Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-15
View From the Peace Monument Showing North Side of Pennsy
Avenue. LIST Street.
FIVE SQUARES ABOUT TO
PASS TO THE GOVERNMENT
Review of National Policy Toward Public Land in
the District and the Erection of Build
ings for Executive Departments.

depend upon getting anything from such
a large and important holder of real
property as Uncle Sam. For large part
of the time the property in the city. ow
ing to the slow growth of the population
! and the slight volume OF business done
here. was not much in demand and the
values were low. It's great extent AS
compared with the number of people also
led to its being held in little esteem, 50
| that Congress itself gave away large
| blocks of city squares.
The nearest approach ever made nv
the national legislature TO n sale OF tho
pubic property was some ninety years
| ago. when the city corporation was
| authorized to sell the squares on both
sides of Pennsylvania avenue. stretching
| on the south side from 9th to 3D. a nd on
the north side from Az to ID street, the
proceeds to be used 10y the Washington
City Canal Company to move a portion
OF the canal some distance to the south
As the title TO all the streets was i'm the
government, neither their direction nor
their width could be changed except hy
act of Congress, and ii was probably due
to that circumstance that the generous
plan of the city. as approved by the first
President, has been preserved to the ex-
tent that exists today.
Department Buildings Needed.
AS it has turned out. it would have
been cheaper for the government to have
held to the land which was origin
ally owned i'm this city, or at least a
large portion of it, for it is evident
that most Of it will be needed, just as
Washington foresaw would be the case
When II is realized that at the close
or more than a century since the
moval of the government to this city
two of the executive departments OF the
government are without homes further
commentary on the situation is hardly
necessary. 1t should be said, however,
that one of these departments, that of
the Department of Commerce and Labor,
is only a few years old. but the Depart
ment OF Justice, which is one OF the old
est, is in the same plight, while the
Supreme Court is still I'm the Capitol
building, where it has been ever since
lit removed its sittings to this CITY,
In rented buildings I'm various portions
OF the city are to. be found many govern
ment bureaus, and this method OF housing
employees of the government was adopted
at the very outset of its existence and
has been continued down 10 the present
day, and to an extent at this time that
is surprising when the wealth and popl-
lation of the country are taken into con-
sideration.
An interesting example OF the govern
ment as a tenant is to be found i'm the
Winder building, at the northwest corner
of nth and streets. This structure
Of 18th and + streets, only recently ac-
quired, purchased by the public. This
structure was built in the forties some
time. and during the more than sixty
ton 1t has in all probability been under
continuous rental by the government.
1t was the first fireproof structure, so
called, built in this city by private enter
prise, as its floors are of iron beams
supporting arches OF brick.