Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-15
FAVORABLE REPORT
On the Bill to Purchase the Corcoran
Art Gallery Building.
REASONS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION
Several Other Measures of Local
Interest Considered.
THE APPROPRIATION BILL


favorable report on Senate bill 1861, au-
| thor:Zing the purchase of the Corcoran Art
Gallery building. The report accompanying
| says:
"The property is situated at the corner of
| 18th street and Pennsylvania avenue north
| west, with frontage of JOG feet on Pennsyl-
| vania avenue and 100 feet on 18th street,
| and contains II ,G36 square feet. The build
| ing on this property is of most substan-
| tial and commodious character. The out
| side walls of the basement are 3S inches in
| thickness, the first story 80, and the second
| story 81 inches The outside partition walls;
| vary from 2G to 13 inches. The area of the
/ floor space is 30,224 square feet, and the
| cubic contents of the building ti39, ,52S cubic
| feet. With the exception of the roof the
| entire building is fire proof, and the first
| and second floors are constructed with iron
| beams and brick arches, and are capable of
| carrying u safe weight OF 125 pounds per
| superficial foot at the greatest span.
| This property, situated just across Penn
| sylvania avenue from the western eNtrem-
| ity of the White House grounds and I'm
| mediately opposite the three great depart
| ments of State, War and Navy, and only
| one square from the Department of JUS
| tice and tn. Treasury Department, is most
| easily accessible to five of the most i'm
pcrtant of the great departments of the
| government, as well as to the Executive
| Mansion. and is for this reason admirably
! located for use by the government as
hall of records, or for any of the bureaus
| or commissions of the government that
are now occupying quarters rented from
private parties.
The building could also be used with
great advantage and propriety by the vari-
Gus commissions that 90 frequently holi
their sittings in this city for the adjudi-
cation of international disputes and other
questions of great nome mt to the country.
The government is now paying rent for
quarters for the interstate commerce COM
mission, for the geological survey and for
various bureaus of the Treasury Navy,
War, Interior and Post Office Departments.
The total annually paid by the government
for rents exceeds slSn,00, and the
varies from % cents to - cents per square
foot. The price at which this property is
offered. if capitalized at 3 per cent, would
make an outlay for this building of 81
cents per square foot per annum The
Secretary of War. in his annual report,
speaking of the State, War and Navy build
ing, says: 1t is already unequal to the
present demands, and several bureaus Of
'nls department have been forced to rent
outside quarters because of the rapid ac-
cumulation of records and papers
The price at which this property can
row he purchased is quite advantageous
to the government, and delay in the mat
ter might Eecessitate larger invest
ment at later period. Estimates of its
value by four reliable real estate firms Of
this city were furnished the Commission
ers. which show that the price asked for
the entire property exceeds in amount
very little, If any, the real value of the
land alone, leaving out entirely the value
of the large substantial building, which.
1t is understood. cost originally S22II.1p
and which, if owned by the government.
would be of immediate and valuable serv-
ice.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art with the
free art school annexed thereto, in which
more than 500 students have been cdu-
Gated without expense to them, is a public
institution open to all the people and
stands in effect as a national gallery at
the countrys capital, with expanding
growth, demanding the magnificent new
structure now approaching completion, on
!'lh street and New York avenue, which
is among the largest and finest art gal
leries in the world. While purchase by
the government of the present galler~
public uses, the fund derived therefror, is
TO be expended upon the maintenance of
the new gallery, where, with larger schools
OF painting, sculpture and lecture halls, the
entire people will receive entertainment
and education in the fine arts and the in
vestment of THE United States in the ac-
QUESTION of this desirable property for
public uses will thus be returned again to
the public in the beneficent use to which
it will be applied.
I'm the opinion OF the committee the
government should own buildings proper
and necessary for the different departments
of the public service, and it is confidently
believed that this property, SO admirably
suited to the public needs, is a very ad-
vantageous requirement, whether price de-
STABILITY of location or easy and ineXpen-
sive adaptability for public uses be con-
sdered.''
The bill directs the Secretary of the
Treasury to acquire this property. which is
described at length, and fixes the limit OF
price at $3.50, ,OO0 which is appropriated to
carry out the act.
Accompanying the report are letters to
Mr.. S. Fl. Kaufman, president of the
Corcoran Gallery. from tour real estate
firms, giving estimates as to valuation.
ThoS. ]. Fisher values the property az
s354.660 exclusive of improvements: r. o.
Hoffman places it at $350,O0 independent
of the building; Myron NJ. Parker estimates
that S1o,DO is a conservative valuation,
and B. H. Warner regards the property as
worth for public purposes anywhere be-
tween 100000 and 100000.
For I'm Inebrfate Asylum.
Senator Frye tod;y presented petition
from members of the Independent Order of
Good Templars of the District of Columbia
praying fer tn, passage Of the pending bill
which provides for the establishment of an
asylum and hospital for inebrates in this
city.
Against the VivisectiOn Bill.
Senator Hawley today presented the pro-
test of the Entomolo gical Society of this
city against the pending bill relating to
The District Appropriation Bill.
In the Senate this afternoon Mr.. Teller,
who has charge of the District appropria-
ton, was asked by a Senator who was
anxious to secure time for the considera-
ton of a certain measure, when he expect
ed to call up the local budget in the Sen
ate: Mr.. Teller replied that he hoped to
have the Senate begin it's consideration at
orce after the Du Pont case was voted
upon but he explained that he had agreed
to yield to Senator Faulkner, who desired
to secure action upon bill relating to the
lighting of the city by gas and electricity.
Mr. Teller went further and said that it
was quite necessary that this particular
bill should be acted upon before the appro-
priationv bill was passed, intinatinS that
upon the action of the Senate upon the
minor bill might depend certain amend
ments now pending to the appropriation
bill. -.
There are two measures now upon the
Senate calendar, either of which might be
the one to which Mr.. Teller referred. One
of these regulates the price Of gas in the
District by reduction by various stages
to 81. The other authorizes the extension
of the lines of the Potomac Electric Ijrht