The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-16
T. READY TO FALL.
The Old Printing Office Build
ing is Dangerous,
But Congress Delays in Regard
to New One.
ARE HUNTING A SITE.
Senate Committees Selection
Overruled by Senate.

WASHINGTON, May 16.-CSpeciaL =
Chairman Bankhead of the house commit
tee on public buildings and grounds, after
long wrestling with the subject and get
ting a pretty hard fall, gives it as his opin-
ion that the uncertainty about the new
government printing Office is greater than
ever. Others assert that senate and house,
to say nothing Of other contestants, are
no nearer an agreement than when the
discussion began years ago just at pres
ent the matter is so tangled up with poll
tics and local interests, railroads and real
estate spectators, that it is not easy to
get at t. merits of it, but out of the mud
die several facts can be picked of interest
to the public and among them these:
Locking For Site.
The senate committee, after what it con-
sidercd an exhaustive study of the situa-
ton selected what is called the Kurtz-
johnson lot, which contains LOG, 900 square
feet and could be got at 81 foot This is
the lot which was once recommended by a
joint committee Of the senate and house
and is the one favored by Mr. Richardson
of Tennessee and his supporters in the re-
cent debate. About the time however,
when an agreement seemed very near, Gen
era1 and ex-senator Malone appeared
upon the scene. There was delay The
senate overruled it's committee and voted
for the Malone lot, which is at the corner
of North Capitol and l. streets, three
squares north Of. the present government
printing Office. 1t contains 213, 815 square
feet. Favoritism and corruption were
charged, of course Senator Vest succeed
ed in getting a reconsideration of the vote,
and so tho matter rests in that body.
The house committee, after a long and
careful examination, brought in bill for
purchasing the square just north of the
Baltimore and Ohio station on which tie
senate stables and q government engine
house now are. 1t would cost $500, 900, and
to grade the lot and locate the stables else
where would probably cost $50, 600 more.
Its great advantages are its nearness to
the capitol and the fact that the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad could easily put a switch
into the basement, which is quite an item
when one considers that the Office receives
9, 600 tons of freight yearly. On the other
hand, this would give that road a sort of
monopoly, and this, with the cost, caused
the house to fall on the Bankhead bill
with unrelenting fury. Another lot which
has its advocates is the so called baseball
ground, which contains 10, GAS feet and
would cost S242, coo, and this is advOcat-
ed by Mr.. Livingston of Georgia The
Malone lot, By the way, is offered for $780,
600, and the sale of it would, it is said,
make quito a snug fortune for the wiry
little general and enable him to retire from
politics once more. Indeed it is charged
agreement between the general and Ger
tain senators is that if he sells this lot to
the government he is to meddle no more
in Virginia But then you cannot believe
half you hear in Washington
shuttlecock Tor Both Houses.
After knocking all around the field the
conservatives in both houses settled down
to the proposition to extend the present
building, paying S175 600 for addition
al 55, 900 square feet of ground, but the
engineers answered with one voice that the
present building is liable to collapse at
any minute, and that an addition would
render a calamity certain. The conserva-
tives then turned to another lot not far
south of the capitol whore 212, 600 square
feet could be bought for 5000, 600, but the
other fellows succeeded in proving the site
SO unhealthful that it would be murder to
place government employees there. The
present building at the corner of North
Capitol and II streets is also pronounced
very unhcalthful, SO there you are again.
All this is well worth the study of Ameri-
cans as showing what slow, clumsy ma
chine this thing called governments is and
how those who " ait on congress for better
times Will eat the bread of bitterness and
drink the waters of despair. The matter
has been shuttlecOck- between the two
houses for years
Mr.. Bryan advocated the use of the gov
ernmcnt land lying between Sixth and
Seventh streets just north of the fish com
mission building, whereupon the other side
Immediately proved that said ground was
q quagmire exhaling the vapors of death,
that no sure foundation could be made
there, that it was sometimes overfOwed
by Potomac backwater, and that fish had
been caught swimming in the Pennsylva-
mia depot Others proposed using one of the
parks especially part of judiciary square,
which was met with an indignant protest
against rebbing the people of their recrea-
TF1r7C hon -.
take that part Of Garfield park not far
south of the capitol, which is not a park
at all, there was an indignant outcry on
the ground of patriotism and reverence for
the martyred president. Mr. Coombs pro
posed general change of system by which
government buildings yet to be erected
might be near together and pointed out
the enormous losses caused by the great
distances between the different depart
mentS. The end of the whole matter in
the house was that on motion of Mr. Hol-
man the committee was instructed to Sc
lect a site on some ground already owned
by the government As the senate will
not consent to this-at least SO all the SEN
ators consulted say-it really looks as if
Mr.. Bankhead's opening statement were
the cold truth
Public Printer Benediet's Dilemma.
All this time Mr.. T. Z. Benedict, the
new public printer, is struggling with the
problem how to discharge one-third of
his employees and not offend anv CONGRESS-
man or any employee who has pull
He says that when he left the Office some
four years ago there were but little over
2, 100 employees on the rolls, and when he
returned there were 8, 5s4, of whom 500
must go at once and nearly as many more
in a few weeks. The 1merast tyro in
knowledge of buildings can that the
present o11ice is totally unfit for the bust
ness conducted in it and, in fact, unfit for