Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-15

Mr.. Holman, chairman Of the House commit
tee on appropriations, said this morning, dur
ing a conversation about the recent disaster in
this city and the probability Of other buildings
being insecure, that he believed Congress had
in the past, and would in tho future, deal
literally in the matter Of providing safe public
buildings and enact such legislation as would
look to the preservation Of human life. Con-
cerning the government printing Office.
against which the most criticism is directed,
Mr. Holman said Congress was practically
unit in its willingness to appropriate money for
new and suitable building. The trouble up
to this time has been in securing site. The
matter had not, he said, been brought to the
attention Of the House, by resolution or other
wise, since the Fifty-first Congress, but was in
the hands OF the joint committee on printing.
He believed a building WAS badly needed and
that bill with that end in view would be in
troduced promptly upon the assembling Of
Congress and passed.
POWER OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER.
Mr.. Holman is Of the opinion that under the
Joint resolution passed February 6, 1883, the
public printer has full authority to lessen the
weight on the floors Of his building by remov-
ing stuff and occupying other buildings. In an
emergency, at the time nsmed, this resolution
was passed and approved the same day, and by
night men were removing the heavy books and
storing them elsewhere. The resolution directs
the public printer to forthwith remove from the
government printing Office much Of the
property OF the United States in the upper
stories as shall in hi, opinion and in the opinion
OF the architect OF the Capitol render the build
ing entirely safe for the persons employed
therein. This work was done and money ap-
oAn1 e<~ l--A
$1,000 were appropriated under the resolution,
which is still In force.
mo government in the world" said Mr..
Holman, "holds life in such regard as ours.
This has been instanced many times. Our ex-
tensive life-saving service and the prompt way
In which the Greedy relief expedition was sent
out show this. Had Congress known this
building was unsafe do you imagine it would
have been permitted to stand as it was? Con-
gressmen are not building experts, and II an
official report had been made Congress would
have had something to go on. There 10 one
thing in this public building question that the
press does not consider, and that is the over
crowding OF rooms occupied by clerks and the
large amouat OF space given to higher officials
Other public buildings are numbered up with
stuff little better than trash. Twelve years ago
Mr.. Ely, then sixth auditor. showed me tons
and tons of old post Office records and money
orders that were absolutely worthless. and yot
they are still being stored away.
"After the city post Office the next public
building to be provided by Congress will be a
ball Of records and this will relieve many of
the present buildings There are many public
records that have to be stored where they can
be reached, notably among them those Of the
general land Office. Such building will relieve
oil the departments OF an immense amount Of
trash and be vast saving OF room.
TWO BIG BUILDINGS NOW BEING KRHcrKD.
"Whsie this talk OF safer public buildings is
before the public, it should be remembered
that there are two now under way that when
finished will accommodate fully 5000 clerks
The city post Office will only occupy the base
ment and first floor Of that building. and Su-
pervising Architect Windrim estimated that the
building would accommodate, besides the post
office, 5000 clerks. The new library building
will be completed in four years. The great
Congressional Library, large AS 1t is. will, when
finished. only occupy ne-quarter Of the build
ing, which will be larger than the State, War
modations for an army Of clerks. With q hall
of records it looks as IL there would be sufi-
cient room for the executive departments for
some years to come"
TO PROVIDE FOR RELIEF.
Returning to the Ford's Theater disaster. Mr..
Holman said he supposed the matter would
come before Congress in the shape of bills for
the relief OF the victims, and be was sure that
Congress would do what was right It WAS
against the policy Of the government, he said,
to establish q civil pension list, but he was
confident some way would be found to recon-
pense, so far as any recompense could be made,
the families OF these poor Victims