Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10

us ISADEQUAcY FOR PRESENT NEEDS, BOTH OFF,
cIAL AND PRIVATE. FULLY MASIFEsr-rHE Rx-
TENSION PROPOSED WILL GIVE AMPLE ROCK AND
WILL INCREASE IT'S ArrRAcTvESEss.
The bill offered by Senator Stanford yester-
day, which was given in full in THE STAR. to
provide for an extension of the executive man.
sion is of great interest not only to the people
of Washington, but to the whole country. L.
has long been known here that the
present White House WAS wofully
Inadequate to the requirements OF the chief
magistrate of this great nation and nearly all
Mr.. Harrisons predecessors have had good
grounds for complaint Of its Inconvenience
and lack of room. When it was first occupied
for New Year reception n 1901 one
imagined that the United States would grow as
rapidly in population, IN wealth. in varied in
dristries and III importance among the govern
ments Of the world Ms has been the case.
The present White House. AZ is well known
is dual in its character. 1t is both the official
and the private home Of the President. With
the growth of the country and the government
has come large increase Of business that must
be attended to by the President and conse-
quently additional official room is required.
More clerks are needed, more space for the
filing and preservation of official papers. This
increase Of office business has naturally con-
tracted the space which could be given to the
private apartments of the executive household,
a
by no means the conyeniences for his family
that he had been accustomed TO enjoy in his
private dwelling.
Former Presidents have protested against the
crampcd quarters aud various projects have
been proposed to remedy the difficulty. 1t has
been proposed to use the present building for
official business solely and to erect n home for
the President somewhere else. This idea camo
very near of accomplishment in 1873 when it
was thought that a spacious private executive
mansion would be erected on the hill at the
head of 18th street. This scheme failed Of
fruition and nothing was done i'll the matter.
MRS. uAERisoN's DIFFERENTIATION.
When Gen. Harrison and his family took pos
session of the White House Mrs. Harrison soon
discovered the insufiiciency of its rooms for
the accommodation of her own family and she
determined to see if something could not be
done toward rendering those who should come
after her more comfortable. She consulted
with Secretary Blaine. with Col. Jno. NJ.
Wilson. then commissioner of public build
ings and grounds: and later with Col.
Ernst. who is Col. Wilson's successor, and from
them she received the warmest encouragement.
Her practical mind told her that it would be
better to make additions to the present struct-
ure than to suggest the erection
of an entire new building and then her artistic
taste suggested. III "a general way, how
these additions should be made and at the same
time preserve uniformity i'll the architectural
design. She called 20 her aid Mr.. +. u. Owen.
al architect. and plans and drawings were
made by INN embodying her ideas, and copies
of these were submitted with the bill pre-
scented by Senator Stanford.
TIE PROPOSED ADDITIONS.
Mrs. Harrisons idea is TO preserve the present