The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-17
BY T. Wy. FITZPATRICk.

Europeans sometimes accuse Americans
OF being hasty in public undertakings,
lacking in foresight, and particularly
lacking in unity OF purpose. ] fear that
re have deserved the criticism very
often.
Just now we are being given another
Illustration that viii point a moral
The Southern commercial congress has
decided to erect a building here for its
central Offices. exposition purposes &c
A lauda5le enterprise. but II viii be too
bad If the congress goes ahead on the
present basis It has a splendid oppor-
tunity 10 do something big and to take
one bite at a cherry that has been nib
bled AT most OutrageOUsly
We have a Capitol building in which is
supposed 10 be enacted all Federal Iegis-
lston. It would be silly 10 have three or
-Four little Capitols scattered around
Washington. sectional affairs where the
legislators would group and pass. or at
tempt to pass. such legislation as was de-
sired for their sections. There is a vast
amount of States business being done in
Washington besides legislation. Il Is be-
ginning 10 be recognized that there
should be some sort Of headquarters
here for each State where all such bust
ness might be transacted. and IL has been
suggested that all those States Offices be
united under one roof and have all the
business, al the interstate affairs ex-
cept legislation. done there as all the
legislation is carried on in one Capitol
building.
Suggested Ten Years Ago.
Ten years ago the writer suggested
such States building. It was much dis
cussed. and for a while il looked as
though something might come Of II. But
certain legislators. with accustomed
short siEhtedness. finally killed the
scheme on the theory that It was extrav-
agant. particularly that part OF 1t Telat-
ing TO Offices for Congressman The
building was TO be a mammoth affair. in
which there was 10 be a vast hail Tor in
augural ceremonies. great conventions. /
and such aSsemblages
There were 10 De exhibition rooms for
each State. post-ofices for each state,
where visitors from that State could get
their mail, information bureaus for such
visitors q species Of headquarters for
the transient and permanent people in
Washington from the several States
There were 10 be Offices for every Sena-
tor and Congressman. committee rooms
caucus rooms. and such that the restrict
ed size Of the Capitol would not permit
being under that roof. It was a Compre-
hensive affair and vet one involving but
comparatively little expenditure on the
part Of each state
The Plan in Detail.
The plan was 70 have the States sub
scribe so much each pro rata OF popula-
ton. which would also regulate the size
OF each headquarters and exhibition
space, and the Federal government was
10 furnish the site The scheme was
evolved Just about the time We we're agi-
tating a revival of the TEnfant plans for
Washington. the artistic grouping OF pub
Tic buildings and systematizing Of i'm
provemeuts- The local press gave mag
nifcent help. editoriaIly and otherwise.
10 both projects. but IL and We were all
called "Greamers." Il was declared that
the country was not yet ready for that
sort Of thing and that We were seeking
70 plunge IL into ruthless extravaganza,
and much more along the same line.
We kept Dining at those things. how
ever and finally group plan was de-
art commission appointed. and We are
now sura that whatever viii be done in
Washington in the way Of public i'm
provements viii he artisticaIlv executed
and carried on with some regard for a
systematic and prearraaged plan.
The States building that was looked
upon as an extravaganza was killed. but
the very men who did it have just fin
ished spending many millions OF dollars
in two widely separated buildings for
Offices for the two bodies in Congress
These two bodies are most closely related
and il would have been eminentIy more
sensible 10 have all these Offices under one
roof But no. the piece meal sectional
idea prevails and has firm root, particu-
larry in our legislators
Offices Now Eliminated.
The Offices for Senators and. Represent
atives have been eliminated from con-
sideration, but there yet remains a cry
ing need for fitting convention hall in
Washington, and this move Of the South
ern commercial congress shows that some
people realize that there IS also a need
Of States Offices and headquarters here.
Now, in heavens name why not merge
all these things into Onee What's the use
Of planning a little sectional affair here
and another one there2 It's a pitiful
lack OF unity. Of concentration. Of CO.
operation. Is It that each committee
wishes 10 shine pre-eminentlv and 70 run
Its little business regardless Of all else,
or what has gotten into US that seems TO
be so potent IN preventing unity Of &C
ton?
We revived this States. building project
again three years ago. and since then
there have been several attempts made
by the citizens Of Washington TO build a
convention hall But this should not be
District affair any more than the Capt
tol building was a District undertaking.
What we need IS a structure that viii
be owned jointly by all the States. An
average Of S2lo.00G q State would build
this structure that would rank with any
thing in the world and that would give
Us ali the Offices and exhibition places
requisite. besides a hail that would be
second 10 none anywhere for such as
senlblages as would gather here. but are
prevented by reason Of lack OF available
space Spite Of that lack. Washington is
now great convention city. But We
cover ourselves with diScredit in those
affairs because there is no adequate place
20 do the thing in proper shape. Our
tuberculosis congress was a fizzle. and
the foreign papers TEEN with criticism
Of the unfinished hail and the general
shortcomings that attended that meet
ing We are not prepared for that sort
Of thing
WOUId Unite Minor Project.
think the Southern commercial con-
sress could do a grand thing by going On
With its canvass for subscriptions toward
headquarters. but putting the money
aside for a time and turning all its ener-
gies toward getting all Of the states TO