Evening star., 1902-03-25
Bill Introduced By Senator
Fairbanks.
TO PURCHASE A SQUARE
SITE TO BE SOUTH OF PENNSYL.
VANIA AVENUE,
Step in Line With Plan Of the Park
Commission for Beautifying the
e. National Capital.

In the Senate today Mr.. Fairbanks. chair
| man of the committee on public buildings
| and grounds, introduced bill providing
! for a hall of records. This bill, it is ex-
| pected, will result in securing some site
| for the proposed building at price that the
committee will be willing to recommend.
| 1t Is the result of great deal Of discussion,
| and it is believed provides practical
method for solving the difficult problem Of
| site for the hall of records
It directs that the Secretary of the Treas
| ury shall purchase site between Pennsyi-
vania avenue and the Mall, the Botanic
| Gardens and 18th street for such a building
| at cost Of $500 and erect hall of rec
| ords on 1t at cost of $500,O00 AS intro
duced the bill does not necessarily represent
| the opinion of the committee of which MIR.
Fairbanks is chairman. but it is a basis on
which the committee will proceed to carry
out its main purpose of having Such site
within the area proposed by the park COM
mission for public buildings of this kind.
The Power House Site.
The committee has for long time had
the power house site under consideration as
suitable for this purpose, but objection has
been made to the price the Capital 9Eac
ton Company has asked for it. The COM
pany has not signifed it's willingness to
take less than 100000 for this property.
claiming that that amount represents about
the cost of the land and the foundation
they made for their building on 1t. Last
year the committee inquired whether the
company would take 100000 for the square
of ground, but received negative answer.
With desire to get another site for less
money Mr.. Fairbanks has introduced his
bill so that any suitable square from the
Botanic Gardens to 18th street can be
purchased.
Suggested by the Treasury.
The urgency of the Treasury Department
has caused the committee to endeavor to
give it's first preference to a hall Of records
among all the public buildings that are
| now under consideration. The Treasury
| Department has already expressed itself as
| being satisfied with the square between
! 18th, 10Th, E and F streets for hall of
| records, which, 1t Is understood can be
| purchased for $4OO.O 600. but the fact that
| this square is not centrally located for all
public buildings that would use the hall OF
! records and because it does not carry out
the plan Of the park commission, has
caused the committee to look With small
favor on 1t.
| The objections of the Treasury Depart
| ment to the power house site have been
| that it was not considered large enough
| for the purpose desired, and because they
| declared it would necessitate an expensive
| foundation. The committee is generally of
| the opinion that the question of foundations
| for buildings along the south side of Penn
| sylvania avenue is one that has been ex-
| aggerated so far as its influence on build
| ing operations Is concerned, and believes
that should any difficulties of that kind be
encountered they should be overcome At
| one time the committee had under con-
| sderation, in the event of purchasing the
power house site, it's enlargement by in
| Guiding in it's area the street and the tri-
| angular park north of it.
| This plan possessed objections Of destroy
! ing one of the small parks of the city, Of
| placing the proposed structure in an un-
! slightly position and also OF requiring the
| removal of the tracks of the Mount Yer
non and Alexandria railway and causing
| the cars of that company to make loop
by the Of the tracks of the Capital
| Traction Company on Pennsylvania, which
| might cause a congestion Of traffic on that
| part Of the avenue.
| Another Suggestion.
Now. in the event of the power house
| site being purchased. it has been considere
| that the square directly south Of 1t might
be secured. SO that an abundance of ground
| would be available.
| Such a plan would permit the use of d
| street as portion Of the site, and as that
| street at that place is not much used as
| a thoroughfare it has been considered that
! closing it would cause no special inconve-
| nience.
But under the bill introduced today by Mr.
| Fairbanks the site may be chosen any
| where in the large area south Of the ave
nue. In the area indicated. 1t Is thought
| that this plan will result in something In
| the nature of competition among the
| holders Of the various pieces Of land, re-
sulting in getting the required site at the
| lowest possible cost. The committee on
public buildings will soon begin a considera-
| ton Of Mr.. Fairbanks bill in order that
| whatever changes are to be made In 1t may
be determined upon as soon as possible and
| it's consideration by the Senate be begun.