Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-06
Need of One for the Department of
Justice Shown.
ATTORNEY GENERAL PREPARES A BILL
Communication to House Commit
tee on Public Buildings.
ACTING SECY SPAULDIN9

Chairman Mercer of the House committee
on public buildings and grounds has re-
| ceved from the Attorney General of the
United States the following communities
| ton:
Il inclose you herewith copy of bill
which l have prepared to provide for the
| erection of new building for the Depart
| ment of Justice
The condition of the present building is
such as to render it imprudent for any OF
us to remain in ii a day longer than IS
absolutely necessary. The danger arises
from the overlooking of the fourth story
by the immense weight of the library which
Is on that floor. The walls are cracking
! uniformly and the partitions are separate
ing. The employees are becoming nervous
ana sohcitous about their personal safety.
BESIDES, the present building is utterly in
adequate, and relief ought to be afforded
for that reason as well.
Immediate relief can be obtained by hir-
ing other quarters for the Court of Claims.
which occupies the first floor of the present
building, and then removing the Uhrarv
10 that noor. The building can then be oc-
cupled by the department until one wing
Oh the rev structure Is completed. when we
can move into THAT and tear down the Old
building.
The bill which inclose provides for an
appropriation for temporary quarters for
me court OF Claims. l urgently request
that you Will forward the consideration of
this bill and secure its passage ar tbe earlf-
est possible moment
Another matter which / do not add as
request, but which L make as a sug-
Sesuon, is this: BY securing the property
adlolnlng the present structure on the east
lying between the present building and 18th
street, much more handsome and spa-
clous building could be erected. Many per-
sons nave recommended that course and L
personally approve it, / submit If to vour
Judgment and to the judgment of the
House. If you should deem it wise to adopt
IN me latter course the appropriation should
be one and a half million dollars. and the
phraseology of the bill should be modified
accordingly.
1t seems TO me that the precarious con-
dlton of the department building would
justify your asking the committee to re-
port the bill very speedily and the House
10 pass 1t under a suspension of the rules
shall be happy to furnish you or the COM
mittee with any data upon the subject
which You may require.
Very sincerely yours.
'Csigned) JOHN w. GRIGGs."
The Acting Secretary of the Treasury,
Chairman Mercer has also received let
ter upon the same subject from Acting Sec
rotary Spaulding of the Treasury Depart
ment, follows:
Il have the honor to acknowledge the re-
ceipt Of your communication of tie 2Sth
instant, requesting certain informa ton in
connection with the necessity for the con-
struction of a building for the Depart
ment of Justice on the present site and
upon the ground adjacent thereto. etc. and
In reply | have to advise YOU that after Il
conference held with officials of the De-
partment of Justice il is estimated that
30 per cent more space is needed a pros
ent properly to accommodate said depart
ment. and that in a few years double the
present space Will be required Officials of
the Department of Justice do not advise the
construction of addition to the present
building, which is represented incon-
venient in arrangement of rooms and
stories, but prefer a new building on the
adjoining lot. which could be constructed
and occupied and the present building then
removed.
You are further advised that propo-
sition has been submitted to this depart-
construction of building for the purposes
indicated, and no plans have been drawn
by the supervising architect of this de-
partment in connection Herewith. for the
reason that no authority exists for the
making of such plans.
From a necessarily hasty examination
of such incomplete data this department
has been able to obtain i'm regard to the
requirements of the service for the purpose
indicated. ii is estimated that a building of
thoroughly fire-proof construction, incud-
ing fre-proof vaults, heating and ventilat-
ing apparatus. and elevators, of sufficient
size properly to provide for the present and
future needs of the department in ques-
ton, can be erected for from $S0oo90 to
81 900 600