Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-19
REPORTED TO HOUSE
Omnibus Public Building Bill
Is Brought Up.
1T CARRIES $19,288,5OO
Action Unusual Following Passage
of Rivers and Harbors Bill.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN IT
Provision for Imposing New Gov
eminent Structures in Washing
ton With Limit on Cost.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN IT

An omnibus public building bill. carry
ing authorizations for appropriations ag
gregating S19,2SS. 800, with S3.O9J0OO addi
tional for continuing contracts stretching
over varying periods of years, was report
ed to the House yesterday.
This action, while anticipated for sew
eral months, is unusual during session
when a river and harbor appropriation
bill has been passed. Both measures are
popularity called pork barrels" and they
have had an unbroken history of alter
mating in the past, Congress never pass
ing both at the same session.
Conferences that have been held be-
tween President Taft and leaders of both
houses of Congress, including Speaker
Cannon. apparently assure the enactment
of the bill into law. The Senate commit
tee met yesterday and considered many
building projects which are to be added
when the bill reaches that body.
The bill as reported by Chairman Bar
thOldt follows consideration by the House
committee of $40 individual bills, in addi
ton to forty-seven sent over from the
Senate. All these involved an aggregate
of S225 600. coo, while the total authorize
ton carried in yesterdays bill has been
cut to One-twelfth of that amount.
AQQereS TO FceCeQenC.
THE committee" reported Mr.. Bar
tholdt to the House, ''has strictly adhered
to it's fixed policy of refusing considera-
ton to the claims of all cities whose pos
tai receipts are below $4,000 annually.
except where accommodations for the fed
eral courts, the internal revenue or the
land service had to be provided.
The bill makes liberal provision for
plans for new and imposing public build
ings in Washington city, where the gov
eminent now pays over 100000 in annual
rentals to private property owners 1t
authorizes the preparation of designs and
estimates for three new department
buildings on sites previously acquired for
departments of State, Justice and Com
merce and Labor. whose ultimate cost is
limited to SS,0OO,OOO; for new city post
office building at the new Union station
at $3GO0,OOO and modern Office building
to accommodate geological Indian. recla-
nation and mines bureaus at 81, 800, 900.
ION number Of projects which the
committee regards as meritoriOus. says
the report, action was deferred in order
to keep the sum total of the authorize
lions to be carried in the House bill with
in reasonable bounds
District of Columbia Estimates.
The report adds that IAN official in
the city of Washington the government
is obliged to pay over five hundred thou
sand dollars in annual rentals to private
property owners. and this has prompted
the committee to provide literally for
new structures to house the public serv-
ice in this city. While this bill carries
no authorizations for the immediate con-
struction of the necessary buildings. pro-
vision has been made for the prepare
ton of designs and estimates, one, for
three new department buildings to be
erected on sites previously acquired,
namely. the buildings for the Depart
ments of State. Justice and Commerce
and Labor: two. for the new city post
office building to be erected near Union
station on ground already purchased by
the government, and three for a modern
office building to accommodate the geo.
logical survey the Indian Office, the rec
lamation service and the new bureau of
mines.
TO guard against possible extrava-
gance, the limit of cost for all these
structures has been fixed in the bill, and
it is also provided that the plans shall be
prepared by the Secretary of the Treas
ury, and the buildings erected under the
supervision of a board consisting OF the
President, the Secretary of the Treasury
and the head of the respective executive
department for the use of which the build
ing is to be erected. Authority is given
for the employment of special experts,
irrespective of civil service rules.
The committee is of the opinion that
such an arrangement will result in
large saving to the government"