The Washington Bee Newspaper, January 25, 1890, Page 1

Terms. $2.00 Per year in Advance, anna — be GHashington Bee. 5 cents per copy. II § PUBLIC PRINTER'S RE- ; PORT. yt RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE -A Brier HisToRY OF THE ¢, W. Palmer, Pablie Prin- 1s submitted his annual re- e Senate which should be well considered by the Palmer, since he has f the office has made a mself and this admin- Asa friend of the colored in be said that he is the c Printer that has ever of that office, and ‘ny worthy and de- red appointments. The san exact likeness of und as an evidence of loing, read the following us report to the Senate : al term commenced six weeks before the » fiscal year 1889, it » appropriate that 1 k of the condition of as I have been able to up to the present time. first tour of inspection th nit the several divisions, two kinds of danger to property sn life were apparent with uilding. One was from the ut support and overloaded of the Second, third, and joors on the H street side; e other was from the liability > beeat »mbustible tare and the inflammable materials constituting ob: I breug aracter of . ‘herefore ) uspection of the Edward Clark, Arebi Capitol He madea catination, reported the ition in danger of col- iuse of the weizht of ma- materials, manutactured , and the large vamber of tives, and recommended that s be provided at once on first, second, and third floors, dance with his recommen 1ud plans prepared by him ws of posts, about 10 feet . were placed iu the three low- er stories as additional supports for As foundations for the the lower story excavations ule to a depth of about three ed with conerete, and the » surmounted by cast-iron Upon these plates were white-oak posts 8 by 8 inches er. In the second and third osta of the same size, of pine, were placed. The tuese supports was to re~ | apprehension of danger dy u this portion of the build- to impart firmness to the ry while in motion, The naterial and labor for these vents was $6,048,27, and { trom the fand for printiug ling. ntions of the building + ou H and Nor bh Capitol re of combustible material, cfore liable to destruction I have caused every prac- ippliance for the extin- \Lot fire to be provided at t points within the baild- { placed the apparatus 1D ewployees skilled in its e escapes have also been at all available points it the building to assist ves In efforts to reach places y in case of real or false With all these precautions ‘ing is lable at all times of aud night to destruction by ; the embarressment afd loss "operty alone to the public ser- ough such a calamity would cr “alcuable; but when the fact *Cousidered that there are more the floors. t the day hier WASHINGTON, D. 0., SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1890. than two thousand employees at times in this building, and that a fire, once started, is hable to spread with great rapidity because of the combustible nature ot much of the material in the building, the need tor prompt measures for averting the danger would seem to be im- perative. The only durable remedy which could be applied would be the constraction for she use of this office of a fire-proof building on a new site, or such an extension and reconstruction of the present build- ing as would make it fire-proof throughoat. _ The present stracture is wholly inadequate for the uses to which it is put. It is ill-lighted, i}l-ventila- ted, and 8o far short in dimensions of the requirements of. the public service, that much of the work is done at great disadvantage. For instance: there is room for the storage of only a few days’ supply of paper for the press-room and bindery. An unusual catastrophe hke that which recently befell Jobnstown, Pa., or a recurrence of a storm such as swept the Atlantic coast in March, 1888, or any other event which would for many days suspend freight transportation on the great trank-lines of railway, would in all probability cause a stoppage of work in some, if not all, of the important divisions of the office, because of the lack of sup- plies. After printed sheets for books have passed from the folding room they are often necessarily hauled away in wago:s to outside wat ehouses, to await the time when they shall be required in the binde- ty. After books haye been com pleted in the bindery, there is no room for their storage in any con- siderable numbers, even temporari- ly, in the building, and when the weather happens to be stormy, the work of removal to the Capitol or the Departments or the warehouse es, is accompanied by serious in~ convenience and delay. The fact that the building was not originally designed for nor owned by the Gov- ernment, and that additions have been made to it from time to time under exigencies which did not ad- mit of any symmetrical or compre~ hensive plan, will account for its many defects, The following 18 a history of the present building: By act of Congress June 23, 1860, the Superintendent of Pablic Print- ing was directed to have executed the printing and binding authorized by the Senate and House of Repre seniatives, the Executive and Ju~ dicial Departments, and the Court of Claims. To enable him to carry out the provisions of this act be was authorized and directed to con- tract for the erection or purchase of the necessary buildings, m:chinery, and waterial tor the purpose. The sum to be thus expended was not to exceed $150.000. By act of Congress February 19, 1861, the sum of $135,000 was ap~ propriated, and wih this mo: ey the printing establishment of Mr. Joseph T. Crowell, located at the southwest corner of H and North Capitol streets, was purchased. The property