The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-15
HOLD UP UNCLE SAM
MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE IN RENT
 ED BUILDIEGs-
Rcaf Extate Dealers Ia cempnct ts Get As Much as Possible Prom Gov-
 ernment and Public Suffers.

As Much as Possible From c0v-
 crnment and Public suffers.
 Washington. August 14--(Special.) )-- Uncle Sam is paying out in rents in the capital city of the nation nearly s40o.- fact that the government owns lots of land on which suitable buildings could bo erected
 Seven or eight years ago Congress provided that there should be provided a new building for the Department of Justice. It will be recalled by lawyers and others familiar with locations here that the old building in which this de- partmant was duartered was near the corner of Lafayette Square and Penn isylvatia avenue. or nearly opposite the White House grounds.
 At the time the appropriation was made it suddenly occurred to some ex ceedingiy sharp reaK estate owpers of tliis town and others who manage to get their work in when 1t comes to q land deal before Congress. that it would be a good idea to hold things up SO that they might have a chance to dis pose of their property at fancy figures
 The cry went out that the plot of ground was too small on which to place the new building for the depart ment and an agitation commenced for the purchase of an entire square a couple of blocks further West on this avenue.
 The conseduence is that the Depart ment of Justice is scattered about in various. portions of the city. The Att tcrney- General. his assistant and some of the other higher officials of the de- partment are located in buildingE away over on K street. These are alf rented, of course
 MT. Moody has his headauarters In the brown stone mansion that was once the residence of former United States Senator Thomas w. Palmer. of Michi- pretsntious dwelling in this city that boasted of an elevator Mrs. Palmer was then an invalid and the genial senator himself was so rotund that he decided to provide the elevator. Now the miiiionaires who own the more modern palaces have several elevators In their mansions.
 A lawyer of distinction coming to Washington has a hard time finding the soffices of certain of the officials of the Department of Justice. For fn- stance, if he wants to see any of the officials who have to do with the Court cf Claims he is compelled to go Blocks away to discover them. being located in the vicinity of the old Corcoran art gallery. for that tribunal has to hold forth in that ancient structure.
 There isn't room enough in that building to accommodate the Depart- ment of Justice legal lights who look after matters before the Court of Claims They are around in Jackson Place nearly a block away. and the visiting lawyer has terrible fret try- ing to find the man he Is looking for
 He is sent from first one rented building to another. and becomes ex- asperated before the hunt is ended. The old Department of Justice building was originally the home of the notorious Freedman's Bureau that flourished for some years just after the civil war.
 The Government purchased addl- tionat ground after it was tern deWn, and the land has been vacant for at least eight years. Eventually it IS believed that Uncle Sam will erect a magnificent new structure that will house within it's confines not only the Department of Justice. but also the Supreme Court and the Court of Claims. There is stout contentions however. that the highest court of the country should have a compact and model building of it's own,
 As sentiment goes. the feeling seems to be growing stronger that this august tribunal should not be housed with anything etSe. congress, lhOuBns VIII be the judge of this matter.
 Suggestions have been made that the proposed new Supreme Court building should be on Capitol-HflL, not far from the great legislative building, the Library of Congress. and the two gor- geous office buildings that are being erected at a cost of millions for the Senators and Representatives.
 The statesmen are surely going to have splendid quarters when these costly and solid structures are com pleted. The limit of eest has been gauged at something above s3.000,000 each, exclusive of the ground, but the chances are before they are completed the expense will be much greater as the finest material is being used in the construction.
 These big buildings will hardly be completed until about the close of the next, or Sixtieth Congress, unless the contractors should push the work more vigorously.
 In the building that Is being done here. 1t is remarkable to observe how slow the work for Government strue- lures is pushed along. Within recent years a number of exceptionally large buildings have been erected by private concerns. The list includes two enor- nous hotels. Ave or six large office buildings and buildings put up by banks and trust companies