Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-30

ii would be wisdom on our part to COM
mence at the Botanical Gardens and buy
every square until you reach the Sherman
monument below the Treasury Department.
Nay, more, II I had my way I would re-
move every building on the lower side OF
the avenue. / would take every one out,
and when the depot shall be taken away !
would make one continuous mall, save and
except the buildings that might be put on
the line of the avenue for the use OF the
government.
Senators will say that is great ex-
pense Mr. President, it will not cost
1.-THE of what Paris spent to beautify that
city under Louis Napoleon, and there IS
not a Frenchman anywhere who Is not
proud Of that act Nobody has ever re-
GREETED It, The French tore down old
buildings of hundreds of years STANDING
and put up buildings of fine character. and
made great, wide streets where there hao
been narrow ones.
II do not know how much 1t would cost.
1t will not cost much more than TINS
scheme-I do not say that the commlttee
have adopted it: do not say the chairman
has espoused Ito put all these buildings
around Lafayette Square. In my Judgment
II will cost less; and If you put them there
YOU will have the contrast between these
worthless buildings on the avenue and
these fine buildings up there. what does
the foreigner who comes here, When ne
walks or rides up the avenue, think OF the
buildings on the left-hand side!
Contrast them with the Treasury De-
partment and the State Department ana
the White House, which, even with some
objections that have to it just now, is a
creditable building.
The Probable Cost.
IT should like to have commission tell
us what II would cost I should like to have
a commission tell us what kind of buildings
we ought to put there. Then, Mr. Presl-
dent one by one, as we need them, I would
build them there. I am not alarmed II
some one tells me it would cost $2o,OOO,OOo'
1t will not except for the buildings.
should like to see lining that avenue pulld-
ings which would comport with the dignity
and character of this nation. i know that
when the avenue was laid out 1t was eX-
pected that it would be lined with fine
buildings. 1t has not been. When you
have removed the buildings on the lower
side and replaced them by respectable
buildings of the government ahe nu,ioi aaS
they too will be replaced by buildings for
business purposes worthy and creditabie TO
the city,
three-department bill, but would vote for
Mr. Hales amendment for a commission
That would provide for an adequate plan
for the improvement Of the capital.
"A nation that does not have pride IN IFS
capital is on the downward road to DEATH"
declared Mr.. Teller. "A nation that does
not feel an interest in the place where its
legislature meets and where it's executive.
lives is not a healthful people,.
Mr.. Nelson said while he favored buying
ground south of Pennsylvania avenue and
turning 1t into park. ne did not believe in
putting buildings there. 1t was made
ground, he said, unfit for foundations
The Foundations Firm.
Mr. Teller said there are already two pub
lie buildings provided for on the south side
of the avenue-the post office building and
the projected municipal building. There is
not any trouble to get foundations. and
good foundations he said. THE founda-
ton of the Post Office Department building
is a perfect one There has been no set
Ting of the building. 1t is somewhat eX-
pensive but then, large buildings always
are expensive in their foundations.
And it is not swamp, as the senator
from Minnesota says. There was some
swamp down there, but as to an overflow,
it never need overflow If we do our duty to
this city and take care OF the river as we
ought to take care of it. The overflow came
from the penurious treatment of this Dis
trict by Congress.
Danger From Floods.
"As to the great flats down there since I
have been here a distinguished citizen of
this city offered to build them up and bring
them up to grade If the government would
give him the land when he got through,
and they would not do it. If there has
been a flood here we are to blame for it,
and it is within our power to prevent a re-
currence of that kind. That is one of the
things we ought to do, and it is one of the
things we will certainly do if we tear out
those old buildings and extend the mall
down to the neighborhood of the avenue
and then line 1t with proper buildings.
1T ought to be, in my Judgment, lined
with buildings of such character that the
government of the United States will be
able to conduct its business in them, and
that the citizens who come here will be
proud of the government buildings"
Mr.. Gallinger Favors the Avenue.
Senator Gallinger favored the use of the
south side of the avenue for buildings.
ITO my mind,' said Mr. Gallinger, 1T is
inconsequential to talk about. the small
amount of money that will be required to
make foundations on the south side of
Pennsylvania avenue OF course it will
cost something, but that cost is not suffi-
cient to deter any of us from voting to re-
deem Pennsylvania avenue from the I'M
slightly condition and undesirable environ
ments that are there to be found at the
present time. The Southern railway has
erected it's great building on the south side
of Pennsylvania avenue. We have our mag
nificent post Office building ther and we are
about erecting municipal building at a
cost, ! think. OF nearly $2,0O0OO upon that
avenue. see no reason why we should not
for the purpose of identifying the city,
take the grounds south of that magnificent
avenue as sites for the public buildings
which are to be erected during the next
twenty or twenty-five years"
He thought the great number of local i'm
provements needed in the District might
make it desirable to curtail for a time on
public buildings that could be done with
out. He objected to the pending bill be-
| cause he thought no two departments
should be put in single building.
when the stage is reached" he said.
where l can offer amendments to this bill
/ propose to offer two amendments. One is
that this commission shall select ground
on the south side of Pennsylvania avenue
for the building in contemplation, and the
other will be that we provide If We are to
provide any building, simply for a struc-