comprised the ground, 264 feet 9 inches by 175 feet 8 inches in area, the buildings, and all machiery and material therein contained, The main structure was built in 1856 by Mr. Cornelias Wendell as a private printing office. It was 243 by 61} feet in area, four stories high. The walls were of brick, 18 inches thick to the fourth ficor, and 14 inches in thickness above that point. Two rows of posts extended thbreughout the length of the building, making the span of the joists or floor support 20 feet. Tnere were besides the main building a paper warehouse 59 feet 7 inches by 79 feet 2 inches ; a@ machive shop 22 feet 2 inches by 25 feet; a boiler house 20 feet 7 iuches by 26 feet; a coal house 23 by 27 feet; a wa on shed 25 feet 4 inches by 24 feet, and stables 23 feet by 41 feet 2iuches. When the Government took possession of the establishment on March 4, 1861. there were employed about 400 people. By act of Congress, March 2, 1865, the sum of $61,000 was ap- propriated for building a four story addition, 60 by 70 feet, to the west end of the main building, and for supplying the same with the neces- sary presses and other machinery and fixtures. The expenditure was made under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior. : On March 3, 1871, an appropria- tion of $45,000 was made by Con- gress for building the North Capt- tol street extension, a four-story stracture, covering @ ground area ot 93 by 61 feet, which sum also included the cost of new elevators. The first fire-proof extension to the Printing Office was erected in 1879, an appropriation of $43 800 having been made by act of Con— gress, March 3 of that year, for that purpose, The addition was built to the southward of the west end of the main structure, and was 50 by 98 feet, four stories high, with an L 60 by 40 fact When this building was erected the old paper warehouse and’ ma- chine-shop were torn down, DEMANDS OF THE COLORED PEOPLE. A SPECIAL EXAMINATION ASKED FOR. DEPARTMENT OF THE (NTERIOR, Census Orrice, Wasurnaron, D. C., } December 381, 1889. Sir: Among the numerous requests for special investigations which have come to this office is a some what formidable one, petitioning the Superintendent of Census to make a report in relation to the ex act condition, financial and social, of the colored race in this country. The act of March 1, 1889, entitled “An Act to provide for taking the Eleventh and subsequent censuses,” provides for the first time for a subdivision of the colored popula- tion into “negroes, mulattoes, quad- reons, and octoroons.” Provisiou for ascertaining this information will be made in the population schedule. In some of the Southern States, notably the State of Geor- gia, the report of the assessed value of property during the last ten years has been divided into that held by colored and white people. The re- turns of the assessed valuation ot property of this State indicate that the percentage of increase of the holdings of the colored population has been considerably greater than the percentage of increase in the aggregate valuation of the State, and it is therefore natural that those interested in the progress of the colored citizen of the South should desire a more elaborate in- quiry, which woald serve to show the relative progress of the two races in the United States. Iu view of this 1 have requested tha special agents of this vlfice on mavufac- tures, fish and fisheries, mines and mining, wealth, debt, and taxation, education, and churches, to make an estimate of the additional cost or to ascertain the obstacles, if any, in the way of making a separate inquiry on their several special schedules, which would euable this office to separate the facts relating to the social and financial condition of colored and white people. From the reports made by these special ageuts | am evabled to state that, with the exception of the statistics of wealth, debt, and taxation, the} cost of the several inquires will not | be greatly enhanced by such a di vision, j The representatives of the colo- | red people who have urged the im portance of making these special | inquiries haye subwitted a rough outline of a bill which they desire | to have introduced in Congress so that this iuformation may be gath ered on a special schedule in the bands of the enumerators. I in- close a copy of the bill proposed by them. A special enumeration on a sep arate schedule in the bands of the census enumerators is open, howev er, to the same objections which have been raised in regard to mak- ing additional inqmries on the -chedules which constitute a part of the general field-work, the com- pletion of which is required by the law within ove mouth from the commencement of the enumeration, and the addition of which would | eudanger and delay the count re- quired for purposes of appoiut-) ment. Furthermore, the amount sug-| gested ($150,000) would bardly prove sufficient for the compensa- tion of enumerators, on the basis of one and one-half cents per each colored person enumerated. There | were 6,530,793 colored persons re | turned in 1880, and the number of such persous in 1890 will be ap- proximately 9,000,000. At one and ove-half cents per person, it would require $135,000 to pay the evume- rators, and there would only remain $15,000 which would be available for clerical work in connection witb the same, that is, a sum entirely | inadequate to meet the increased cost ot making this separate com- pilation. If this special enumera- tion should be limited to adults of 20 years of age and over, the concerning property holdings and {ready authorized by the present} = J amount required for the enumera- tion would