Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-14
CONGRESS AND THE CAPITOL.
Radical Changes in the Building
Should Have Great Care.

From the Philadelphia Press.
By virtue of a report made to Congress
on the proposed Improvements of the Cap
itol, which is likely to fall by the wayside.
that body is now in a position to do the
country a service of no mean value If it so
wills. The report is made by Mr.. Elliott
W oodS, the superintendent Of the Cam
ltol, IN consequence of an appropria ton
OF 81 800 made last year to enable the
archltect OF the Capitol ito prepare plans
Tor the extension of the central portion of
the Capitol and the renovation and decora :
ton of the rotunda." Since that time the
architect of the Capitol" in the person of
Mr. clark, has died, and. under a change of
names, but not of functions the building is
now In the hands of Mr.. Woods, who has
submitted the report in question.
Fast criticism of the change of title and
the selection OF the present incumben to fill
the position left vacant by Mr. Clark's
death need not be discussed now but the
criticism Will take on a very much more
serious character in the future unless Com
gress. In acting on Mr.. Woods report,
shows that 1t realizes the Importance of
the problem It has in hand Congress- must
be we'll aware that the Copitol is too splen-
did structure for any radical changes to
De maze IN II, except under the most COM
petent professional supervision Plans for
any serious improvements, therefore should
be the work of the best architects the conn
try affords. Nothing less than this will
SdeiSiy all enlightened pubic and meet the
quickened taste for good architecture that
is in evidence the country over And in
dealing with the Capitol Congress not onlv
cannot afford to lag behind the level Of
federal work now done under the direction
of the supervising architect Of the Treasury
Department, but must surpass It,
Unfortunately, Mr.. Woods report is not
at all reassuring. He makes certain sue-
gestions, as to improvements at a pro-
spective cost Of nearly So, 900 900, which fol-
low the old plans of Mr.. Walter In the
matter OF the extension and Mr.. Walters
IDEAS supposedly in the suggestions for the
rotunda reconstruction. The carving ont
OF these suggestions is of doubtful wisdom
and particularly so since Mr.. Woods is
silent as to there being any need Of expert
supervision of this most important problem
He may naturally feel that the Office which
ne represents Is equal to all things, but IL
ne does that Is where Congress can re-
assure the public and leave no doubt as to
the nature OF the work to be done on the
Capitol.
SO FAR as Is known today, though Mr..
Cannon spoke we'll of Mr. Woods report
some time ago, his zeal for economy Is
likely to mark out any appropriations to
carry 1t into effect for slaughter Perhaps
under the circumstances this is not an nm
mixed evil But Congress ought really to
face the matter boldly and start the i'm
provements of the Capitol under Way at
once, but under expert supervision What
In fact Is wanted is al definite declaration
that the work projected is not to be a mat
ter OF pottering experimentation in the SUI
perintendent's office. Any other course will
defeat Itself, for the fnexpert remodeline
of the Capitol is something the country
will not stand