Evening star., 1916-12-06

on the Treasury q permanent and con-
stantiy increasing burden" \
Assistant Secretary Newton, in charge
Of public buildings and who has made
resolute effort to curtaii the waste In
construction OF needless buildings. made
this further comment on the Secre-
tary's report:
''I do not believe that another omni-
passed in the last fifteen years. will
ever be passed again by Congress. The
public has come to understand what a
stupid. wasteful policy it is. and the in
many members OF Congress are patri-
otically rejecting public opinion In
their attitude to this class Of legisla-
tion. The omnibus public buildings
bills have always had for their elemen-
tai purpose the distribution of public
the country. It is only natural to ex-
pect that public intelligence and con-
science will eliminate that sort of leg
islation. Just as the corrupt practices
act has eliminated many other things
from our political life.
There has never been time when
there was so urgent a need for large
appropriations for public buildings as
now. In nearly every city and large
town the existing federal buildings
ernment service and the people are
sorely in need Of relief.
But the omnibus bills do not pro-
vide this relief. The major part of the
authorizations in these bills are : for
post ofiices in country villages where
are adequately provided in rented quar-
ters. at rentals ranging from 800 to
$1,000 annually, whereas the cost of
maintaining government-owned
building averages about $4,000 an
nually.
"a capoPv1 foves$i o.. tion ~ fba or,pt
bus bill now before Congress undoubt-
edly would reveal that a large number
Of the buildings authorized would, II
erected. have to be maintained at a loss
to the government, IL interest. and de-
probation were taken into account. By
that is meant that the total postal re-
ceipts of the office would be insufii-
cient to cover the entire cost of main
tanning the building.
we are now engaged in disposing
of the gread mass of buildings author
lied in the omnibus public buildings
bill Of 1913. We are now turning out
these buildings at the rate of one every
fourth day, facilitated by the applica-
smaller public buildings. There Is
work enough to keep the supervising
architects Office going for more than
two years at that rate.
Nearly all OF these buildings are in
small places where rented quarters
would meet every requirement. Mean
while the congestion in the more popu-
lous localities is increasing. The
Treasury Department and Post Office
Department In Washington are con-
stantly in receipt OF calls for relief,
from all parts Of the country.
The overflow Of the existing fed
eral buildings has now reached point
where the government is paying nearly
100000 annually for outside rented
quarters. Still. we are obliged to go
forward constructing approximately
100 buildings each year in localities
where they are not needed.
The only thing possible in the cir
cumstances is to go forward with the
program Congress has given us and
save what we can. That we are doing
by economical purchase of sites and by
cutting down the unnecessary amounts
authorized and appropriated for the
buildings and turning the surplus back
into the Treasury.
VERY considerable sums are now be-
ing saved in this way, despite the alb
normal prices of labor and all building
materials"