Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-12
Congressional Folly.
mr. Of The Evening Star:

To the Editor of The Evening STAR
The difficulty of inducing Congress 10 pro-
vide the necessary buildings for the depart
ments and the Supreme Court Is Wen iiu'-
trated by the failure thus far OF senator
Fairbanks to secure the passage OF 'he pi'A
for a new department building, ana aiso Wy
the remarks of senators on the discussion
of that bill 1t is one OF the strahses'
things in the world that Congress will not
act in this matter, when 1t must kho"
# would be economy to do so. Today the
government is paying $4,000 for the rent
of private buildings in which to transact
public business, very few of which are at
all suita BILE for the purpose. That would be
the interest on nearly S16,O0O,00O at per
cent and the government can get all the
money it will take at that rate, ana "nch
no other government can or ever oio. Ire
folly of this is well illustrated Dy the ueldt
in securing the two squares taken to I'LL out
the northeast and southeast corners OF the
Capitol grounds. AS shown by Sen. MISS.
Doc. No. II, part 2, second session. Thirty-
sixth Congress, in 1860, the owners OF the
property in those two squares offered TO
sell to the government for a little over
10000, but they were not taken until 1917,
and then, shown by H. R. Elk. Doc. No. AZ,
third session, Forty second Congress, the
government paid for them 1851, 1913, consid-
erably more than double what the citizens
offered them for in 1862 The delay to pro-
Court is another illustration. A bill for
that and the Library was introduced in the
Forty-flfth Congress, thirty-one years ago,
and yet 1t Is not done. A similar bill has
since down to 1886, when the bill for the
Library was passed, and though twice
passed by the Senate, it failed to pass the
House.
Since 1886 bill after bill has been intro
duced for a Supreme Court building, two
of which passed the Senate, and though
favorably reported by the House commit
tee, the House has taken no action on
them. No doubt 1t will be done some time
in the future. when, as in the case of the
Capitol grounds, the cost will be much
more, as in the meantime two rows of
brick buildings besides others have been
erected on the site, and by action of Con-
gress the assessment of all the property
has been largely increased.
II any private individuals or firms were
to conduct their business recklessly as
the government has this matter of public
buildings here in the District, they would
be bankrupt within very short time, and
their neighbors would say Served them
right; they were such fools" There was
no delay in passing the bill for the Office
building for members of the House, why
should there be in providing for the Su-
preme Court and the departments? Can any
one tell? 1t certainly is remarkable. The
fact that in view of the approaching cam
paign one party desires to be very eco
nomical Is no excuse for as has been the
case in every instance where the govern
ment has purchased square of ground,
the money is not called for under a year
thereafter. as that much time is required
for the examination and certifcation of the
titles. That was the case when the squares
were taken for the Capitol grounds, the
Library site and the site for the men,
bers' building. There would seem to be no
reason. therefore, why Congress should not
at this session pass the pending bills for
the department and the Supreme Court
buildings, which latter, as Senator Morrill,
in his last speech in the Senate said: Now
appears, like Mahomet's coffin, to hang
suspended between heaven and EARTH 10,
these many years!" OBSERVER.