New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-23
UNFIT FEDERAL BUILDINGS
BAD CONDITION OF GOVERNMENT OFFICES
IN NETWORK.
ovBRCRowDED AND UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATES
THE PUBLIC BUSINEsS-THEIG SAN
ITARY DEFECTS.
ley TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBrNr.1

ley TELEGRAPH TO The TRfBCFrl
Washington. Dec 22-In October last Mr.. War
ner OF New-York introduced In the House a reso-
luton authorizing the Committee on Public buhu-
lngs and Grounds to inquire Into the conuitionS
and use OF public buildings and grounds owned ny
the Federal Government OF Newly ork WHICH U
them Il would be desirable TO dispose of. or what
additional accommodations should be secured IN
order to obtain greater deficiency In the discharge
Of the public business The committee was to SEM
for persons and papers and have leave 10 s'e
hearings in New-York This resolution was laVor-
ably reported to the House yesterday by MI Cadrus
The accompanying report says among other things.
after referring to the enormous amount OF federai
business transacted in New York:
"Th,s enormous business Is at present accomfno-
dated bv some fortyfve buildings parts OF build
ings OF these are owned by the Government
and the remainder rented. The seven so owned IN
Guiding the Custom House. Sub-Ireasury, assay
Office United States Courthouse and Postofhce the
United States River Dock and Barge once. the
United States Appraisers Warehouse ana the
United States Army Building. Taken together. these
are worth far more than the entire rented
quarters and they stand upon ground the Vaiue OF
which separate from the buildings. Is probably ABOVE
sl2 Go00DO With two exceptions the buiidlhgs upon
each piece OF ground could duplicated at far less
than the value OF their sites. and either on ac-
count Of original unHtness On some cases having
been built for other purpoes) or lapse OF time they
have become so inconvcnient or crowded as from
a business standpoint to be an actual damage 10
the ground they occupy-the loss and inconvenience
resulting from their being such as long ago
10 have made IL profitable 20 have torn them down
for renewal on their present site or elsewhere
In addition the growth Of the city and the develop
ment Of business have so altered conditions that
In most cases the present buildings sahu upon
ground which thougn not tsr otherwiseN
would promptly sell at pr1ds ennHen h9
elsewhere but largely II not completely erect proper
I'm regard to accommodations. matters considered
intoerable ten ago have been growins onc
additions and slleyatons no' hs' nsrchepts and
manufacturers OF the port. financial ana commerce.
I'VE oT,n,nts,ra tion--eyerv one in short, who
has to do with Federal business III Just the one
oy 81 subjected bier 20 Constantly ncreasng neon
yeniemee to an eTe h i 0cacaabe Vile in one
Federal building after another employees are are 50
crowded and quarters so u ,Ur for oces and
other work that 1t is only their Federal o%neTsnip
and the natural desire OF me SGh that have
kept the Board Of Health from condemhlns eiis.n
alone some 600 clerks being constantly employed IN
rooms twelve feet below the sldewah' VIII ,nc,n no
and and foul that those who continue are the more
enduring OF the FAR greater n n9 wI woi
not he desirabe-that the Government should own
all of the buildings In which rs business nc,Gn mus the he
ssanfinn,ng local development is such as TO make II
undesirable for the Government either now or IN the
immediate future to acquire ground ana erect ~
n,, buildings But in the large proportion OF cases
whare buildings Notwithstanding Sc me OF thos"
in the postal service-rentng is expensive to the
Governrpent unsatisfactory to the service ana
tntalv uniIstitahle
.r.c,ion or grouping of new Federal buildings.
II is the fact that such buildings at the city OF
York vii, constitute the most extensive series
Of great public buildings on the continent. outside
~ Wa shngtOn; that an opportunity Is thus oHerei
sor IN, deyei0pmert OF civic architecture on
credltable basis never elsewhere attempted and
r.var even suggested elsewhere than In the archi-
,oc,ural trumnhs at Chicago that late legislation
has made ii possible for bulid!nss hereafter planned
20 he constrtcted by the Federal Government. 20
hovs equal facilities for securing economy, to-
eether with architectural merit and business con-
,anience equal to that at the await or private per-
sons: ina; the awakened public sp!rii of the archi-