Evening star., 1901-02-02
UP TO THE CITIZENS
Bill Favorably Reported for $780,
600 Municipal Building.
COMMISSION TO SELECT TIE Site
South of the Avenue Between
Seventh and Fifteenth Streets.
A TEMPLE OF JU STIC E

| The House committee on public buildings
| and grounds today favorably reported two
| bills substituted for all pending measures
| relating to a municipal building for WASH
| ington and the proposed Department Of
Justice building.
| ut is now up to the citizens to put
| their shoulders to the wheel and help get
these bills through the House. said Chair
| man Mercer after the meeing of the COM
| mittee.
The bill for the municipal building pro-
| vides as follows:
That a commission, hereby created, con-
| sisting of the Secretary Of the Treasury
and the Commissioners of the District of
! Columbia, be authorized and directed to
| purchase or otherwise secure, for the joint
use of the United States and the District
of Columbia, for the erection thereon of a
municipal building for the District, such
| land adjacent to the south side of Penn
| sylvania avenue between tn and loth
streets northwest as may be determined by
| the commission to be most advantageous
| for the purpose; provided, that II square
! two hundred and tifty-five (2oo) Is secured
| the triangular park and that portion or T.
street lying between that square and Penn
sylvania avenue is hereby appropriated ana
of erecting thereon the municipal bulidlnS
And the Commissioners of the District OF
Columbia are authorized to change the route
of the Washington, Alexandria and Mount
Vernon electric railway in such manner as
to cause said portion of E street to be va
Gated by the tracks Of that company Ana
provided further, that If the commission con-
siders it desirable and advantageous to secure
squares three hundred and eighty C3so and
three hundred and eighty-one (3SD the Com
missioners of the District of Columbia are
hereby authorized to close SO much OF y
street as may lie between the squares Sc
cured. and the small park and space be-
tween those squares and 7th street snail
be added to said squares for the purpose OF
erecting thereon the municipal building.
Purchase of Property.
The commission is authorized and directed
TO nurchase or otherwise secure a site as
provided in section 1 as soon as practicable
at such price may be agreed upon De-
tween the commission and the owner CT
owners thereof, the price. not to exceed the
actual cash value Of the property. All
offers of sale shall be in writing, and no
| payment shall be made to any owner or
agent of the property involved ON account
on the land proposed to be soio OF pur-
chased till written opinion OF the Attorney
General of the United States shall be had>
in favor of the validity of the title OF the
square agreed to be purchased by said COM
mission. saSS+i
daily newspapers published In the city Of
Washington for bids from the owners of
lots in the squares and reservations adJa-
cent to the south side Of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. between 7th street and 18th street
northwest. The bids must be in writing and
must state the lowest cash price at which
said lots or squares will be sold.
Il the commission shall not be able 70
purchase the necessary sites by agreement
with the owners thereof in accordance with
the terms and requirements Of this act then
the commission shall proceed to acquire by
condemnation such portion as 1t may not be
able to secure by purchase, and such pro-
ceedings shall be in accordance with the
provisions Of the act of Congress approved
August so, $780, providing a site for the
enlargement of the government printing Of
fee Gu. S. Statutes at Large, volume Is.
chapter $50.
Competitive Designs for Building.
When the commission shall have complet-
ed the purchase of the necessary site it's
duties shall cease and determine, and the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia
shall forthwith take possession of the site
and proceed at once to have constructed
thereon a fireproof building for the accom-
mediation of the municipal offices of the
District of Columbia, the total cost OF said
building. including cost of site. not to ex-
ceed 81, SOC. .00O one-half Of which shall be
chargeable to the revenues of the District
of Columbia and the other half to be paid
out of any money in the treasury of the
United States not otherwise appropriated.
The Commissioners of the District of Co
lumbia shall invite six architects or firms of
architects of conspicuous ability and ex
perience to submit competitive designs for
the building, upon carefully drawn pro-
gram, the competition to be adjudged by
the Commissioners acting with two other
persons to be selected by the competing
architects. The architect firm of arch-
tects whose design shall thus be adjudged
most acceptable shall be employed as ar
chitect of the building and shall furnish
all designs and drawings required for the
construction of the building and needful for
Its completion. The architect shall receive as
full compensation for the designs, drawings
and personal services the sum Of per
centum of the total cost of the building to
be paid from time to time as the work
progresses; and all designs and drawings
of the accepted design shall become the
property of the District of Columbia The
other architects competing by invitation
shall each receive not to exceed the sum of
$500.
Other Provisions.
If the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia consider it desirable they may
place the construction Of the building in
charge of an officer of the government spe-
cially qualified for the duty, to be appoint
ed by them, and who shall receive for his
additional services an increase Of 40 per
centum in his salary, to be paid out Of the
appropriation for said building.
II the commission shall purchase
square of ground containing buildings, the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia
shall be authorized to rent, until their re-
moval becomes necessary, such of the build
ings as they may deem desirable, at a fair
rental value, the proceeds to be deposited in
the treasury of the United States, one-half
to the credit of the United States and one
half to the credit Of the District of CO.
lumbia.
The commission and the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia shall submit.
to Congress annually at the beginning of
each regular session report of their Off
cial doings under the authority of this
act until their duties hereunder shall have
been completed. Congress reserves the
right to alter, amend or repeal this act.
Temple of Justice.
The bill to provide for temple of JUS
| tice, favorably reported by the committee.
provides as follows:
That in order to provide a suitable site
for a temple Of Justice building for the
accommodation Of the Supreme Court of
the United States, the Department of jus
tice, the Court Of Appeals Of the District
of Columbia, the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia, the Court of Claims.
the National Law Library, and for other
purposes, the following parcels of land Sit
10 oP Cov