Evening star., 1902-04-12
NEW PUBLIC BUILDING
For Executive, State and
Justice Departments.
REPORT TO SENATE
PLAN OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.
Provision for Official Receptions That
Would Overtax the White
House.

report from the committee on public
buildings and grounds on the bill authoriz-
Ing the purchase of site and the erection
or an executive, state and justice building
was made to the Senate today by Mr.. Fair
banks, chairman of the committee. This
subject has long been under consideration
by the committee. The proposed building is
to be on square 167, Immediately west or
Lafayette Park. Plans for it have been
prepared by Mr.. George B. Post Of New
York. They contemplate white marble
structure Of classic design. The delay Of
the committee in reporting this bill has
been caused by an uncertainty as to wheth-
er offices for the President should be pro-
vided in the proposed building. AS reported
to the Senate 1t not only makes provision
for executive offices. but for the holding of
large official receptions by the President
that would overtax the White House.
A Reasonable Expense.
your committee believes that a careful
consideration of the bill and of the require
ments of the public service will show con-
clusively that the building contemplated is
necessary, and when the official estimate
of the cost is compared with the cost of
other public buildings it will be found to be
the most reasonable way of providing for
the needs of The public business.
The bill repealS an act approved March
J. 1S9S, for the erection of building for
the Department of Justice, and returns to
the treasury S1,0O0OGO appropriated for that
purpose
The supervising architect of the treas
ury estimates that the building proposed
by the bill will cost, exclusive of site. from
10000 900 to S6000.00o. The committee ven
lures opinion as to the cost of the site
The assessed value of the property re-
quired, in block 167. as shown by the pub
'ic records for the purposes of taxation, is
,662S51. At hearing before your COM
Iuittee the supervising architect estimat ed
that the building and site together would
probably cost not to exceed $7,0O0000.
The White House.
''The present White House was con-
structed and occupied in November. 1900.
1t was rebuilt in 1929. When first occupied
the country had population of $3.50. 900.
The fact that a hundred years have elapsed
and that the population IS approximately
fifteen times as great would seem to af-
ford sufficient argument for giving to the
Presi MT additional accommodations. The
subject of charging the present White
House or providing space elsewhere in the
vicinity for the force of clerks. ard an Of
flee for the President, in which he might
transact his official business, reservins to
his family and to himself some measure of
domestic privacy, has been a subject of
official recommendation from time to time.
Col. Theodore A Bingham, commissioner
of public buildings and grounds. in an ad-
dress at the centennial exercises In the
east room, December II, 1900, said: 1t has
long been practically impossible for this
house to answer the purposes for which 1t
is intended
Elaborate plans were prepared under
the direction Of the late Mrs. Benjamin
Harrison and approved by Colonel Bing-
ham, which contemplated an extension of
the White House. At the time they were
submitted there had been no action in
Congress to provide executive offices apart
from the White House. reserving that
building as a home for the President in the
fullest sense of the word and preserving
1t with It's historical associations unmarried
in its original design as it was planned a
century ago.