The Washington times., 1916-02-07
-FOUR LAWMAKERS
SEE HEAT PLANT SITE
House Expected to Refuse to
Agree to NewIaDds Plan to
Delay Construction.
(ContInued from First Page.)

AuN GoHlullNNte was -
Senator Newlands, The conference
with Senator Martin was held In his
offices ct the Capitol While II was
not public, II was learned the protests
the proposed plant 10 be constructed
on the location selected by the treasury
Department. were vigorous In the eK-
| treme
The engineers told Senator Martin
/ that thev had no further interest In
| the matter than t.,e Identification Of
| the American Capital. They asserted
\ that to permit the plant 70 pe putt on
damage on the city from an artistic
| standpoint.
Views Of the committee win be sub.
mitted in detail in written oriet
| tor Martin He win thus be In position
to lay the matter before members or
his committee.
Calls For No Appropriation.
| As to insinuations that the people who
| are working in the interest Of the ar
tistic development Of the city are being
| used as "catspaws" by local light and
power interests, the engineers not only
contradict II flatly. btu say II Is alb
| seurd.
They point out that " the Government
really desires to build up great light
and power project here. Great Fails
| should be developed. And they say nu-
| neTOua ONneT iOCAllOnb can DC lOulu lOI
the proposed central heating and power
plant,
The committee was headed by DR.. Ell
| mer Corthell. president of the Amer
lean Society OF Civil Engineers. Of New
| York. Other members included Colin
VI. Ingersoll. OF New York Charles NJ
| I.eavitt, Landscape engineer. of New
York; Ralph ID. Mershon. electrical en-
gineer. OF New York; Reginald Pelham
Bolton heating engineer. OF New York.
and w. ]. Wilgus, Of New York.
Senator Sewlands presented the
| members uf the committee TO Senator
Martin. and renewed his objections
TO the course taken bv the Treasury.
Call Charges Absurd.
Colonel Harts. superintendent OF
public buildings and grounds, and
secretary OF the Fine Arts Commits
sion. was with the committee OF en-
Sineers when they called on Senator
Colonel Harts made strong pro-
test to Senator Martin against the
location Gf the central heating and
power plant, as planned by the
Treasury Department.
Members of the committee. after sec
ing senator Martin, said they, exIected
TO see Chairman FITZGERALD OF the
House .Appropria tions Committee. and
former Speaker Cannon.
They had planned to confer with the
sonferees on the urgent Jehcrsney TS Dill o,.,:
advised this was not the customary
procedure.
Views of Treasury.
On the premise that 1T is time the
truth was told" respecting the pro-
posed plant. an official statement
has been issued by the Treas
urv Department, emphasizing the
opposition OF tn" Potomac Electric
Power Company. and directing atten-
ton to the propaganda against con-
struetion OF the plant "on the Mall"
which has brought a IeIuge OF letters
to Congress and 10 the department.
The statement does not go behind the
opposition OF the power company or
the work Of the propaganda. simply
saying. from these facts tho public
may draw its own concldsions.'
The statement follows
For some time an active propagan-
da has been at work throughout the
country, setting forth that central
heating, lighting and power plant is e.
be established on the Mall near the
White House. outraging the esthetic
sense of Washington and marring the
beauties of the city, which the whole
; country IL interested In preserving
This propaganda has inspired violent
published expressions and has aroused
, the hostile interest of Civic bodies and
citizens, resulting in tlood OF protest
, ing kilograms to members OF Congress.
the Secretary OF the. Treasury, and
, other officials at the National Capital.
"lt Is time the truth was told. The
central heating, lighting. and power
plant will not add to the dishgurement
OF Washington. 1t will not further mar
its beauty. 1t will not add to the smoke
nuisance. 1t will not place more un-
= slightly smokestacks in the landscape.
; 1t will eliminate many of these objec-
tionable features.
Congress is Interested in maintaining
( the beauty OF Washington. The Secre-
{ tary. of the Treasury Is jealous OF the
Y beauty of the National Capital and
: jealous In his efforts and desires to
. fundamental facts which inspired Con-
gress, after years of careful investiga-
ton, to authorize and appropriate
money for the construction of central
heating. lighting, and power plant and
to select the site upon which it. should
5 be built.
In Remote Spot.
This power plant. for which a con-
, tract was awarded on December a, 1915,
: : will be situated at the foot OF Thir-
. teenth street on the river front on Gov
ernment reservation set apart by the
=, founders OF the city of Washington for
commercial purposes. 1t will be so re-
= mote from the Capitol. from the White
u House, from all Government buildings
. ana from PennBylNanh avenue lndL II
:. cannot be seen from these points,
e 1T will eliminate from the city OF
e Washington seventeen smokestacks now
i existing on Federal buildings which
:, belch forth smoke and gases from their
u individual plants. Electricity and steam
. generated at this one central point viii
be conveyed to all other Federal build
ings, therefore making 1t unnecessary Il
maintain in these individual buildings
their plants and smokestacks.
In all these years that this project
has been studied by Congress and eN
perts II has been persistently opposed
4 by the local company which has beer
2 supplying electricity to the Fedora
:, buildings and the city OF Washington.
The erection OF the central heating
. lighting. and power plant by the Gov
e ernment will mean a net saving to thu
a Government OF more than $4,000 a yea
IN the cost Of heat light, and power foI
the various Government buildinEs.
u From these facts the public ma!
n draw Its own conclusions
% Following statements made by
;. prominent artists and architects be-
}. fore a Senate committee that the
Il stacks of the proposed plant would
n mar the vista OF the Washing tor
= Monument. and would mar the view