Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-22
FROM THE CAPITOL.
PUBLIC BUILDING BILLS.
The Subject Discussed in the Sem
ate Today.
BILLS PASSED IN THE HOUSE.
THE SENATE.

House bill TO amend the act for q public
building in Scranton, Pa, was reported and
placed on the calendar
The Senate then took up the calendar The
first bill reached was one appropriating
Cal
Mr.. Sherman suggested that was rather .
large appropriation for a public building in San
Diego. He had been there short time ago,
and II was then comparatively small place.
Ii there was any special reason for such large
appropriation he would like to know it.
Mr.. Stanford Chairman OF the committee on
publlc buildings and grounds) stated that San
Diego had population of about 10000. and
that the building was to accommodate the Gus
tom house, the internal revenue Office and the
land Office as well as the post Office.
MIR. Ingalls, inquired as to the other appro-
priatlons made for public buildings in Cali
fornla at the present session.
MT. Stanford was not prepared to furnish the
information asked, but referred the Senator
from Kansas to the report Of the committee.
NH. INGALLS, NOT SATISFIED.
Mr.. Ingalls, said that the answer was rather
vague and indefinite. He wanted to ascertain
in regard to all these bills whether
buildings were needed and what ap-
propriations ought to be made for
them III order to vote inteligently. There
was bcheTdl Complaint. ne SAID. IN the press
OF the country that appropriations for public
buildings were exorDtant and extravagant and
that provision was made for public buildings
where they were not needed. The Senate was
now considering one OF these
bills and the chairman of the commit
tee which reported it had very cursly
replied to him hat if he referred to the report
he could satisfy himself He respectfully sub
mltted that Senators were entitled to informa-
ton Oh ii matter OF public importance before
they were called upon to vote upon so large q
sum as s3oO,OOO for building in San Diego.
lie therefore repeated his request for informa-
ton as to the number OF places in California
for which public buildings had been provided
at the present session and the amount for each
Mr.. Stanford said that he was not able to
bear In mind what appropriations had been
made, and he had therefore referred the SEN
wanted detailed report he (Alr. Stanford)
would furnish it to hun, but he could not do
SO from memory.
Mr.. SHERMAN WANTS GENERAL RULE
Mr.. Sherman said that all that he desired
was to have some general rule applied to pub
lie buildings. There were three or four pub
lie buildings asked for in the state of Ohio
but he thought that 100000 was the largest
appropriation allowed for them in such
towns as Dayton and Springfield. He
wanted to see what might be
lair dividend and that the
same rule should be applied by the commit
tee in these cases.
Mr.. Stanford-Let the bill lie over till Mon
day ana l will be prepared to give the informa-
tiOn asked.
Mr.. Hoar asked Mr.. Stanford whether the
committee did not 20 ON the general rule of
recommending appropriations in reference to
the amount OF business to be transacted and
whether there were any favors granted to any
particular places
Mr.. Stanford answered the last INQUIRY bv
the words Not at al" "
Mr.. Spooner. a member of the committee on
public buildings and grounds, said that the
prOprlety OF the appropriation for San Diego
was not affected by appropriations for other
places in California
The Senator from California CMr. Stanford)
nad Drought the attention of the committee to
facts which he could not now recall III detail
and had satisfied the committee that the ap-
preparation for San Diego, a place rapidly
growing IN importance, was not too large. The
cost OF site there would absorb a consider
able portion OF the appropriation.
The land office at San Diego was within Is
miles of the Mexican border and was therefore
an important place in connection with the GUS
toms revenue.
GROWING CITY,
Mr.. Platt spoke Of the present remarkable
growth Of San Diego and other towns in south
ern California, which eastern men Che said)
conld hardly comprehend. Senators might as
well understand that this was a great country
and that it has great needs. San Diego was a
very important place. Its business
was increasing rapidly. In regard to
many of the growing western towns
public buildings had been appropriated for,
but before the buildings were Smpleted they
were found to be entirely inadequate. He in
stanced Los Angeles as a case of that kind.
and said that southern California had SO grown
IN population since the last apportionment that
Mr.. Vandever, its Representative in the House,
now represented constituency of about
5000 San Diego had now population of
from $4,000 to 10000. and if it increased in the
same ratio for the next ten years the building
provided for in the bill would not be large
enough.