Evening star., 1916-06-26
SUNDRY CIVIL BILL
BEFORE SENATE
Committee Adds Number of
District Items-Measure
to Be Expedited.

After adding a number of provisions
of great interest to the District of Co
lumbia the Senate appropriations COM
mittee today reported the sundry civil
appropriation bill to the Senate. and
every effort will be made to have the
bill passed Immediately.
The bill as reported to the Senate
carries $12S,396,44524, as compared
with s127,540.651.24 carried by the
House bill.
The Senate committee inserted an
item Of 100000 for beginning work on
river to take the place of the Aqueduct
bridge. and authorizing the Secretary
of War to enter into contracts for com
pletion of the structure in an amount
not exceeding 100000.
The committee also placed in the bill
provision for "a public buildings
commission" which is to make plans
for permanent quarters for all gov
ernpent headquarters in the District
Of Columbia.
Other additions for the District of Co
lumbia are $25.000 for Meridian Hill
Park and $11.544 for the Columbia Hos
pital.
Provision Stricken Out.
The Senate committee struck out
provision OF the House bill dealing
with the appropriation for the plate
printers and plate printers assistants
to the effect that none of the money
should be expended for an increased
in tho bureau beyond the rate paid
January l. 1916.
Provision is inserted in the bill in
C~I,
the Deaf land formerly part of the
right of way of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. as follows:
'All that parcel Of land lying between
the west boundary of West Virginia
avenue. said avenue now being laid out
with a width of sixty-six feet. and the
east boundary of the grounds of the
Columbia Institution for the Deaf. said
parcel of land fronting on Florida ave-
nue. about ten and one-haIf feet and
containing one-tenth OF an acre. more
or less"
Public Buildings Commission.
The paragraph providing for the pub
lie buildings commission Is as follows:
With view to ultimately providing
permanent quarters for all the govern
mental activities in the District of Co
lumbi in buildings owned by the gov
ernment, a commission is created, to
be composed of the chairman of the
committee on appropriations of the
Senate and one other member of that
committee, the chairman of the COM
mittee on public buildings and grounds
Of the Senate and one other member of
that committee, the chairman of the
committee on appropriations of the
House and one other member of that
committee. the chairman of the COM
mittee on public buildings and grounds
OF the House and one other member of
that committee. the superintendent of
the Capitol nnd.D building and grounds. the
grounds and the supervising architect
or the acting supervising architect of
the Treasury.
The commission shall elect one of its
members as chairman of the commits
sion and is authorized to employ such
expert clerical or other services as IL
may deem necessary, and shall avail
itself of the advice of the commission
Of fne arts.
Provides for Inquiry.
The commission shall Investigate
and ascertain what public buildings are
needed in the District of Columbia to
provide suitable and adequate accom-
modations. with allowances for future
expansion. for all Of the Offices, estab-
lishmea.s and public services of the
government IN the District of Column
bia. the proper location of such build
ines. the probable cost thereof. and the
probable cost of such new sites as they
may deem 1t necessary for the govern
ment to acquire
ANY vacancies in the commission
shall be filled In the same manner as
the original appointments were made
ITO defray the expenses of the COM
missicn the sum of $4,000. or so much
| thereof as may be necessary. is appro-
priated, to be Immediately available
| and to remain available until expended,
and to be paid out on vouchers signed
| by the chairman Of said commission.
THE commission shall make report
| to Congress not later than the 1st Of
January, 1917"