Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-12
NO CAUSE FOR WORRY
Use of Pension Office for
Inaugural Ball.
BELIEVED PROBABLE
SUGGESTED THAT WORLDS FAIR
BUILDING BE BROUGHT HERE.
Comment Regarding Craftsmanship of
49," Citizens Committee-Names Of
.-. Candidates Discussed.

The public-spirited citizens of Washing
ton are not worried over the possibility OF
not having the use of the spacious Pension
building for the inaugural ball. That this
auditorium will be denied them is hardly
probable If there is not something else in
the way of building equally good in sight.
In this connection there is talk that the
government building at st. Louis should be
removed here and erected in time for the
Inauguration.
There appears to be a strong probability
that Congress will be asked by the Dis
trict Commissioners to appropriate sum
sufficient to cover the cost of transferring
to Washington, and reproducing here, the
United States government building which
now contains the governments exhibit at
the st. Louis exposition. Commissioner
West, with whom the project for bringing
the building to Washington originated,
stated to Star reporter this morning that
he Will probably recommend that the Com
miss1oners bring this matter to the at
tention of Congress with a request for an
appropriation to cover the cost of accom-
,plishing the project.
The movement to bring the government
building to Washington seems to have
aroused considerable interest among the
citizens of the District, and Mr.. West has
received numerous letters from residents of
the city fndorsing his suggestion that It
would be both advantageous and appropriate
to have the governments exposition build
ing reproduced in the national capital.
The Estimated Cost.
Mr.. West this morning received COM
munication from Mr.. w. P. Van Wickle.
treasurer OF the Washington Board of
Trade, inclosing an estimate of the approx
mate cost of taking down the iron frame
of the structure. transporting 1t to Wash
ington and reconstructing the building here
This estimate, Mr.. Van Wickle states, was
obtained from Mr.. Gratz B. Stricken. who
superintendent the erection of this building
at st. Louis for the supervising architect
of the treasury.
According to the figures furnished by Mr.
Stricken the estimated cost of taking down
the iron framework would be 1000: freight
from st. Louis to Washington, about s., 700;
placing the iron frame into position, not in
GLIDING foundations or wall covering, $22,-
600; total, $49, 200. The cost Of reproducing
the building In Washington, with a sub
stantial foundation of granite, buff brick
walls and light stone trimmings, is esti-
mated at from $4,000 to $500, 600 This
amount would include the cost of tearing
down the structure and bringing the ma.
terial to the national capital.
Mr.. West is considering the form of the
proposed request to Congress :. He win
likely recommend that the Commissioners
call to the attention of Congress the pro
posed destruction of the building, and the
fact that it will be sold at great loss,
The need of national convention hall in
this city will be pointed out, and it will be
suggested that Congress appropriate sum
sufficient to bring the building here and re-
produce it on public ground. Mr.. West be-
lieves that it will be feasible to do this.
The building could be used as a hall for
conventions. for the inaugural ball and
similar national functions and besides, he
believes 1t would be desirable to preserve
in the building the exhibit displayed at the
exposition.
One Of the Results.
The objects of interest contained in the
exhibit at st. Louis could thus be kept to-
gether in one building making it conven-
lent for the thousands of visitors who come
to the capital each year. Then, too, it is
pointed out, a great many more visitors
would come to Washington in connection
with conventions ii national convention
hall were available.
Col. John Biddle. Engineer Commissioner,
when asked BY q, reporter for The Star as