Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-07
The Housing of Congress
Bv Frederic J. Haskin

combs and many in a converted Office
building outside the capitol grounds.
Such members of the house as were not
chairmen of committees were forceu TO
hire their own offices. 1t was In re-
sponse to this demand for more space
that the two new office buildings were
authorized. When congress meets next
month 1t will find both of these build
tngs practically completed, although
the house has been using its building
for two years and the senate building
was occupied last winter These two
buildings, standing northeast and
southeast of the capitol and between
the capitol and the library are con-
structed OF white marble. The four
legislative buildings, taken together
with the Union station, form on Capt.
tol hill In Washington the most impos-
ing group of modern buildings in the
world.
Each office building affords a private
office for each member of the respective
houses and each building is connected
with the capitol by subway There is
some rivalry between the senate and
house as to the attractions of their ar
ticular building. 1t must be conceded
that the senate building is more mag
nificently furnished and decorated. The
house has n system of shower baths
The senate couhtered with complete
Turkish bath outfit, and now the house
is about to get even by the installation
of huge swimming pool. The capitol
has two restaurants. one in each wing,
and each office building shelters COM
Portable cafe.
The striking beauty of the white mar
BILE office buildings has accentuated the
dingy gray of the sandstone with
which the capitol is built. 1t Is prob
able that sometime within the next
twenty years the recommendations OF
Superintendent Elliot Woods will be
adopted and the capitol building VIII
be resurfaced with white marble. The
sandstone is dark and disintegrates
rapidly in the washington climate. The
capitol, while holding its proper domi-
nation of the architectural group In
respect to size and the beauty of its
lines leaves much to be desired in the
character OF It's finishing material
With the central portico extended to
correspond with the two wings and
with the entire building clothed in
immaculate white. the capitol would
indeed be an ediflce worthy of the
great nation for which II stands.
The new heating plant which has
just been placed in commission is per-
haps the most complete in existence.
1t was built at a cost OF $1,500,000, and
IT supplies heat and fight for the capt.
tol, the two office buildings and the
library. 1t is situated a half mile
away. The heat is conveyed to the
building through non-radiating con-
duits. There Is also an arrangement
for providing cold air in the summer
The British parliament has been far
ahead of the American congress in this
respect. Both in London and Wash
ington the buildings have been heated
by hot air. In hot weather, however,
the American congress has sweltered
while the English legislature has been
cooled by air driven through ice cham
bers. During foggy weather the British
parliament takes its air altered through
many layers of absorbent cotton.
Another Improvement, also following
British precedent, win be made In the
house wing OF the capitol at the ex-
piration OF the coming session. The
house of representatives chamber Is
situated in the center of the wing. has
no direct connection with the outside air
and has defied the efforts of fifty years
to provide an adequate system of
ventilation. Furthermore, 1t is very
large chamber, and IL has been impos-
sible for q member to make himself
heard without shouting. Each member
now has a desk before his chair, and
the presence of this convenience tempts
men to read and write. rather than to
listen, thus hampering the expedition
of the public business. Now that each
member has been provided with a COM
modious private office, there is no long
er any excuse for the desks. There
fore the coming reform. The cham
her of the house of representatives will
be removed to the east end of the
house wing, II will be cut down 10 less
than half Its present size and the
desks will be eliminated.
The capitol and the other buildings
provided for the use of congress COM
pose the most magnificent and ex-
pensive legislative plant in the world
yet no man can say that congress has
been unduly extravagant in providing
for these great buildings. The United
States Is the richest nation in the
world, and 1t is the largest both in
population and area Of any nation gov
erned by a parliament. The American
who visits Washington and looks upon
these symbols of national power and
national authority goes home with a
deepened patriotism and n more ade-
quate idea of the greatness of the
American people.
Tomorrow-KinE Edwards Birthday.