The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-08-01
Which Shall Supervise All
Public Buildings
Factory Or Block Type Of
Structure Is Specified

Under the provisions of the omnibus
federal building bill, which provides
for post office building for Mount
Vernon and makes an appropriation of
$4,000 for same, a change is made
from the plan heretofore in existence
under the law applying to public build
ings of the United States.
The office of supervising architect of
the treasury is abolished and there is
established in the treasury department
a bureau designated as the bureau of
public buildings. At the head of the
bureau is an officer designated as COM
missioner of public buildings, who
must be skilled architect. He is ap-
pointed by the president. The bureau
is to be conducted by committee of
three persons, the commissioner of
public buildings being chairman and
the other two members are to be ap-
pointed by the secretary of the treas
ury from the force of the bureau of
public buildings.
The bureau of public buildings is to
have jurisdiction over and the control
of the selection of all sites for public
buildings as may be authorized by con-
gress, the drafting of plans and speci-
fications for all public buildings, the
supervision of the construction of
buildings, and in fact Jurisdiction
over and control of the entire
matter of the construction of federal
buildings until the same shall have
been completed. The bureau also
shall have the custody, care and main
tenance of all completed federal build
ings.
The commissioner of public build
ings shall divide the states and terri
tories of the United States into not
less than six nor more than twelve
groups in such manner as to have
states and territories of similar topog-
/ raphy and climate as near as may be
in the same group. He shall likewise
divide the towns and cities of each
group which contain no federal activi-
: ty other than postofiice into five clas'
} es according to the postal receipts
I Mount Vernon will be in the second
class, in which the postal receipts are
between $3.50 and $4,000 annually
4 After the groups and classes have
r been made, it shall be the duty of the
Q commissioner of public buildings to
p standardize all public buildings author
Y lied for any Of the cities and towns in
e cluded in such classes; that is to say
that whenever plans and specifications
are drawn for building to be con
l. structed at city or town included in
n any of the classes stated, such plans
5 and specifications shall be used fol
}. buildings which may be authorized al
l. any other cities or towns of the same
d group and in the same class,
> In the purchase of sites for federal
IS buildings it shall be the duty of the
bureau of public buildings in each case
y to provide for the purchase of sufIi
t. cient lands so that the building may
S be enlarged from time to time as the
needs of the service may require. Own
r ers or agents of sites in each case
n where "A site is proposed to be pur
It. chased, are required to submit offers
for sale Of their sites in writing. Pro
to posals for the sale of land suitable fol
lie sites shall be invited by public adver
tisement, Proposals made in respons,
to the advertisement will he taken NJ
by the commissioner of public build
ings and all sites proposed shall be in
q speoted by the field force of the bu
reau and written report on then
made to the bureau together with
, recommendation. After the purchas
I" of a site the commissioner of publ
Z buildings shall advertise for bids 70
the construction OF the building, an