to a survey
just made, and unless the department is
provided with new building. it will be
necessary to plan for substantial re-
construction of much of the equipment.
The growth in postal business has
been phenomenal since the department
building was put up 80 years ago, postal
revenues having jumped from $95,0OO,-
600 in 1899 to $685., 100000 in the fiscal
year 1929. The number of employees in
the department has jumped from 657 in
1899 to more than 1,400 in 1890.
Building OvercrOwded.
So crowded is the present building
that six divisions are now housed in the
city post Office. with consequent loss of
efficiency that comes from widely sepa-
rated parts of Government depart
ment. In addition the department is
using about $4,000 square feet of cor
rider space. The Post Office Building
Is said to be one of the most Wasteful
in the city, as it has only one tier of
Offices built around the huge central
''cortile," which is all inclosed, and
must be heated.
The building has only about 250,OO
square feet of available space, whereas
the department is now in urgent need
Of at least 100000 feet, and If a new
building is provided, would need about
100000 to provide for expansion.