be decreased to $128, On the other hand, as I have al- ready stated, it would be possible fo secure a good part of the infor- mation desired by them by making a special inquiry on the schedules for manufactures, agriculture, and fisheries as to the color of the opera- tor, Owner, or controller, so as to ascertain the product returned by colored persons in each of these in- dustries, In a similar way it would be possible to ascertain the number and value of church property and the nunher ot school buildings and the value éf school property owned by colored persons, as a part of the inquiries relating to education and churebes. To secure the desired information concerning the number of acres of agricultural land, to- | gether with the number of city and | town lots held by colored people, | and the assessed value of the same, | the number and yalue of norses and | mules and other domestic animals owned by them, as well as other | personal property, it would be necessary to have some special pro. vision made whereby this informa- tion could be retarned fo this office by the various county boards of a-- sessors in each of the Southern States, or possibly throughout the United States, for which they should be, of course, properly com pensated, The first estimate made in this office as to the probable expense ot ascertaining this information through the assessors, and inclad- ing the iacidental clerical work necessary to securing proper re- turns, represented a probable ex penditare for this work of $350,000. Since that estimate was made it has been ascertained by conversation with a representative of the colored race that the custom prevails iu the Soutfern States to indicate on the books of assessment the boldings of colored persons as a matter of convenience in collecting the taxes. This is done mainly to distinguish colored persons from white persons of the same nawe, as colored per sovs bave ip very many cases taken the names of their former masters. If this should prove to be a fact, as will be ascertained by subse- quent investigation, the cost for securing special data concerning the holdings of real and persoval property by colored persons would be materially reduced, but to just what extent it is not possible, 1p the absence of exact information as to the universality of this habit, to state definitely at this time. The cost for making a separate tabula- tion of the material which might be secured on the several special schedules would be considerable, and if it were deemed advisable by Congress to make a special inquiry of this hind it would pecessitate, I thiok, an appropriation of at Jeast $100,000 to cover the cost of tabu- lation in this office, aside from the cost of securing the information assessed valuations. From the in quiries made on the population | schedule it will be possible, also, *o show interesting facts in regard to the occupations of colored persons. | This information was obtained in| the Tenth Census, but owing to the failure of the appropriation the re~ sult- were not separately tabulate’ and presented in the printed re- ports. This omission to tabulate separately the occupations of colo~ red people from those of white per sous in the census of 1880 may be | cited as one of the reasons why 1n tne Eleventh Census _ provision should be made by the appropria- tion of additional moneys to cover the increased cost of collection and compilation in all cases where new features are added to tie work al- law. | Very respectfnily, Roserr P. Porter, Superintendent of Cevsus, To the Honorable the Secretary of the Interior. | | | | DEPARTMENT OF THX INTERIOR, WASHINGTON, D.C., i | Dear Sir: January 10, 1890, I have your commuication of the 31st ultimo in relation to special in- vestigation as to the exact conili- | tion, financial and social, ef the! cvlored race in this country, and) setting forth your views in regard | to the requests made for this kind | of inquiry. I think the investigation very} desirable, and the results would form a most interesting and valua- | dle portion of the census returns. KING’S PALACE, $14 7th St. n. w. NO BRANCH STORE. NO BRANCH STORE GREAT COMPOLSORY CLEARANCE SALE - MILLINERY AND |WRAPS ON ACCOUNT OF RESBULL DING. ~~ U0 Having leased the adjoining property, now occupied by the Fair, we will take possession about January or February, and to make room for the builder we are compelled to clear out vur entire stock of SEAL PLUSH JACKETS London dye, with real seal oraments, good quality worth $15, at $3. Black Felt Turbavs, worth 8icents, at 25 cents. Remember we bave no branch store, and we are located at $14 7th St... n,w. King’s Palace —* LIVELIEST&aB . ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY MAGAZINES "+ tte beautiful iisetrationa and greet rarity of interesting oad ralveble articles by promivent writers make it the beet and, — y —~ sheapent magazine published.” Boston Trarallen. sCHILK BETEL DOOEVEL IS: ) For Free Sample Go The COareSS: © Osmopolitan’ 29 Park Row, NEWYORK, * VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY. SEVEN DEPARTMENTS! DErantTMens of Literature, Philosophy, Engineering, Law. The- logy, and acy open September 31. ‘@y are furnished rooms d tuition FRES. of Medicine and Dentistry 1887. FEES: In Academic, harmacy and Dental De- h; Law, $100; Medical Technology, free. Catalogue free on application to WILS WILLIAMS, Sec.. ASHOP PHOTOGRAPHER. Qa Makes a Specia'ty of Fine Work. PRICES ALWAYS MODERATE. Old Pictures of every kind copied* PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THIS CLASS OF WORK 905 Penn. Avenue n. w. I would leave to your greater ex- (Continued on 2nd page.)