The Washington times., 1913-02-27
BUILDINGS BILL IS
PASSED BY SENATE
Action at Stormy Session That
Lasts Until Nearly Four
O'Clock in Morning.

CLOCK tniS morning, the puDEc Duil0-
ing bill, loaded to the guards with in
creases over the House bill, was passed
BY IS TO Is.
The important District of Columbia
items in the bill were retained. The
proposed building to commemorate the
services of the loyal women of the civil
war was retained after being once
stricken out. 1t finally was restored
bv 80 to 20.
Row On Potomac Bridge.
The amendment for a memorial
bridge across the Potomac caured a
long controversy. II was attacked by
Senator Hoke Smith and urged by Sena-
tor Swanson. 1t finally was allowed
ae4er 1t had been reduced from 5000. 900
- 81 500, ,OO0
The amendment providing for the ac-
Quirement of the proposed park to con-
meet Rock Creek Park and Potomac
Park a measure OF the utmost impor-
tance In the Identification of Washing
ton, also passed This amendment also
provides for a new location fer the
Botanic Garden, which is TO be removed
from its present location to the pro-
posed new park.
Another amendment which was al
lowed provides for preliminary steps to-
ward construction of hall of archives.
The armory amendment, allowing
81. 10000 for a new armory for the Dis
trict National Guard. was retained in
the bill by a vote of So TO 26
Despite the fact the Senate labored
long to pass the public building meas
ure, il was generally declared today it
would not become law. Amendments
put on in the Senate have increased
the bill to a total of about $4,000, 200.
such a sum and indications today are
the bill will fail in conference unless
the Senate drops its increases. Should
the bill pass, President Taft will veto it.
Discussion Over District.
The discussion, so far as the public
buildings bill was concerned, centered
chiefly on the District items Little
was said about the extravaganza in fea-
lures pertaining to other parts Of the
country. Among other things, 1t was
charged by Senator Hoke Smith that
"Rent trust existed In the District.
Senator Smith said the Government
annually paid Ss00Oo0 for rentals in the
District and that this policy of the
Government netted owners sometimes
as high as 3 per cent.
In this connection, Senator Smith said:
I'VE are paving $500 900 a year for a
class of buildings which could be erect
cd for $4,000 0Oo. We are paying per
cent on s20,eooooo, and We have the
ground. What / am objecting to Is
the expenditure OF this large sum OF
money for things not now necessary,
while we neglect those that are neces-
eary, which, if We would attend to.
would make SO large a saving.
NOW, with reference to what We are
paying for the National Guard, i will
say we are renting part of our prop
erty for 5000 year for the National
Guard when we lease out that prop
erty and four times as much more for
$500. The Government is still the own
er of the property. as / understand.
] refer to the old market place which.
as I understand, is leased out by the
Government for $500 a year. while we
rent a part of II for 5000, renting IL
Jack of business treatment of the money
belonging to the people of this Dis
trict of which / complain"
Urges More Buildings.
Later after discussion brought out
the fact the rentals were s5s6,e14. Mr..
Smith added:
Mr. President. twelve months ago !
took the pains TO check up the figures.
what / found the rentals then TO be. AS
7 have said, the total rental is approx
mately $500, ,o0o.
Now, what / am seeking to urge
upon the Senate is simply this: Can
we excuse ourselves for expending pub
lie money for things In this District
that are not necessary while we neglect
TO construct buildings trat are necessary
and while we continue to pay exorbitant
rsns for buildings that are necessary on
account of our neglect to erect suitable
buildings for ourselves?
Il shall not repeat the stories 1 have
heard about what has been made in the
construction of buildings after contracts
with the Government have first been
entered into in the District. They may
not be true However, what do insist
upon is that. owning the land, We can
house ourselves cheaper than private
citizens can house the Government and
that the Government, not being compel
led to purchase land on which 10 build,
can certainly erect buildings to house
its various services for less than any
private Individual can afford TO buy
land and erect buildings and rent them
TO the Government
THE private OWNERS have their taxes
TO pay, and we pay ours most literally
under the half-and-haf policy. What !
Wlsn 10 10 is 10 urge thal all tneSe
items, amounting TO 100000, even IL
Senators feel that the projects are
worthy, be suspended, be left to wait
until we have first done that which is
necessary-erected buildings for our de-
pertmental work to meet the require
ments of the department work, and
stop this $4,000 year rent 1t may be
true that $500 year is paid for the
armory: That would not be the interest
on 81, 10000"
Senator Stone moved to strike out all
after the enacting clause This would
have killed the bill. The motion failed
by 40 to II.
Refuses To Adjourn.
AT 12:S o'clock this morning, the Sem
ate by a. TO II refused to adjourn. Dis
cussionl of the bill continued unit
nearly o'clock. II then was passed
Senator Stone humorously suggest
ed that IL would be well 10 go ahead
with unobjected bills on the calendar,
but the Senate was sleepy.
Mrs. Sheppard. wife OF Senator Shep-
pard of Texas sat in the gallery
throughout the proceedings.