Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-09

the Belasco theater, which is opposite the treas
ury, but the employees of the treasury department:
cannot hope to move into it for two three years
In the meantime apartment house. which is
now in the course of construction has been rented
by the government to be used an office build
ing. This will be slight relief to the treasury E
There being place for the food conserva-
ton commission to hang up its hat in govern
ment building, it has had to take over small
hotel .
The housing conditions of the government have
never been as efficient or satisfactory migh1
Hbe expected of a rich and powerful nation The
pubic buildings commission has drawn some very
nice plans of how the various habtats of the
government should look, but unfortunately they
have never come to anything than plans
Occasionally, in the course of years new build
ing has sprung up, but a large number of va
rious government bureaus still scattered al
over the city in most inconvenient and unpreten-
tous looking places. For many years the IN
terror department, for example, widely scat
tered. The geological survey occupied
Gent and decrepit building one street; the bu-
reau or mines somewhere else, and the bu-
of Alaskan affairs was likely to be found in
connection with anything. Now the interior de-
partment is mostly housed in big office
building, with an impressive white stone exterior
but it has not quite collected all its offspring
together. The bureau of education still dwelIs
in the pension office
The inconvenience of such system is evident
And it is extremely expensive. The government:
must rent all these various quarters for its bu-
reaus. Every year it pays a staggering total in
rents, which, If used to build new structures,
would comfortably house every department. This
provision for building Office instead of renting
them in the frame structure that is to be erected
the Mall, is the first time the government has
acknowledged that renting is an expensive habit.
Ever since the started, various depart
mental officials have been asking congress for
authority to rent new quarters. This" declared
the house OF representatives, would have re-
tod IN AnuEn
existing by which various bureaus of the
same department and some divisions of the Same
bureau, all or which, for an efficient and economi
cal conduct OF the public business, should be
under roof, would be more widely scattered
than before" During the last session congress
created a commission upon the housing of the
permanent activities of the government, to which
appointed six members of the ssuate, six
members of the house, supervising architect, the
superintendent of public buildings and grounds
and the superintendent of the capitol 1t
this commission which decided that during the
present crisis, a temporary frame building
was the best answer to the housing problem. 49,
provision for such building was inmedi-
ately inserted in the emergency appropriations
BILL But it did not pass without protest
anyone familiar with the history OF Washington,
might guess That ancient feud between Wash
ingtonians who wish to the government
buildings placed along the Mall and those who
wish to them built along Pennsylvania ave-
nue. at once came to life again. The Mall ad-
vocates rushed to congress and proposed that in
stead of placing the new building in the Mall IL
should be built the corner Of Fifteenth and
Pennsylvania avenue where hotel and theater
now doing business. 1t would be eyesore
the Mall, they insisted, which is otherwise
fairly artistic and where traffic is at present
interrupted from the Washington monument to
the capitol. Even senator's and representatives
walked through the Mall their way to work.
said the advocates. They ought to understand
the objection to blocking it.
But the senators and representatives did not.
What they did understand that the govern
ment was receiving money for the rental of the
theater and hotel Pennsylvania avenue, and
in time OF war even rent money must not be
despised. 1t much better to be inartistic
and build the huge structure on the Mall
But tnasmuch as the site chosen had already
been promised to the George Washington Me-
mortal society, which is going to build a memo
rial to George Washington some time If it ever
accumulates enough funds, congress compromised
and inserted in the bill: Provided, however
that within two years after the conclusion Of the
existing war, the land above referred to shall
again be reserved for the erection of the George
Washington Memorial hall, unless, in the mean,
time some other site in the city of Wahsington
be reserved for such purpose"