Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-26


l am under the impression that We have
had the average amount of acrimonious
discussion i'll regard TO that site. 1t is
my oelie1 that If the millennium were upon
us now, and the angel was standing with
one foot on the land ard the other the
sea swearing by Hiin that lives there for
ever and forever, that time should be no
more and somebods suggested site for
a public Building in the city of Washington,
the eauanimity of the occasion would be
seriously disturbed, U.aughter9
MI Gallinger-sT think the senator is
right about that
Mr.. Vest-"DuIifg my twenty years ser
wee on the computes of public buildings
and grounds with my dear old friend from
Vermont Mr.. Morrill, now dead, 1 have
Witnessed an amount of personal greed and
OF httef feeilng in regard to such sites in
the city of Washington as is unparalleled
IN the legislation of, the country.
we We're mere for ten years trying TO
secure site for the city post office. and
we are paying today over sS0o.GOO to rent
properly IN the city of Washington leased
from individuals for the public service. The
senate passed three times a bill for the
purchase of a site for the Hooe building,
opposite the Interior Department and ad-
joining the General Post Office Department
on r street. The House of Representatives
refused absolutely to accede to the site and
nnaliy we We're forced to take the present
site on Pennsylvania, avenue against the
strenuous opposition of the Senate COM
fnitteemen, the then senator from Vermont
and myself, who We're the subcommittee on
the oart of the Senate
The Cost of the Post Omce.
What has been the result?' continued
Mr. Vest. Il have here the cost of the
site and the amount of appropriation so
Tar made for the present city post office.
We have been seven years in constructing
1t, and it is not finished yet. and l told
that more money is to be expended now III
Grder 10 make it suitable for the purposes
Tor winch 1t was intended. We limited tn,
amount OF appropriation for that building
TO $2,ttnoH)- We spent for the site. $685.. eco
ana Tor the building itself S2,620,GU, an
excess over the amount of the limit, ana
seven years have been occupied in its con-
struetion But the most important item
in the construction of that building is what
L am about to mention
1T cost us to secure an artificial founda-
lon Tor the present city post Office $So,oG0
We were compelled to make a new foun-
dation, an artificial one. by piling. l have
always expressed the opinion, and enter
tam II now, that no large public building
filled with hundreds of human beings and
artificial foundation
Il have heard the idea advanced over ana
over again that all the southern part of
the city across Pennsylvania avenue should
be dedicated and used for public buildings.
Why, Mr.. President, it is quicksaud. The
difficulty now about putting the hall OF
records there is that you must pile in order
to secure foundation.
The Capital Traction Railway Company.
whose power house was burned over a year
ago, l was informed by one of it's largest
stockholders, spent $4,000 in piling to get
foundat ton. The great objection to the
site at 9TH street and the market which
was advocated in the press of the city. is
that you must spend from $50 600 to sT5,HEI
to secure site, if the proposed library
should be erected there
Wanted to Avoid 81 Controversy.
Mr.. Vest said there had been a misunder-
standing about his position on the question
of a location of this building. He had not
intended to favor a location on Pennsyl-
vania avenue, but wanted the building To-
Gated quickly to get rid of a controversy
Continuing, Mr. Vest said
Advantages Of Mtu Vernon Square.
II was under t4te IMPRESSION until differ
entity informed tn DIT Mr.sNernon Square was
a public reservation. in other words that it
was one of the breathing places of the city.
! have always opposed putting a building
upon any such location, but it is not a
breathing place for the city; it is not a
park. 1T has foundation which cannot be
excelled; it has a location which is uns,lr-
passed; it is in the cefter of the city. and
it will not interfere with the aeration or the
liSht or the view If properly constructed
a building located / ere will not in any
particular be Objectionable on any of the
grounds nave stated. 1t has street rail-
roads on all sides of it: it is near to the
schools; it is far superior to the other
site that there can be, no approximate
parallel between them.
IF this proposed building should be iocat-
ed at It'll street and PENNSYLVANIA avenue,
as I have stated, there will be $4,000 of
this donation by Mr. Carnegie applied to
the making of a foundation, whereas if it
lNA mt III
he no necessity of spending d cent for a
foundation. '' u
But above all let rs get rid of this ques-
ton: let us encourage the multi-million-
aires OF the country instead of SPENDING
their money abroad to give it to the
libraries and nleemosyuary institutions
among our own people. Mr. Carnegie is
a public benefactor The senator from
Maryland tMr. Gorman) says the CITY of
Washington ought TO pay for this site I
do not recognize the justice of that prop
oSitoa at all. 80
1T assumes that this city belongs to the
people, a majority of whom are here simply
for temporary and official purposes The
city of Washington belongs to the people
of the United States The people who live
here are represented by Congress, under
the Constitution. ana We, the representa-
tives of the whole people, should see to it
that this library-not for the use of the
people who are permanent citizens here
but for the use of that still larger number
should be properly located and properly
constructed.
Il have not the slightest doubt in regard
to the proprety of the passage of this bill
if for no other purpose than to terminate
debate, and this unseemingiy quarreling be.
tween personal interests. Whenever YOU
talk about public building in Washington
it is like throwing chunk of meat into a
den of wild beasts. The snariing and biting
and scratching and growing Immediately
commences. Laughter). If man like Mr.
Carnegie steps forward with 500 900 to
beautify and adOrn the national capital, to
aid the cause of education and public in
formation, we ought to settle the matter a
once, instantly, and let it be removed from
debate
Mr.. Teller Would Preserve the Park
Mr.. Teller, speaking on the library site
said: THAT park stands like every other
reservation of the government. The neigh
borhood is all right for the proposed Ii
brary. / have no objection to that, but
there are plenty of places where a library
can be put by the purchase of land in the
neighborhood of that square, if that is
thought to be the proper place, and thus
prevent the appropriation of this square
Il l,