Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-04-23
NEW OFFICE BUILDING
To be Erected Soon on White House
Grounds.

Plans have been sent to the Senate
by President Roosevelt for temporary
building to be erected on the White
House grounds for the use of the ex-
ecutive offices. 1t is proposed to con-
| struct this building Immediately, and
| to make provision for it in the Sundry
Civil bill now before the Senate. The
cost of the building is estimated at
$4,000.
The plan of the so-called Parking
| Commission for the erection of a
| building for the use of the Depart
ments of State and Justice and the
| President, to be located opposite the
State, War and Navy Department, and
| Immediately adjoining Lafayette Park
| on the west, is meeting with consider
able opposition. This is part of vast
scheme prepared by the Parking Com
| mission for beautifying Washington,
and will involve an ultimate eXpendi-
ture of $200,000,000 or more. Senator
Hale is opposed to this scheme, and is
| especially opposed to that part of it
which proposes to surround Lafayette
| Park with public buildings ''To sur
round Lafayette Park with public
| buildings that will entirely dwarf the
White House." said Mr.. Hale, "is alb
| surd and inartistic. 1t would turn in
| to business section the square which
| was certainly intended in the original
plan to be a delightful, restful park,
| and, in a sense, a portion of the White
| House grounds. Lafayette Park as it
is now, surrounded by pleasant old
| residences, not too large or imposing,
| ic N nprfacf "a with ha "
| House. If public buildings surrounded
| it, there would be the continual clatter
of mail and delivery wagons and the
hustle of business on all sides. Then it
| would be entirely out of harmony.
But the plan for the Executive,
State and Justice Building is particu-
| larly absurd. l have examined it care
fully. 1t is simply an architects plan.
| The architects believe that the Presi-
| dent and his Cabinet and every one
else must conform to their ideas. Why
should the President of the United
States be given the third story of a
building, with two departments occu-
pying the two lower floors? The peo-
pie will not want anything of that
kind. Such an arrangement would
bring the departments entirely too
close to the President. 1t would make
his grind of work even harder than it
is now. People who had business with
the departments would all consider it
necessary to their peace of mind that
they see the President. And, more
over it is not in accord with the dig
nifty of the office that the head of the
nation should have the third story of
any building"
Mr.. Hale thinks the ideal place for a
permanent executive building is on
the ground on which the old Freed
mans Bank stood, and which for many
years was occupied by the Department
of Justice. This location is directly
opposite the White House, fronting
East Lafayette Park, and the ground
is now vacant, the building having
been torn down two years ago with the
view of erecting building on the site
for the Department of Justice. 1t was
considered too small for this purpose,
and nothing has been done towards
erecting a building, the expectation
being that Congress would authorize
the purchase of the additional land
considered necessary. The present lot,
in the opinion of Mr.. Hale, would be
ample for a handsome structure, to be
used by the executive force of the
White House, and he believes that in
the near future such a building will be
erected on the site.