Evening star., 1904-03-22
Mr.. HALE'S ARGUMENT
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS SHOULD
BE PLACED ON THE AVENUE.
Opposed Locating an Immense Struc-
ture on the West Side of
Lafayette Square.

Senator Hale continued his comments on
archltects in general, on the new office
building of the President and on a plan
for locating public buildings on the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue yesterday aft
ernoon after The Stars report of the Sem
ate proceedings was closed.
The bill under consideration was Senator
Fairbanks measure providing a building
for the State, Justice and Commerce and
Labor departments, to which Senator Gal
linger had offered en- amendment limiting
to 21s per cent the fee to be charged by
architects.
Fees Of Architects.
II quoted the other day. said Senator
Hale, from the report of the House COM
mittee on the urgent deficiency bill, show
ing where S500,0O0, about that, was
given by Congress for an extension to the
insane asylum across the river. 1t was
not difficult work. The supervising archi-
tects office could have done the whole of
it easily.
But a firm of architects was employed.
They charged $1,000 for the plans Then
they charged their percentage on the whole
contract, and then percentage on every
payment on the contract, and they drew
out of the treasury 1000 as their. fee.
NOW, you cannot make me believe, and the
senator Teferring to Senator Newlands)
who is enamored Of architects and sees no.
body else, who is enamored of all the
schemes and plans of the architects cam
not make me believe that that was neces-
sary.
Favors a Commission.
Before this bill passes from the super
vision of the Senate there will be amend
ments offered which will restrict and con-
strain not only the architects, but every
body else. We ought not neglect the op-
fU for
expense great tract of land on the south
side of the avenue and changing it from a
rookery of old buildings to the site of mag
nificent public buildings. We ought not to
provide for dumping down public build
Ing anywhere else until we get a report
from some suitable commission telling us
what that triangle will cost; and then,
when that is done, at the next session of
Congress the Senate ought to provide a
special committee to take this matter in
charge.
'These things do not come especially un-
der any one committee. The committee on
pubic buildings and grounds deals with
the general question of public buildings
and grounds throughout the country Not
single building that l know of has been
Dullt In Washington in the last ten wears
unoer tne control of that committee.
Neither does the District committee seek
to do that.
South Side of the Avenue.
d
OF such senators the senator from New
Hampshire Mr. Gallinger). the chairman
Of the committee on the District of Column
bia. for the District is interested in this
this matter; the senator from Indiana (Mr.
Fafrbanks), who is chairman of the COM
mittee on public buildings and grounds.
and who is conservative, careful man:
the senator from Iowa (Mr. Allison); the
senator from Maryland (Mr Gorman), who
mas had long service here, and other SEN
ators.
They ought to take this whole matter In
eharge and report to Congress a plan upon
which we can begin to construct buildings
on tfe lower side of the avenue; and then
the question of the architects fees will
come up also. But we ought not to he hur-
ried along and driven to pass a bill Of this
kind, putting up an immense structure on
the western side of Lafayette Park, when
we ought to put everything that is built
hereafter for the next thirty wears on tbe
land below the avenue"