Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-21
SU[zER MAKES APPEAL
Declares Departments Should
Be Properly Housed.
DELAY CALLED CRIMINAL
Favors Government Acquisition Of
Five City Blocks.
IMMEDIATE ACTION Is URGED
Land Between the Avenue and Mall
on Fifteenth Street for Fed
eral-Buildings.
IMMEDIATE ACTION Is URGED

REPRESENTATIVE William SulZer Of New
York made strong appeal in the House
OF Representatives yesterday afternoon,
uHen the conference report on the sun
dry civil appropriation bill was up for
discussion for concurrence in the Senate
amendment providing for the purchase of
the five squares between 14th and 18th
streets extending from Pennsylvania
avenue TO the Mall. part of It intended as
sites for one or two buildings for the de-
partmeuts of State Justice and Commerce
AID Labor.
Mr.. Sulzer said: Il am in favor of the
House concurring in Senate amendment
No. q. now before the Conferees, author
izing the government to acquire the land
mentioned for suitable buildings for the
departments of State and Justice and
commerce and Labor. II is high time this
was done. These great departments of
The government should be suitably housed
and homed I'm proper buildings OF their
own. The government pays every year
hundreds of thousands OF dollars for rent
for. Offices for governmental officials in the
District of Columbia. The saving of this
great rent expense for a few years would
total the cost of the purchase of the
land and the construction of the neces
sary buildings now contemplated. We
should do this now, and II will be wise
economy in the end.
Penny Wise-Pound Foolish"
The conferees on the part of the
House. in their parsimonious attitude to
this commendable project. seem to be
penny wise and pound foolish. Sooner or
later this land must be acquired. 1t can
be purchased cheaper now than hereafter
Sooner or later these buildings must be
erected. 1t strikes me that now is the
best time to do it. The longer we wait
the more it is going TO cost. 1t is real
economy to do IL now.
The House passed day or so ago an
omnibus public building bill carrying be-
tween twenty and thirty millions OF dol
lars for government buildings in the
states Much of this money will be spent
at way cross stations. Much of 1t was
entirely unnecessary. Much of 1t could
be saved. Much of it will be squandered.
j am glad to say / did not vote for the
bill. Much of the vast sum carried in
that bill could be saved. if We legislated
for the best interests of all the people,
and could be spent for necessary govern
ment buildings in the District of Column
bia.
Too Much for Rents.
The government is paying too much
rent today for office room to owners of
private property in Washington. We
should stop it. The government should
erect and own suitable buildings for all its
officials. in the capital. ] believe it to he
the wisest policy, and know il will be
economy III the long run. The Department
OF state should have "A home Of its own
The Department of Justice should have
q temple that will he credit to all the
people, and an object of beauty forever
TO the capital. The Department of Com
merce and Labor should be housed in a
suitable government building. I trust the
day Is not far distant when the govern
menf Will own all the property OH the
south side of Pennsylvania avenue from
the White House to the Capitol grounds.
and build on it great and enduring and
ma snificent public buildings that will be
credit to the government. that will COM
mand the admiration of the people and
that Will go far TO make Washington the
glorious capital 1t is destined to be-the
greatest and the grandest and the most
beautiful city In all the world.
Danger From Fire.
These buildings should be up-to-date
sanitary. freproof and as beautiful in an
artistic sense as the constructive genius
OF America can make them Let me call
the attention of the House to one de-
partment of the government-the geologi-
cal survey. II is cramped and crowded
In olngy. unsuitable. private-owned build
ings-unsafe. insantary and far from
being fireproof. The government has
spent millions of dollars TO get the data
and gather the information now stored
and filed in this department Its loss
would be a catastrophe-a national ca
lamity-and all this invaluable material is
stored in an old rat-trap OF a building
wholly unsuited for the purpose that is
liable to take fire and burn down any day
or any night; and If all this information
and all this data. all these priceless rec
oros. and all the work OF years and years
CT human effort. at the cost of millions OF
dollars. should be destroyed by fire, the
loss would be incalculable ard the ma
terial of years of industry could never be
replaced.
Delay Is Criminal.
The very contemplation of delay in a
matter SO important as this is criminal
This great geological department should
have fireproof building for its home and
to safeguard its priceless work want
to see this appropriation go through. and
I do not care what bill carries it through.
l am now, always have been and always
will be friend of wise economy In the
expenditure Of the peoples money but l
have no sympathy with the economy, or
rather parsimony, proclaimed by the con-
ferees of the House in their policy of
straining at gnat and swallowing
camel. and all to the detriment of the
public welfare"
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