The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-20
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
The System Governing Their Erec-
ton and Cost
how the Plans for New Bulldogs Are
Engineered and Put Through BY
Conference.-The Need OF
Proper Restrictions.

In many OF our cities and large towns
/ the most noticeable structure is the
! government building. There are now
nearly four hundred such buildings
| scattered through the country. The
number has been greatly increased in
recent years, and the expenditure for
construction has become large an
nual item in the appropriation bills of
congress.
In 1891 the amount expended on this
account was more than four million
{ eight hundred thousand dollars. which
was orie-fifth as much as all the ortii-
nary expenditures of the government in
1870. This great extension of the svs-
TEN has taken place gradually. but the
policy seems now TO be firmly estab-
lished
Within proper limits, SAYS Youths
Companion, it is an extremely reason
bic system. In a little town the rent
of a corner in a store for a post office
amounts to almost nothing. The town
grows, and the post Office requires
larger quarters-a whole floor on the
street level in the center of business.
The town transforms itself into city,
land and rents increase, and the expense
for the hire of building, which must
be conveniently located IN the very
heart of the city where rents are
highest, becomes large.
A still further increase of population,
and now other departments of the gov
eminent begin to appear in the city. II
it is on the coast or on the lakes, dep
uty collector of customs is appointed
The federal courts have business now
and then in the city. An internal rev.
enue Office is established, or branch of
the pension or the land office.
Under such circumstances il is cheap
er for the national government to in
vest, once for all the capital needed to
erect buildings than to continue to pay
rent. The only question is, at what
point 1t becomes matter of economy
to build rather than to hire.
Naturally the people of growing
town are convinced of the necessity
for public building long before con-,
gress can see the matter in the same
light. The congressman from the dis
trict, anxious to make himself popular,
urges the Importance Of the building on
his associates, and sometimes succeeds
in obtaining the consent of congress 10
the project before the building is really
needed.
Formerly authority to erect buildings
was inserted in appropriation bills, and
there was great chance for ''log-roil-
ing"-that is, Congressman Smith would
help on Congressman Jones scheme II
Congressman Jones would help Con-
gresham Smith. At present each build
ing is authorized by q separate act, but
there is still some opportunity for log
rolling.
All government building is done IN
der the superintendent and control of
the treasury department First, con-
gress authorizes the building and appro-
PIRATES money for the site and the struc-
ture. Next lot Is selected. approved
and purchased. Plans are made By the
supervising architect, and the building
is erected. The c1stCdian-thouGh he
may be, and frequently IS. the postmas-
ter-is under the direction Of, and re-
ports TO, the secretary OF the treasury.
The reason for this Is. perhaps, that
in the early days government buildings
were chiefly for the Offices Of collectors
OF customs. who are under the secretary
d the treasury, and only incidentally
for post Office use.
No doubt the eageruess of communi-
ties TO obtain g costly and ornamental /
al the government expense mas .
this system n be abused. At !
tempts hare been made 10 lay down !
certain conditions which mus be salts /
fed before 2 town or city shall be /,
deemed 70 need Z government buiIding. +
Thus, i might be required that tic /
shall be 80 mary. or the re-
,eipts % the post Office - much. or that +
there shall he other uses than the post f.
office for such a building. No such 4
have been made, aud
whether d town Is "a have been q build 4
ing or not X frequently B matter of J
favor, CT eren OF accident
.naSrnuch as 2 government rarely .
takes a backward step IN s1ch cases a.
this. the chances ara that htsni reds Of .
new buildings xiii Be erected during /
me next few years