Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-14
SHALL IT Be FACTORY
Question Propounded to Con-
gress by Commissioners.
MUNICIPAL BUILDING
TWO CLASSES OF STRUCTURE
FROM WHICH TO SELECT.
Arguments Advanced for Increase in
opriation-District Authori-
ties Speak for the People.

The people of the District are evincing
considerable interest over the reports OF
probable difficulty of the Commissioners in
securing from Congress the increase in the
total appropriation for the new municipal
building, in order that structure suitable
in appearance and character may be erect
ed for the permanent home of the District
government Many express the opfnfen that
Congress will not impose upon the people
of the District the necessity of erecting
along Pennsylvania avenue the principal
thoroughfare of the capital city, cheap
looking building constructed of brick with
limestone trimmings, on the mere plea OF
economy; and especially when the people of
the District pay half the cost OF this I'M"
provement which is not the case In the
erection of other public buildings.
Othere citizens are apprehensive lest the
members of Congress may not fully appre.
ciate what the new municipal building VIII
mean to the people of Washington and that
the case is one for exception. They rear
that the seriousness of the contingency may
not be fully comprehended by the members
of Congress from the states who have clOse
to their hearts the securing of public build
ings of their own.
1t is pointed out however that those
members of Congress who are active IN the
model capital city of the world will not OPP
pose the proposition to provide the Dlstrlct
government with a building commensurate
with its needs and one thoroughly in har-
mony intellectually and otherwise with
the general plan of capital Improvement.
Review Of Legislation.
A review of the legislation for this new
home of the District government bears out
the statement that the Commissioners have
t., lyi,><r thn
ent Congress to increase the total cost of
the building In the public building act of
June g. 1902 Congress authorized the Sec
rotary of the Treasury to purchase, for
sum not exceeding $550,000, a site for
municipal building for the city of Washing
ton. This act further provides that:
When the Secreta of the Treasury
shall have completed the purchase of the
site, he and the Commissioners of the Dis
trict, acting jointly, shall proceed at once
to contract for the erection and completion
thereon a fireproof building for the ac-
commodation of the municipal and other
offices of the District of Columbia, the total
cost of said building including cost Of site,
not to exceed 81 500, OOO.''
In the selection and purchase of the site
for this building the Commissioners had no
voice. The site, where the old power house
formerly stood, was purchased for $3.50, 600
leaving about 100000 available for the
building after other expenses had been de-
Quoted from the million and half dollars.
The District building commission procured
an architect and plans for the building by
means of a limited competition, the pro-
gram for which specified the exact amount
of floor space necessary to accommodate the
District offices, allowing for an increase of
20 per cent in the floor space to meet flu
ture requirements. The architects were call
ed upon to design a building which should
not cost over S900, 600 The committee of
award consisted of Col. John Biddle Engi-
neer Commissioner; James Knox Taylor,
of 1,
Messrs D. H. Burnham, George b Post
and Robert S. Peabody.
Arguments for Increase.
In its report on the award the committee
made the following arguments in support
of increasing the cost of the building at that
time, in December, 1902:
we respectfully submit that it is evident
from consideration of all of the designs
that an entirely satisfactory design for
municipal building cannot be made for a
lot OF such small dimensions; that 1t is nee
essary that the structure shall be six
stories high Gnstead of four stories).
we therefore recommend that If possi-
bic, larger lot shall be secured so that
the building need not be more than four
stories high, in which case we are satisfied
that the architect selected is competent to
make an entirely satisfactory design. The
amount of the appropriation Is evidently in
adequate to secure the construction of the
number of cubic feet of building required
for your building, unless the exterior walls
are plain brickwork and the interior finish
is that of a factory"
This letter, from the committee on award
was forwarded to Congress by the Commits
sioners December IT, 1902 and in their ac-
companying letter the District building
commission earnestly urged Congress to fix
the limit of cost of the building at g. 500 600.
This argument was urged from calculations
based upon the plans and before actual
work had been commenced.
The House committee on public buildings
and grounds consented to the increase of
81 600, 600 asked for by the commission but
the Senate committee cut down the appro-
priation 100000. Last year the Commis-
Sioners had no new facts to base their
quest for an increase in the cost of the
structure, although they believed from the
former calculations made from the draw
ings etc, that 81, 800 600 would be necessary
to construct a suitable building.
Based on Actual Figures.
Since the last session of Congress, how
ever, work has been commenced on the
structure. The foundations are under way,
under contract amounting to about $780,
600. Bids for stone for the structure have
been received, and in order to secure a
suitable and substantial stone the commits
sion finds about $3.50, 600 will be necessary
The arguments of the commission for an
increase in the total cost of the building
this year are, therefore, 1t is argued, based
upon actual figures which accurately bear
out their former calculations.
Heretofore the requests have been based
upon calculations and estimates, but now
accurate Information has been furnished
and from the figures it is found that an in
crease in the cost of the project Is neces-
sary, or else the commission viii be re-
ouired to erect factory" sort OF structure
for the permanent home of the District gov
eminent. The question is before Congress
as to whether the District building comnnis.
sion shall build factory" or whether II
shall build a structure monumental in
character" like other public buildings in
Washington, which will be credit to the
national capital and realization of the
hopes of the people of the District, VINO pay
taxes and otherwise help to make Washing
ton the most beautiful capital city In the