Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-11
B|LLT0ENDPLNA /
WORK cALLEDUR
Senators Debate Conditions
Under Which Buildings
Were Started. =
LEGAL RIGHTS DISCUSSED

A resolution stopping Immediately
work on the Union station plasa hous.
ing project for war workers. which
was reported favorably to the Senate
yesterday afternoon, was called up
for consideration in the Senate today
by Chairman Reed Of the public build
| ings and grounds committee.
Inquiry by Senator Norris.
Senator Norris Of Nebraska, wanted
to know If some Of these buildings
were not practically finished. even to
the furnishings. and what the idea Of
| the committee was regarding DISPOSE
tion of the buildings II tho work was
| halted.
Senator Reed explained that the
Union station plaza was formerly oc-
| cupied by buildings of a permanent
nature; that the government had de.
termined to make a public>park Of
| the land and at large expense had
| cleared it OF buildings. When the
war broke out, he said. the government
housing bureau had determined to erect
temporary structures to house war work
erS on this site.
Authority Questioned.
Senator Overman asked what an.
| thority was given to take this site
| under the law.
Senator Reed replied that the law
did say that buildings could be
| erected on public grounds. He point
! ed out, however, that this housing
! project was designed to be tempo
| gency. Now. he said. when the war
is practically over. it is proposed to
go ahead and complete this project
The public buildings and grounds
| investigation of the activities of the
housing bureau, going into the ques-
ton of cost and contracts.
Would Stop Work at Once.
The joint resolution proposing to
put an immediate end to work on the
| Union Station plaza project and to
projects which are not rs per cent
completed at present was reported to
] the Senate yesterday afternoon by
Senator Hardwick. acting for Senator
Reed of Missouri. chairman OF the
public buildings and grounds com.
mittee.
Senator Hardwick sought immedi-
ate consideration Of the resolution,
hut Senator Norris of Nebraska OBJ
jected, saying that he wished an cp.
portunity to study the resolution ana
it went over until today. -S'' =,
In the report submitted with t)k6
resolution to the Senate by the COM
mittee on public buildings and
grounds it is pointed out that the gov
ernment would save 100000 by stop
| vi, iy,,r obi ta11 T1ninn
station plaza project, and that. even
if it were completed, the real effect
would be to house 1,S00 woman EN-.
ployes of the government for period
of a year. The committee said that
the congestion was being reduced rap.
| idly in Washington, and said:
Sees Relief From Congestion.
at is admitted first that the war for
all practical purposes is over and that
there must be large decrease OF gov
ernment employees in the city of WASH
ington. Your committee has sent out
| inquiries to ascertain how rapidly the
number of government employees
brought to Washington because of the
war will be diminished.
up to this time the replies to
these inquiries are Just beginning to
come in. The replies already re-
ceived indicate reduction IN the
|
heard from of from II to 20 per cent
since November II, the date of the
signing of the armistice. and indica-
| tions are that the force in all OF the
departments that were engaged In
war work, other than the bureau Of
war risk insurance, will be rapidly
reduced.
at seems to your committee that
the conclusion is irresistible that, in
view of these conditions, there Is no
| q with the Y.
| penditure necessary for the compile
fion of these buildings for the hous-
ing of employees. but, on the contrary.
It would entail a tremendous loss
upon the government. which cannon
he justified upon any sound business
principles.
Asks Immediate Action.
"rhe attitude and purpose. however.
of the United States Housing Corpora
ton is to proceed to the full compile
ton and operation of these buildings
unless Congress shall otherwise order
Therefore, If any action Is 70 Do taken
by Congress suspending these opera
tfons. it must be done i9mediately.
"Your committee has made a pro
liminary investigation OF a large
number of other projects. and from
such preliminary investigation 1t 10
of the opinion that some projects are
even more indefensible than the one
we have been considering. A number
of these are in their very early
stages and notably one which was
brought to the attention Of tho com.
mittee where the foundations only d
the group of buildings have been
completed Nevertheless. the United
States Housing Corporation propose.
to fully complete those buildings at
an expenditure of a very large sum
Of money, notwithstanding the facs
that for all practical purposes the wa
has ended.
your committee proposes to nalcs
further investigation Of these INST
ters, but would recommend thai Con-
Rress take action suspending all op.
erations until otherwise authorizeo
by Congress-. or all operations whert
the same have not been moro than -
per cent completed" o.
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