The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-02
By JOSEPH II. AMIN,

seVen-story and basement office
building probably will be erected for the
Geological Survey and other allied bu-
reaus OF the Interior Department as a
result OF the deliberations of this session
OF Congress. There is at present every
disposition on the part of influential
members of the Public Buildings Conn
mittee of the House to push an appro-
priation of from s., GOOO0e to s., 600 for
TINS purpose, largely as u result of a visit
OF investigation paid the Geological Sur
Vey in its present quarters in F Street
last spring by subcommittee led by
Senator-elect Morris Sheppard of Texas
Inc subcommittee found conditions
which made them gasp. By comparison
occupation in a New York sweatshop was
desirable IN the opinion of several men,
bers.
Inc! round one place where twelve
men were working In n loft room, i'm
mediately under n tin roof, I'm a natural
temperature of ITO degrees, and with
space SO restricted and the room so low
that IL WAS Impossible for , ner.on N,
average stature to stand erect.
As explained by Director George Otis
smith, these conditions arise from tn,
-, VI uolng the ever-increas sing
Work OF the survey in a totally mad
equate structure
Committee Is Swampcd.
inns probably will be the Capitals need
OF public building appropriation this Sos
SION The Buildings and Grounds Cow
mlttee of the House is syyamned u,;,h
demands as probably no committee hos
Zen sWainped since the war claims
poured IN at the 'beginning of the first
Cleveland administration. A conserv,+i,.o
esuinate OF the total amount demanded
Tor public buildings throughout tho com
Try places the figure in the neighborbood
OF Sl.OI1OOO,OO0. Each member NJ ar
Rouse has at least one bill. many have
three and four. There are about $40 all
told. waiting. wv an
Ihls mammoth supply of public treas
ury pork, the House is expected to cram
INTO a S2o,HGO0O barrel, at least that is
what members OF the committee profess
10 believe will be done They declare
seriously that they do not expect the
omnibus building bill to carry moro than
S20.0cc.0Oo. And this. despite the caucns
dictum of last session. which robbed th,.
hungry mouths of one years supply of
pork.
Present indications are that nothing
VIII be done at this session touchin..
upon the three projected departmentaI /
buiidnSs-State, Justice. and Commerce
and Labor-on the Mall 1t would cost
ABOUT 100000 for the first years work.
tearing down existing structures on
squares DO to 80 inclusive And 500 900
Is big item under the circumstances.
FIRST. action should come from the
Buildings and Grounds Committee or
through the introduction of a bill in one
mouse OF Congress authorizing an appro-
priatlon Tor the commencement of work
The site has been purchased and the
architects plans approved. But the Pub
lie Buildings Committee is not inclined
10 Wish any more trouble on itself and
no one has introduced bill
Setback for Project.
The entire project seems to have re-
ceiNed something of a setback in !
Congress through the ambitious plans
mapped out for the building for the De-
partnent OF State, with d view to the |
entertainment of visiting dignitaries from
ABROAD The first plans. in addition to /
large assembly room, an almost equally |
spacious dlntnG-room and a small service |
kltchen- included three living suites for |
use by special ambassadors from foreign
courts and princes of the blood. This
idea grated harshly on the democratic
natures of number of members, and
gave rise TO some caustic criticism in the
course of hearings on the buildings.
Representative Sisson of Mississippi. a
member of the Appropriations COMMITTEES. |
asked the then Supervising Architect.
James Knox Taylor, when the question
was brought up in hearings on the urgent
deficiency bill in 1911, IL 1t was true that /