The Washington times., 1912-06-05
GALLINGER WANTS
INVESTIGATION OF
FEDERAL RENTALS
New Hampshire Senator
Says Government Pays
Too Much.

Senator Gallinger chairman of the
Senate District Committee, in a discus
sion over rentals of buildings in the
District of Columbia for Government
purposes, in the course of the debate on
the legislative bill, declared for an in
vestigation by a committee of Congress
into the question of the rentals charged
tho Government.
He predicted astonishing results would
come from such an inquiry. The Sena-
tor called up for discussion once more
yesterday an item of 5000 for rent OF
warehouse for storage of public docu-
ments. This question was discussed to
some extent the previous day, and Sem
ator Williams criticised the high rentals
here. .E ~
Senator. Gslhnger was even more pro-
nounccd. He said:
II have noticed in reading this bill
In fact. noticed It when the bill was
before the committee-that we are pay
ing immense rentals in the District of
Columbia. ! think l am not mistaken,
certainly not il the statement was cor.
rect, that was submitted to the commit
tee. that there is one building in this
District that was hired by the District
government S eminent i year after year for 5000.
$4,000 and always saying that the Gov
ernment owed them $4,000 each year,
but, nevertheless, they receipted in full
l say that building, IL l am not mis-
ment of the Government for more than
twice that amount
Would Be Surprised.
ut has often occurred to me that IL
some Senator or some committee OF the
Senate or of both houses would take
mold OF this matter Of rented buildings
In the District OF Columbia, ascertain
their value, and ascertain what a fair
rental would be, they would astonish
view OF the developm ents they would
hnd. / may be wrong about 1t, but
that is my impression.
Here Is the item for the rental of a
documents. When we erected the SEN
ate offce building-and CHANGED to be
on that commission, and my distin-
guished friend the senior Senator from
Illinois (Mr. Cullom) was the chairman
OF live were told that the lower story
OF that building, especially on the b
street stde-you will remember the build
ing slopes down to c street-would pro-
vide M ample facilities for storing, think.
All the documents certainly of the SEN
ate / know that that entire lower
story II empty, or comparatively so,
and unless there Is some valid reason
Tor not using II for storage purposes 1t
does seem to me that we ought not to
pay g. 800 a year rental for storing pub
nc documents for the Senate"
tnis leo TO long discussion OF the
ssuo'eSt OF rentals In the District. Sena-
ernment was paying more for rent for
certain buildings than had been exacted
neIore the Government was the tenant
senator Williams said he had been in
formed a florist who owned a building
was getting four. times as much rent
from the Government the previous
tenant paid. He- sanctioned the idea OF
an Investigation.
Senator Smith of Georgia said he had
obtained figures showing the Govern
ment was paying out over $3.50, 900 for
rentals in the District, and he had been
INFORMED there were other rentals in
uhe District that would carry the total
Senator Warren gave the figures as
sos6N4 He inserted the following
amounts showing the rentals paid by
The State Department 81, ,4SO; Treasury
Department, $4,000: War Department,
Slb' 20; Quartermaster's Department,
United States Army, $45,377l0: Navy De
partment, Ao.3zS, "a; Interior Department,
sS9.loo; Postoffice Department, $4S, ass ;
Department ofsAgriculture,. SIS. .329: De-
partment Of Commerce and Labor, $751;
6Sl. "a; Department OF Justice, S3l, $50. 40;
United States Commerce Court, $l1,772;
peals, 1900; Interstate Commerce Com
mission. 81, 900: Public Printer, s.,
o93.76 and the District OF Columbia,
~, $50.
SeeS E4traVaganCe.
Senator Gallinger had more to say
on the subject of rentals and extrava-
gance in general. He said:
Some years ago there was a propo-
sition to purchase a certain building in
the District of Columbia Will not go
into the particulars, but the senior Sena-
tor from Minnesota (Mr. Nelson) in con-
junction with myself took up that mat
ter and made a careful Investigation.
We found that the amount named in the
bill was just about twice the value Of
the building, and, while l made some
enemies on account of the position
took about that matter, we did defeat
the proposition and saved that money
to the Government / think the building
is now being rented to the Government,
and l presume at a good round rental,
although l do not know"
No action was taken about the pro-
posed investigation. but various Sena-
tors strongly urged 1T. and the indi-
cations are a resolution providing for
\