Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-05
A LARGER WHITE HOUSE.
Additions Proposed by Mr.. Morrill,
The Coast and Geodetic Survey.

Additions Proposed by MIR. NJ drill
The Coast and Geodetic Survey.
From the NelD York Tiibans.
WASHINGTON, March 2S.-Notwith-
standing the truth of Mr.. saulsbury's re-
mark that host of citizens, including
not a few members of the Senate, would
be willing to take the White House as
residence with its present encumOrances,
there is no doubt good reason for Mr..
M0rrilPs bill providing for It's enlarge
ment. AS another Senator remarked,
there can be found plenty OF men in
Delaware who would be willing to take
Mr. Saulsbury's place at half the salary
paid him, and who weuld perhaps fll it
more acceptably to the people, but Mr..
Salisbury would hardly regard that az a
good argument for his retirement. Mr..
Morrill's bill, which has been faVOrably
reported in the Senate, is designed to
furnish to the President an appropriate
dwelling place with the greatest possible
economy. The present building begun
in 1892 and occupied since 1900, has been
for many years subject Of criticism re-
specting its inadequacy and its lack Of
modern improvements. With national
population ten times greater than when
the building was erected the insufiiciency
of the structure, Mr.. morrill, says, Is not
]
one rooms in the building the family
dining-rOOm on the Fl ST floor and six
chambers on the second floor are all that
the Presidential family call their own
/ The gradual encrOachment of the eXecu-
tive offices together with the rooms set
apart for the usual official receptions and
entertainments leave but a small space
! available for the family OF a President,
and even that part OF the building is sub
! RI n., Srt
of the public. This is quite a different
state of things from what was the case
when the wife of President Adams used
| the audience-rOOm to hang up clothes in
| on washing day. According to the report
| of an engineer officer the basement is
coated with mold and infested with
vermln which it is Impossible to extermi-
nate, and whatever OF the modern con-
venIences have been introduced partake
! the nature OF patchwork and are greatly
! inadequate to the health and comfort of
the occupants. Mr.. Morrill's bill makes
an appropriation Of 100000 TO begin the
! erection of building precisely similar
| IN its exterior to the present one, and to
be located directly south of IL ana con-
! nected with it from the centre by broad
corridor. The present building would be
occupied for the executive offices and
/ public use exclusively, and the extension
| for the private residence. This is in ac-
c0rdance with the recommendations
made by President Arthur, and az it
would take two years to finish the build
ing President Cleveland could not be ac-
cUsed Of having any personal interest in
the proposed enlargement. The bill has
been faVorably reported in the Senate, in
which body it was passed in the XLV llth
! Congress with only three dissenting votes.
| Speaking of the extension Mr.. Morrill,
said: THE site Is incomparably fine,
free of expense, and the whole cost will
be comparatively small, There are no
local constituencies pushing members
here to remedy the notorious deficiencies
of the White House, but | expect to see
the bill pass, as it has merits equal TO
or q eater than those of any of the bills
for buildings in which the constituents of
members have a local orspecial interest"