Evening star., 1942-01-18
Patent Office Move
Will Add 100000
To Years Expenses
Cost Of Taking Employees
Furniture to Richmond
Will TotoI $50, 900
By OLIVER MCKEE.

BY OLIVER MCKEE.
Transfer to Richmond of most
Of its personnel, reconditioning and
rental Of new quarters, and extra
OUTLAWS incident to the division OF
activities between Washington and
the Virginia capital, will add more
than 100000 to the cost OF oper-
ating the Patent Office during the
next u months, a survey yesterday
of probable moving expenses in
dicated.
Patents Commissioner Conway P.
Coe announced last week that the
transfer will begin January 81. Ap-
proximately 1,1OO Patent ONCE
workers are expected to go to Rich
mond. Complete figures on the
amount of furniture to be shipped
from Washington at Government
expense are not yet available; nor
can the bill for subsistence. and
other expenses of employees be estl-
mated accurately in advance.
However, here are some of the
major items of expense involved
in the move. The first is the rental
of space in the Export Leaf Tobacco
Building in Richmond. Arrange
ments have been made for leasing
10000 square feet Of floor space,
at IS cents a square foot, or $685.
900 year.
Must Remodel Building.
To prepare this building-now
used as warehouse-for Patent
Office occupancy, extensive remodel
ing and renovation has been neces-
sarv. Although no figures on the
cost of this work have been pre-
pared, it is unofficially estimated
that the expense will total $l5O,OOO,
possibly more.
Patent Office employees transferred
To Richmond will be allowed 50
day. I'D to a maximum OF ID DAYS
for subsistence during the moving
period, or SIS per person. II the
100 persons are transferred and
each receive the SIS maximum. the
subsistence item will total approx
mately $4,000.
The Government is expected to
pav for shipping the household ef-
fects of transferred personnel up
to 5000 pounds each for those with
DEFENDANTS. and $500 pounds for
those without dependents.
Federal officials are trying TO
make a deal with private companies
TO handle the entire furniture NOV
ing lob. No estimates are available,
but it probably will cost the Gov
eminent about s75 to ship the furnl-
ture OF a Patent Office worker with
dependents. and about s35 for one
without dependents The moving
bill. therefore, might total $50,OO0
or even more.
Must Move Records.
Although the bulk of Patent ONCE
records will remain in Washington,
1t will be necessary to transfer to
Richmond about 1000 tons of files
and office equipment. Here is an
other item that will add thousands
of dollars to the moving expenses.
mond will be. entitled to first class
rail fare including Pullman &C
commodations. A first-claSs ticket
to Richmond costs S351, and par
lor car seat 55c, making s4.06 in all.
With taxi fares. the transportation
cost per person probably will amount
to IS a person. or a total Of IS 500
The division of work between two
cities probably will increase the
telephone bill All of the TOO Patent
once examiners and the IS examin-
inc divisions will be located IN
Richmond. Many units will stay IN
Washington. Necessarily. there will
be a good many official telephone
calls between the two cities. A prl-
vate telephone wire connecting the
two offices would cost between $4OO
and $500 a month. Person-to-person
calls cost S. cents each. Although
Patent Office officials have conSld-
cred the possibility of arranging for
a private wire between the two
cities. they have decided initially to
uee regular long-distance calls. II
they find it would be cheaper they
are expected to lease one or more
telephone lines.
The move to Richmond also will
necessitate acquisition Of several
more trucks and probably a station
wagon or two to carry examiners
and others on official business be-
tween Richmond and Washington.
The additional transportation equip
ment needed will cost about 81, 500,
according to estimates Of Commerce
Department officials. Gasoline, re-
pair and other charges must De
added to the transportation item.
Some Patent Office employees have
their homes in Baltimore and COM
mute to Washington daily. Under
the regulations as they now stand
1t was explained yesterday, the Gov.
ernment cannot pay expenses OF
moving their household effects TO