Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-22
On Which to Erect a New Govern
ment Printing Office.
THE COMMITTEES REPORT PRESENTED.
Motives That Influenced the Choice
Of the Present Square.
A BILL INTROD U ED

site for the new Office The report of the
committee follows:
THE joint committee on public buildings
and grounds of the two houses of Congress
have earnestly but unsuccessfuly endeav-
ored since the LIST of October last to agree
upon a site for the new government print
ing office. They appointed a subcommittee,
which advertised for offers of suitable sites,
and this subcommittee received some TWEEN
ty written offers of sites considered suita-
Bile for the purpose indicated.
All Of these sites which were at all avail
able were inspected personally by the sub
committee, and without entering into de-
tails 1t is enough to say that the choice of
site ultimately rested in the opinion of the
committee. between the present site Of the
government printing office, with addi-
ton thereto Of an equal quantity of ground
Immediately south of said site by a part of
square 624 and square 6S3, bounded on the
north by d street, on the east by Delaware
avenue, on the south by street and on
the west by North Capitol street-on which
are now located the Senate stables and the
District engine house. together with a
frame cottage occupied by the sergeant-at-
arms of the Senate.
Additional AccOmmo datiOns Neces-
sary.
In behalf Of the first proposition it can
be said that 1t is of the highest importance
| to provide at once additional accommoda-
lions for the government printing office.
The crowded condition of the present build
ing and the defects in it's structure render
1t not only possible, but probable, that a
tragedy may be enacted there at any time
far more disastrous than that of the Ford's
Theater building 1t becomes, then, of the
highest Importance to secure additional ac-
commodation with as little delay as pos
sible. and the committee has been in
f1uenced to a large extent by this fact.
A letter addressed on August IL, lS93, to
the Hon. A. p. German, chairman of the
committee on printing of the Senate, by
Mr.. +. w. Palmer, the public printer, states
that additional grounds south OF the pres
ent site of the printing Office can be pur-
chased for $17o.OOO. including the improve
ments, and that fire-proof building, SIX
stories high. whose dimensions shall be
W by 175 feet, fronting on North Capitol
street, can be erected at cost of Sf2jOUU
BY making available the appropriation CT
$4,000 heretofore made by Congress, it
will require an additional appropriation Of
only $4,000 for the purchase of the site
and the erection of a building which VIII
give immediate relief, leaving to the future
the providing of such additional acconimo-
dation as may be necessary.
Motives That Influenced the Choice.
1T is not deemed improper for the COM
mittee to add that the present condition Of
tive duty for Congress to avoid every I'M
necessary expenditure of public money,
and we have no hesitation III stating that
this motive has also Influenced the commit
tee in this action.
1T is also worthy of notice that the inn
mediate proximity Of the new building to
be erected to that now used a govern
ment printing office will enable the gov
eminent to use the old building until the
nr.n 1hoD ha NIafa hnI -
considerable Inconvenience in regard to the
transportation of machinery and mater
ials to the new building. and that it will
not be necessary to have additional water
and gas mains for the new structure.
THE principal objection to the selection
Of the present site Is based upon Its dis
lance from the Capitol and the difficulty of
reaching 1t on street cars or by walking.
In reply to this it can be safely stated that
the improvement of North Capitol street
from street to the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
read tracks and the construction of viaduct
across these tracks must inevitably be ac-
complished in the near future. There VIII
then be an easy and direct route from the
Capitol to the present site of the printing
office.
The advocates Of square 6SI favor it
because of it's vicinity to the Capitol and
the fact that the Baltimore and Ohio road
runs in the immediate rear of this square,
and thus will save to the government rhe
expenditure of a large amount of trans
portatiOn Of materials and documents to
and from the printing office during each
year. The committee has been unable
to obtain from the public printer an eX-
act estimate Of the amount so expended,
because paper and other materials are fur
nished to the government with such trans
portation added to the cost, and it must
be conceded that considerable amount,
estimated at from $4,000 to 10000, would
thus be saved annually to the government
by erecting the printing office on square
$50.
Area of the Proposed site.
1t Is believed that suitable foundation
can be obtained on either of the sites pro-
posed and there is about the same amount
of area in both sites. The present site of
the printing office, by the purchase of addi-
tional ground, as proposed. would furnish
1926 square feet. to which should be add
ed Il. 533 square feet covered by two alleys
one of which, however, thirty feet wide
should be kept open for the purpose of
lighting and ventilation. $50.
Square 6S3 contains 100 299 feet of which
the government owns 20.S5S, leaving 81, 14O
feet to be acquired by purchase or con-
domination. Upon that portion of this square
belonging to the government there are now
located the Senate stables and a District
engine house and plain cottage, occupied
by the sergeant-at-arms Of the Senate.
1t would be necessary in orde- to make
the square available to remove these build
ings, and the sum of $4,000 would be neces-
sary to purchase ground and erect a new
stable and an engine house in another To-
cality In addition to this expenditure the
grading upon this square would be very
heavy upon street, and it would require
at least two years to prepare the ground and
complete thereon a suitable building. 1t is
stated that the 30, 40 feet in this square,
which does not belong to the government
can be acquired for the sum of $500 600 and
1t will therefore be seen that besides the
cost Of grading and removing the buildings
now on the square an expenditure of $780,
600 by the government will be necessary to
procure the site alone
1t can safely be assumed that a suit
able building for the government printing
Office upon this square would cost at least
a million and half, that in addition
to the delay there must be appropriated
by Congress for the purchase of the site
and the construction of a building the sum
Of 81, 10000.
The committee recommends the passage
Of the accompanying bill, believing that
under all the circumstances, it is the best
solution Of a question which has long been
pending and has been the source of much
irritation"
The Accompanying Bill.
The bill submitted by the committee de-
scribed the property to be taken as fol-
lows: Beginning at the southeast corner
Of square 624 at the intersection of G and
North Capitol streets, thence running north
3S0.6 feet to an alley so feet wide running
east and west through said square GA
feet to point Immediately south of the