Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-24
rHE NEW CIrY Posr OFFICE.
An Interesting Discussion About tie Pre-
porsiooe e the Bailding.

pessieos e TIE Building.
INCIDENTALLY SENATOR VEST MAKES SOME NJ
l. MARKS on TEE VALUE OF DIsTRIcr REAL
l.. FsrArR AZ A GOVERNMENT mvEsTMENT-rRk
" GREAT RuruaH PREDICTED roR WASHINGTON.
The Senate in considering the sundry civil
bill Yesterday ran across the District item pro-
viding that the city post Office should contain
notices. than stories instead Of eight Stories
and Mr.. Vest and others took the opportunity to
express q few general views on public build
ings. Mr.. Vest wanted to see public buildings
constructed here, and held that purchases of
real estate in Washington was the greatest in
vestment the government could make. So long
as this country grew this city would grow, said
Mr.. Vest, and real estate would advance. The
city, he prophesied, would exceed 1,000, 900
population in short time. He did not ap-
prove Of cutting the city post Office down from
eight to seven stories.
He held that Congress was not building
public buildings with the view that private en-
terprise should build up to them. No one he
prophesied in the Senate would see the time
when buildings on the south side Of Pennsyl-
vania avenue ranged over three stories in
height. Mr.. Vest then. drew attention to the
tremendous rent paid in this District for public
buildings, aggregating over Sl77,00o. No pri-
vate business, said Mr.. Vest, would carry on its
affairs as did this government.
AfALsE PLEA OF ECONOMY.
whenever proposition is made here to ac-
quire eligible sites, said Mr.. Vest, "upon which
to erect public buildings for the use of the gov
ernment we are immediately encountered with
the plea OF economy. 1T is q false plea, Mr..
President. We have the money to purchase
and 1t is good investment. There is no Sena-
w vriI hat sv.~ -,
real estate in the District of Columbia any
where today is not good one and the safest in
THIS country. There are no strikes in the Dis
trict Of Columbia, and there never will be until
the government is struck down. The appalling
danger today in the great cities Of the United
States as to Investment in real estate is strikes
and labor difficulties. But we can never have
any strikes here, because we pay every two
weeks no much money out IF the public
treasury, and nobody strikes against the gov
eminent.
'In the second place we pay half the taxes. and
that is not the case anywhere else in the United
States. In the third place, we have q govern
ment here that prevents plundering through
popular elections and that is the greatest bless
ing that can be conferred upon the inhabitants
OF any municipality on this continent. We
escape here these miserable, outrageous and
thieving processes that obtain, within my per-
sonal knowledge, in many Of the cities, where
mere adventurer can 60 into partnership
with contractors and be elected to a city coun-
Gil and then plumber the people who own real
estate in order to put money in his pocket and
that OF the contractors.
III We ever change the form Of government
here, and come to popular elections and have q
municipal council, I have no hesitation in say
residence, will be for sale. But until that time
thePrice Of real estate will continue to advance
In the District Of Columbia"
THE HEIGHT OF TIE pu,rnYro
Mr.. Morrill, offered an amendment. provid-
ing that instead Of seven stories the building
be entirely fire proof and Of a. many stories as
can be constructed out Of the best materials
under the appropriation.
Mr.. Allison explained that the change from
eight to seven stories had been made as the
architect considered more ornate building
could be constructed at that height. Mr.. ALI
son explained that the question of foundation
did not enter. A building eight stories or
even higher could be constructed with perfect
safety. The upper stories, Mr.. Allison said,
were to be used not for clerks, but for the
storage OF documents. Mr.. Morrill, then with
drew his amendment.
Mr.. Adrich proposed to amend by striking
ont less and inserting more. 80 that the build
ing would be not more than seven stories in
stead Of not less Mr.. Aldrich thought the
utility of a building did not depend on its
height. An eight-story building on this site
would be nothing more nor less than de-
formity. Such high buildings might be needed
in New York. but he thought /. wrong to enter
on such policy in this city.
Art IN ARCHITECTURE.
At this point there occurred q little debate
between Mr.. Plumb and Mr.. Blair on the ques-
ton of art in architecture. Mr.. Blair, in speak
ing Of the pension building, said:
But whoever looks over the horizon, who
ever takes in the perspective Of this city, must
feel l think, that the pension Office, however
useful 1t may be as public building, however
well adapted it may be as public building to
its purposes, and aside from the mere fact of
the size OF the structure, however commenda-
BILE it may be as o public edifice. nevertheless,
as an element OF the general appearance Of the
is like the hump on a camel back and it makes
a very bad looking back Of it at that"
He agreed with Mr.. Aldrich that the appear
ance OF the city should not be marcel by
buildings entirely out of proportion with the
edifices by which they were surrounded.
Mr. PLUME ON ART.
Mr.. Plumb thus expressed his views on the
architecture of the city:
Mr.. President, agree with what the Senator.
says about the impropriety of constructing
buildings on Pennsylvania avenue of extra
ordinary height. Everything ought to be rela-
tive. But the variety of architecture in this
city, domestic or otherwise, is its great CHARM
1t has no parallel in any other city of the
United States. There are certain portions the
upper portions of the city, where persons buy-
ing property have had ample room and have
exercised architectural TASTE and it is very con-
spicuous, indeed. But when YOU 20 to the
lower part OF New York. or to Boston. away
from the business part of those cities, to some
Of the suburbs, and .when you have seen one
building in block you have seen them all. be-
cause they are all alike. There il a uniformity
which makes them exceedingly tune, uninter-
cstiIg and undesirable. Washington differs
from those cities, and in that respect, saw.
its architecture is very conspicuous. In NV
opinion there ought to be here the same differ
ence in the architecture of public buildings.
That leads me to say that think the ZEN
sion building really contributes to that lack of
uniformity in public structures which is desir-
able. The Senator from Connecticut (Mr.
Hawley) smiles. He is given to art, as am
not except in relative way, as was demon
strated here the other day. But the fact is the
pension building only lacks one thing and that
IL an eligible site. II it had been put on tract
OF ground ten feet higher, or on any tract of
ground where the first story was not obscured
from any point above the vision it would have
been certainly rot an unhandsome building. n
| it were now ten fee. higher in order that the
| building ithef might be more in proportion
with the roof, 30 that that disproportion should
| not BIO manifested, it would be an attractive
| building.
When say this know that I am entering
into domain where angels fear to tread, and
en- estabhEhing for myself absolute exclusion
from all art circles, as the senior Senator from
Colorado Mr.. Teller) says. But, In the first
| place, cannot separate wholly INV view If a