Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-26
AVENUE SITES BEST
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Offer Ideal Locations for Pub
-" lie Buildings.
PLAN GAINING ADVOCATES
Representative Williams Wants
Government to Buy.
A. REASONABLE PROPOSITION
Views of House Members on Move
ment to Make Thoroughfare'
a Credit to Nation.
A. REASONABLE PROPOSITION

The proposition for the purchase by the
government of the property on the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue for sites for
government buildings has strong advo-
cate in Representative John Sharp Will
liams of Mississippi, leader of the House
minority.
Il have long been of the opinion" said
Mr.. Williams to Star reporter today,
that public buildings in the city of Wash
ington ought to be located along the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue and immedi-
.ately around about the Capitol or Capitol
square. The erection of the Congressional
Library, of the two legislative Office build
ings and the anticipated erection at.some
future date of Supreme Court building
on Capitol Hill, and near the Capitol
itself and other public buildings from
time to time connecting Capitol Hill with
the Treasury Department seems to me to
be part of one large and reasonable Plan.
AS to when we should purchase the prop
erty and the details. ETC., am not pre-
pared to express an opinion"
Favors Reasonable Plan.
Representative Charles F. Scott of Kan
sas, has. this to say:
II am in favor of any reasonable plan
for the adornment and identification of
Washington. / wish to enter my earnest
protest, however, against any proposal
which involves the destruction of all the
trees on the Mall, the reduction of that
park to a dead level, and the construc-
ton of a caring roadway straight through
it's center. 1t seems to me it is poor
landscape architect who cannot adapt his
scheme of identification to existing condi-
tons sufficiently to utilize the natural
beauty of the ground he Is treating. l
particularly object to an attempt, by the
Unauthorized location of monuments or
buildings, to foist upon Congress plan
which was prepared without authority
and has never had official approval
Il do not believe that a firm of absentee
architects holding no official status what
than cabinet ministers or committees of
Congress, or Congress itself. If the beau
LITIGATION of the National capital Is to
proceed upon some fixed plan, as, Of
course it sought to, let that plan be
brought openly and regularly before Con-
gres.r The longer this is postponed and
the more it is attempted to try by indirec-.
ton and subterfuge to do that which has
never been officially indorsed. the less
likelihood there Is of consistent and har-
monious action"
Representative RansdeN of Iowa said
today:
II have not made any study Of details.
but l am decidedly in favor Of making
ital on earth, and l would not hesitate to
vote whatever sums may be required for
that purpose. l am heartily In favor OF
having the government purchase the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue and erecting
suitable buildings thereon"
Need Of Identification.
The congressional kids Of the Sixtieth
Congress are also nightly interested in
the matter. One Of them, Representative
Kindermann of Wisconsin, said to a Star
reporter today:
Being a new member and not fully ac-
quainted with the lay Of the land, I am
unable to say what plan to improve the
landscape around the Capitol had better
be adopted.
."That something should be done to
beautify the surroundings struck me very
forcibfy during my short stay in Wash
ington.
This IS the view Of Representative
George L. Lilley of Connecticut:
1.-The United States has become the
great nation Of the world. The city most
visited and most carefully studied by our
people Is our National capital. 1t is emf
nently fitting that Washington should be
our model city, both In efficiency and lin
beauty. heartily indorse all movements
toward this end.
at our national appropriation bills and at
the action of their representatives in Con-
gress, a fund Of many million dollars
might be saved annually, but a fraction
Of which would be necessary to ornament
Washington with public buildings that
would rank second to none In the archi-
lecture Of the world.