The Washington times., 1920-09-15
'BECINARCHIVE
BUILDING SOON
Commission Announces Con-
struction Work Will Be
Started This Winter.

Construction will begin this win
ter on the new Archives Building to
be built on squares 2Oi and 2o0.
This information was given out To-
day by the Public Building Commits
sion OF the House and Senate, whici
has charge OF the public buildings II
Washington.
TO build q suitable building, Ohio
avenue between Twelfth and Th'r
teenth streets will be closed and the
two squares made into one. Square
20i is bounded by Twelfth street, Thir
teenth street and G street, and square
2o5 by Twelfth street. Thirteenth
street. II street and Ohio avenue.
BY closing Ohio avenue. between
Twelfth and Thirteenth streets about
one-third OF the space NEEDED will be
made available to the Government
without cost. The Government has
options on the property In the two
squares. The options expire March
I next.
WILL HOUSE RECORDS.
The new building will contain about
8, 900. 900 square feet, and will house
all government records. At the be-
ginning the building will not present
a very beautiful appearance, because
IL has been decided to leave the out
side decorations and finish until the
price OF materials falls, The main ef-
fort will be to complete a building
that will be adequate to house the
Government records and keep them
safe from fire and the weather.
The completion OF the Archives
building will release great deal OF
space in the Government departmnts
which Is now used for dead files. and
will mean that much more space will
be available to clerical help. With
the additional space II is thought that
the Government will discontinue the
renting of private buildings for Gov
ernment work and thus save many
hundreds of thousands of dollars a
year.
POINT TO LAND OFFICE.
1t was pointed out today that one
OF the greatest examples of an ar
chives building is shown in the Land
Office building. which is now about
90 per cent used for files of the Gov
ernment. This building, 1t was said.
is one of the best office buildings in
the city and cost about a million
dollars to build.
The Archives building is the begin
ming of the beautiication Of the Mall.
which was started by the Govern
the starting Of the Archives building,
IL Is probable that the Public Build
ings Commission will recommend to
Congress this fall a building program
for Government buildings in Wash
ington that will be in keeping with
the beauty and utility of the Govern
ment's aim and the plans of the Fine
Arts Commission.
The Government now is paying
about 100000 less a year for the
rental OF private quarters for Govern
ment use than 1t was when the Pub
lie Buildings Commission was author
ized. il is said, and this has been done
by the commission without the ex-
penditure OF much money. The COM
mission was given an appropriation
of 10000 when 1t began work and to
date has expended less than half of 1t.
TEMPORARY BUILDINGS no GO.
The work of the commission In
| housing the Government bureaus has
progressed so favorably during the
existence Of that body and the les
| sening of work incident to the war,
that many of the temporary buildings
| were to be torn down soon.
1t has been previously announced
| that Corcoran Courts. the Council OF
| National Defense building and Sanda
Court, in the State, War and Navy
Department building, will be demol-
| ished soon. 1t was learned today
| that A and b buildings at Sixth and
B streets are also slated for demoli-
| tion at an early date. as the Govern
ment is gradually needing less space,