Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-15
POWER PLANT FIGHT
LOST IN THE HOUSE
Conference Report Adopted
Despite Contest Made
by Mr.. Cooper.
CHAIRMAN FITZGERALD
DEFENDS THE LOCATION
Republican Leader Mann Calls Site
Fine Arts Commission Approved
the Worst Possible.

CAAS 0Its CoWWlSSlOn approved
the Worst Possible.
The House today voted to adopt the
conference report onthe deficiency APP
preparation bill. thus finally completing
the action necessary to eliminating
from that measure the prohibition
against the erection of the central
power plant at the proposed site at
14th and Water streets southwest.
The conference report brought out
some very sharp statements. Repre-
sentative Cooper of Wisconsin asked
several times why the plan had not
been referred to the fine arts commits
sion, and while there were many vocif
erous answers to him, none of them
gave him a direct reply.
Representative Fitzgerald and Rep
resentative Sherley said some very
harsh things about the national fine
arts commission as well as the Amerf-
can Institute of Architects. Represent
alive Fitzgerald said that the many
protests from these architects amounted
to 'impertinence" and Representative
Sherley called them "impudence.'
CloseS spirited UeDate.
At the conclusion of spirited debate
Representative Mann of Illinois said
that after seeing the location of the
Grant memorial, as approved by the
fine arts commission. in the worst
imaginable place in Washington he
preferred to take the judgment Of con-
gressmen about the location of build
ings.
The discussion as to the Potomac
Electric Power Company and its re-
lation to the protests brought from
that as far as he is concerned no body
from that company directly or indi-
rectly had attempted to influence him.
He said that the protest began to
spread when the IN fine arts commission comm,
going to be built without consulting
the commission. He also said that
President Wilson had SO modified
former President Tafts order that
plans should be referred to the COM
mission as to leave it entirely within
the discretion Of the Treasury Depart
ment whether the plans should be re-
ferred or not.
Mr. Cooper Opens Fight.
When the conference report was
taken up Representative Gillett Of
Massachusetts, said the appropriations
committee had originally provided for
plant and that by various steps 1t had
turned out to cost several hundred
thousand dollars more.
why was this plan not referred to
the commission on f..e arts?" asked
Representative Cooper Of Wisconsin. as
he opened the fight on the power plant
and smokestacks.
Washington is the national capital
and its citizens are as entitled to an
obedience to the laws as we are. The
law provides that all such plans shall
be referred to the fine arts Commission.
one: don't believe the plant should
be located where 1t Is to be.
A large photograph was brought into
the House by Representative Fitzgerald
the. 'welr' by the Speakers desk.
Representative Cooper said that it
showed some stacks that were supposed
trick of photography" they did not show
up the way they would in actual vision.
Il don't know where that view was
taken from unless it was taken from the
Washington Monument. 1t looks as il
1t might have been taken from Baltimore
Remember, this IL a national capital and
It Is not necessary to build any such
plant in such way to spoil the city.
"Must Obey the Law"
Hereafter we want the executive
officers of the government to know
that we want them to obey the law.
and that great plants like this shall
not be located anywhere until the ma
a.
approved the whole scheme"
Representative Fitzgerald. chairman
of the appropriations committee, de.
Tended the power plant site. and plan
and took a few cracks at the Ameri-
can Institute of Architects. He said
no one made any protest on the site
or the four stacks until recently.
THE Potomac Electric Power Com
pany submitted bid on the PROPOSE
ton to furnish electricity to the build :
It was shown that 1t would be a saw
ing to build the power plant. They
submitted further proposal, and later
were given hearing and declared
that plant of this sort can't be built
for the money proposed.
when the plea was unavailable It
was suddenly discovered that a great
act of vandalism was about to be COM
mitted; they objected to the placing
Of the plant on this site, and gentlemen
began to flood Congress with kilograms
of protest AGAINST these great stacks
that they thought would soon be belch-
ing smone against the White House.
Mr.. Fitzgerald said the plant would
eliminate seventeen stacks through the
city.
mo one visited the plant site and has
declared 1t a detriment to the city,"
he said. II have given time and ef-
fort to develop and beautify Washing
ton. and l resent the impertinence Of
architects and engineers who are ig-
norant of the facts and who attempt to
force their views on US.
mo men are more jealous of the
beauty of Washington than congress-
men. and yet the greatest misstate-
ments are made about this matter
THE president of the American In
stitute of Architects was SO ignorant
Of the facts that he couldn't tell
within fifty feet the height of the
stacks he was protesting about. And
the most offensive stacks in the city
are those of the Potomac Electric
Light and Power Company"
TN M0n|[V DI hNc !.