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Show I REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONEB OF INDIAA UFAIRS. 27 low pressure steam heating plants, water and sewer systems, septic tanks, electric lighting plants, and various miscellaneous projects comprising additions and repairs to old buildings, fire escapes, bridges and cement sidewalks. While a general style of construction characterizes the various buildings, yet the requirements of geographical location and environ-ment has compelled a variation in the design of the buildings and in the selection of building materials. Hence, stone, brick, frame, con-crete, adobe, or a combination of these materials has been used where local conditions have made such a combination advantageous. No architectural elaboration appears in the buildings, but the majority show well proportioned exteriors, and all aare characterized by substantial and neat construction. Special care has been exercised in providing thorough ventilation and heating for the buildipga, and the plumbing equipment, wherever installed, follows the best approved methods devised to secure the most sanitary results. To meet the requirements of localities subject to extremely high temperatures and sand storms, there have been erected several build-ings in which the use .of wire screening, with proteotive canvas cur-tains, has been effectively employed. As adjuncts to the methods employed in the regular scholastic work for the instruction of pupils, the erection of these buildings is of the highest industrial value, for they afford object lessons in all kinds of construction and also of the methods employed in installing water and lighting systems, steam heating, plumbing, and gas fitting. In many instances the actual work pertaining to these trades hw been done by the pupils in a manner that suffers nothing in comparison with work done by white hands. Considerable effort is being made to improve coistruction, and new methods are adopted when their cost is not prohibitive. Among the improvements recently introduced is a system of venti-lation, devised in this office, which has doubled the efficiency of the system formerly used without materially increasing the cost of either installation or operation. The value of school and agency buildings throughout the senrice is approximately %14,000,000. The office force consists of four men with salaries aggregating $5,800 and two supervisors of field work. Whenthe amount of work necessary to lay and execute wise plans for keeping a plant of this size, scattered through so many States and climates, is taken into account, the difficulties under which the office I . works areobvious. This is agood example of aplace whei-estrengthen- : mg the force would undoubtedly lead to better results and large 1 economies. (For detaila of the yeay's work, nee Table. 13.) |
