Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-05-30

chairman of the Senate Committee on
Public Buildings)
The house of representatives has also
passed a bill making an aggregate APP
preparation of S19,00O,000 for public
buildings throughout the country.
Favors are shown for all of the
states and for many of the congress
sional districts. The senate is pro-
posing amendments which will run
the bill up to about S25,000,000. Thus,
in these two bills, there is to be APP
propriated almost $100,O00,000 from
the treasury. If there were any great
emergency requiring liberality, the
American people would arise and in
dorse large appropriations with prod
igal enthusiasm. But before the war
with Spain, when $5O,0OO,00O were APP
propriated for the national defense"
that was regarded as large appro-
priation for the national emergency.
Now we are so rich that the con-
gress appropriates almost double
that sum for purposes not altogether
patriotic. and the people do not seem
TO realize nor care. 1t is very strange
that such public acts should pass
with so little notice.
This public building bill contains n
provision which has caused consider
able comment, as to the why and
wherefore. 1t proposes to purchase
an entire block of ground on Penn
| sylvania avenue, and erect TIL, reon
a municipal building, at a total cost
of S1,500,000. So far so good. But it
proposes that one entire street shall
be closed. and the new building pro-
iected onto and across the space, far
out into n government reservation,
which is one of the beauty spots of
this city. Whether or not there is
iobbery back of this, as has been in
timated. the procedure certainly is
questionable one; because the true
statesman of to-day will consider the
appearance of the national capital in
the years of the future. Its symme-
try should not be marred.
There is another proposition pend
ing for the building of hall of rec
ords for the government; and that
is undoubtedly a worthy endeavor.
In the various executive departments
of the federal government there are
hundreds of thousands of valu-
able documents which ought to be
carefully arranged like the books of
library. so that they might easily
be accessible. AS it is, tons of such
documents are stored away as rub
bish, and when wanted it is almost
impossible to find them. Documents
pertaining to claims against the
government should be shelved as are
the cases in the Office of any good
lawyer. To provide that such order
fnay be maintained, it will be neces-
sary for the government to have a
hall of records, in which the valu-
able documents of all of the depart
ments may be placed. For this pur-
pose the building of such a hall de-
serves, and will receive, favorable
congressional consideration.
But the big public blilding bill,
which has been called "the omnibus
BILL" does not deserve universal COM
mendation; particularly as it fci-
lows the big pork" accumulation of
the $70,000,000 river and kQrbor bill.
In order to secure the adoption of
this measure each state is to receive
at least one public building. For ex-
ample, it starts out with an appro-
priation of $250,ooO for public build.
ing at Montgomery, Ala; and then
taking each state in alphabetical orr
der, it goes right along, and winds
up with 100000 for Wheeling, w.
Va.
This bill went from the house to
the senate, and was there referred to
the committee on public buildings
and grounds, of which Senator Fair
banks, of Indiana, is chairman.
Whether or not that committee will
: actively urge the adoption of the bill
cannot be foreseen norprognosticated
; Some of the members of the commit
tee are economists of note; as Sena-
, tors Quarles, of Wisconsin; McCum-
ber, of North Dakota, and Vest, of
: Missouri. 1t is possible, if not prob
!. able, that some of the senators NAV
, call halt on the prodigious appro-
priation, even though some of the
J cities in their own states are expect
: ing their share of the benefaction,
: to give it a mild name.
SMITH D. FRY.