The Washington times., 1915-12-10

bills are employed Items OF doubtful
merit arc pulled through by those OF
undoubted merit. and there IL no means
OF eliminating the former. The Dill
must be approved or rejected as
whole, .l....... .a..->.> s., @
Accumulation Taken Care OF.
when the last omnibus pubiic-build-
ing bill became a law on March 4, 1918,
there still remained in the Supervising
Architects office. awaiting the atten-
tion of the technical force, an aecvmu-
lation OF work under previous authors
sations. with the exception of less than
a score Of buildings which can not be
disposed Of until further legislation Is
enacted, this accumulation has been
properly taken care Of: and on July l
OF this year preparation was begun OF
the plans and specifications of buildings
authorized in the 1913 publie-butlding
act.
Attention ls being given first to the
extension OF buildings which are no
longer of adequate size to meet the
needs OF the public service and to build
ings authorized to be erected on sites ,e
acquired under previous legislation. The
next class TO be given attention will be
the buildings authorized by the 1913
public building act to be erected on
sites the acquisition of which was also
oNbhOt NNu III SdNu att
Turning Point Reached.
Judging from results obtained during
the last quarter Of the fiscal year end
ing June go 1915. 1t is believed that by
putting into fun effect the policy OF
utilizing, whenever practicable, the plans
OF buildings previously constructed, and
with a few additional technical enl-
ployes to equal!ze the capacity OF the
several divisions the output OF the su-
pervlsing Architects Office can be ma
terially increased.
ut Is possible that the turning point
has been reached in Government archl-
lecture In large cities. The poHcy
hitherto followed of purchasing sites OF
sufficient size to permit OF placing TN, the
has, been. extremely expensive. Con-
fronted with the fact that the u,I50OOO
appropriated for a site for q new post
office in Chicago (west s'del Is inade-
quate to pay for land of sufficient area
&c accommodate a building of the Gus
tomary type and proper dimensions,
joint committee, representing the Treas
uary and Postoffice Departments, has
recently given the subject careful study.
and has reported that the working OF
the mails in a ten-story building Is
feasible in that city, provided suitable
mechanical matchmaking apparatus Is
installed. The same problem, but with
varying intricacies, may be solved
along similar lines in other large cities,
with corresponding economies in the
cost of sites.
Civic Improvement CTnaided.
"At a recent public hearing, attended
by representative citizens Of Chicago, II
developed that there was very strong
sentiment in favor of the Chicago I'M
provement plan of civic center. Thii
plan contemplates a. postoffice building
occupying two blocks. No voice was
raised in support of the department
plan of a tall building on single block
Under existing legislation the de-
partment Is unable to make the post
office project AT into the civic-centeI
81. $50, 900 appropriated for a site Is bare
ly sufficient to acquire single block
suitably located: and, secondly, because
II is not known whether the proposed
postoffice building meets with the ap'
proval OF the Postoffice Department
and. thirdly, because the department
has no means of knowing whether Con
Gress would be willing to authorize
the construction of the type and char
acter or building which would be re
qured architecturally to 1T into the
Chicago Improvement plan.
Made Personal Investigation.
Il have recently made personal in
vestigation of several important stu
ations in the public-buildings work
typical OF similar conditions in variou
parts of the country. and which mus
be submitted to Congress for furthe
and corrective legislation. In Kansa
City, Mo-. S5O0,000 was authorized in th'
public buildings act of 1913 for the ex
| tension and remodeling of the Fedora
| building in that city. After a persona
examination of all conditions there,
am of the opinion that the present an!
future interests of the Governme1
| service and the city will be best servet
by acquiring e new site nearer the ney
union station, where a building of mod
crate cost may be erected, and whicl
would be better adapted to the require
ments OF the postal service.
1.-The Postoffice Department has rrc
| ommended this course, and cordH
| concur. 1t will be necessary to Cav
new legislation giving the department
|