Evening star., 1921-11-25
A Supreme Court Building.

present and prospective conditions
around the Capitol, the Commission Of
Fine Arts in its annual report notes q
subject that has been somewhat
neglected during recent years, but
which forms part. Of the broad plan
of capital maintenance. The commits
sion says: ; =!
By common consent the remaining
,, vacant space facing the Capitol on
the east has been assigned to build
ing for the Supreme Court of the
United States, q coordinate branch OF
the government, but. since the re-
moval Of the seat of government to
cupying the same building with the
Congress. A separate building for the
Supreme Court IL one OF the projects
to be left to the time when the In
creasing demands Of Congress for
space in the Capitol shall make the
cupiers Of land to be taken. however.
should face the probability, that
sooner or later their holdings will be
required for government purposes.
OF the need Of Supreme Court
Juilding there has been no doubt for
many years. That need is increasing,
and if Congress were to act at once
for the construction Of a suitable
home for the highest court the con-
tingency which the, Commission Of
Fine Arts notes as the imperative
occasion for the removal from the
Capitol will have arrived ere the build
ing can be finished. :,
But the question Of constructing a
suitable Supreme Court building
should not rest upon that of the need
by Congress of the space in the Capt.
tol now occupied by that body. Higher
consideration should prevail. The Su-
preme Court Is not a suitable occupant
Of the Capitol. and it has never had
suitable quarters. The present court
room, the old Senate chamber. is in it.
self dignified apartment, but alto
gether To small, while the space avail
able for justices chambers, for con-
sultation rooms, for counsel rooms,
for library and for the administrative
Offices is wholly inadequate.
Sentiment has undoubtedly governed
for some years to keep the Supreme
Court where it is now established. It
is understood that notwithstanding the
disadvantages and Inconvenience Of
the Capitol location. the Justices pre-
fer their present habitation to any
new provision. But the time must
cCme when separate building will be
required in the public interest. In
Ill rnh he
room in the Capitol is too seriously
needed for legislative purposes to war
rant further housing Of the, court.
True, the pressure on the Capitol has
been lessened lately by the construc.
ton of the Office buildings for House
and Senate, but even SO, a serious con-
gestion is felt in both branches Of
Congress.
The final sentence of the extract
from the commissions report is
worthy of attention. Occupiers Of the
land that has been thus preempted in
effect for the Supreme Court building
should have more than such a vague
warning. Irfasmuch rs this site EN-.
bracing three city squares" has been
definitely marked of on the map as
the place for the Supreme Court the
government should proceed now to ac-
quire the land, just as It did several
years ago in case Of the Ave squares
at the western end Of the Mall-Avenue
triangle. The owners and occupants
Of land thus distinctly marked as even
tual government property for build
ing purposes should not be kept In un-
certainty over an indefinite period.