The Washington herald., 1908-01-15


mittee on Public Buildings and Grounds.
providing for the purchase OF, a site for
building TO be used jointly by the De-
partments Of State Justice and Com
merce and Labor. was approved by the
Upper House without division,
The bill has not yet been offered in the
House. but viii probably be introduced
in that body at an early date. II pro-
vides for the purchase or condemnation
OF all the land lying between Pennsyl-
vania avenue. Fourteenth street d street
and Fifteenth street, in the northwest
section of the city for the requirement
Of which 5000 is appropriated. The pro-
posed new building would lie southeast
OF the Treasury building, on the opposite
corner of Fifteenth street and Pennsyi-
vania avenue.
Has Comprehensive Plan.
The report which accompanied the bill
as reported from the Senate Committee
for passage outlined the need for the
new building. and included the commit
tees opinion regarding future expansion
in the Federal departments and provi-
sion therefor. It was, In part, as fol-
lows;
In the location of site your commit
tee has arrived at the conclusion that
buildings in the District Of Columbia for
the departments of the government
should occupy a fun square, be set well
back from the surrounding streets,
classical in design, preferably three. and
at most not exceeding four, stories in
height, including the basement
We believe it is wise TO consolidate
In one building two or more departments
rather than to erect a building for each
department, for the reason that as time
goes on these departments with the ever
growing demands viii necessarily in
crease in size, and when this increase /
reaches a point making it necessary 10
provide more space il Will be far easier
and more economical TO move one depart
ment 10 "a new building and 70 allow
the remaining department or depart |
ments TO expand than 10 alter and add
70 the smaller buildings The effect Of
the city of Washington as a whole viii
be much more imposing If Il Is filed
eventually with structures of great i'm
portance in size and scale than with a
mass or smaller buildings.
Aeeu A0E New quarters.
There is pressing need, I'm our opinion. /
for the erection of one or two buildings
TO house the Departments of Justice, |
Commerce and Labor. and State. The
first two mentioned are now occupying
twelve rented buildings in different sec
tions Of Washington, and the Department
Of State IS greatly overcrowded in its
present quarters, having now actually
less available space than was intended
when the south wing Of the State, WarS
and Navy building, which it occupies in /
part, was completed in fST. The removal /
Of the State Department Will also relieve |
the congestion In the War and Navy De- /
partments by allowing them TO expand TO 4
the extent of the space vacated The /
Secretary OF State and the Attorney Cen /
eral have both urged upon the commit |
tee as consideration Of the greatest
Importance that their departments should /
be located as near as practicable to the
Executive Offices"
Nelson stops Hepburn Bill.
Senator Nelsoh. of Minnesota. put az
least a temporary quietus upon the Hey |
burn bin for the purchase of the land
south Of the avenue for use as sites for /
public buildings. by objectIng to its con |
sideratlon after It had reached the point /
Of passage. This bill included the one |
which was passed, so far as the purchase |
Of the ground was concerned.
The Hepburn bill came up in the regu- /
lar order Of business, and Senator Hey /
burn explained that 1t was intended TO |
procure the ground south of the avenue. /
down 70 the Mall. with the idea Of purg- |
ing the city Of what he characterized as
an eyeSOre. II was, in his opinjop. /
ground eminently suited to the purDoses
Of sites for public buildings hereafter 10 |
be erected, and ne expressed the hope
that the bill would pass, as. he said. 1
there was disposition TO speculate In the /
property, as its value is constantly rising
so much so, in fact. he declared. THAI in 4
five years 1t would cost $1,000. 900 to pur- 4
cnase the land, whereas at present it can /
be purchased at Sl00G000 000 or less. that /
amount being appropriated in the bill
There was considerable debate under /
the five-minute rule upon the biU Sem
atoT Whyte called for the reading Of the /
report upon 1t, made by the Committee |
on Public Buildings and Grounds when |
It was returned to the Senate with a rec /
ommendation that il pass. Senator Hev-
burn reminded the Senate that the bill /
had passed the Senate at the last session 4
Of Congress, and that it was also adopted /
as an amendment 10 the sundry civil bill /
Tillman Opposed to Mall Plan.
Senator Tillman arose and asked some
questions concerning the bill, and made it /
apparent that he is net a warm friend Of /
ha nj F1v Z
the city along the broad lines laid down
by the architect commission. He spoke
eontemptuOusly of the plans made by this
body OF experienced artists and when
Senator Hepburn informed him that the
bin under consideration had nothing 70
do with this plan he seemed moIRed and
sat down.
Senator Nelson then arose and made a
short speech upon the bill. He denied
that the value of the property which It
proposed TO purchase is rising. and de-
clared that, on the other hand. the land
is all marshy and unsuited TO the con-
struction upon it of large and important
buildings. He said that il was still a
question whether the experiment of con-
structing the Post-ofilce upon the ground /
IN question had been success. All busi-
ness. he said, was moving out toward the
northwestern section, and was destined
70 continue 10 move in that direction. so
that the value OF the property south of
the Avenue was sure to decline in value
rather than increase. Under these cir
oumstances, he said. he must object 70
the consideration Of the bill by the SEN
ate in its present form.
Guarantee for National Banks.
4 bill was introduced In the Senate YES