Evening star., 1921-02-07
$486,O)O IS VOTED
To BUY A SITE FOR
ARCHIVES BUILDING
Senate Decides Upon Pur-
chase of Property at 18th
and B Streets.
OHIO AVENUE NOT TO BE
BLOCKED BY STRUCTURE
Effort to Seize Ground Intended
for State Department Build
ing Is Defeated.

The Senate today voted an appro-
priation of $4S6.0oO to purchase the
land lying between 18th and 13th
streets and B and c streets north-
west as a site for a national archives
building.
It added a proviso, however. that
no street or avenue shall be closed
or used for the erection of the build
ing, on motion of Senator Underwood
of Alabama. Ohio avenue runs dragon.
ally through the land upon whlch IL
is proposed to erect the structure.
Senator Underwood's motion is to
prevent closing of Ohio avenue to
traffic.
The Senate also provided $4,000
for working drawings in accordance
with the plans prepared by the super
vising architect for this building.
Long Discussion Follows.
The amendment providing for the
appropriation precipitated a long dis
cussion. The committee proposal was
that the two small blocks lying be-
tween 18th and 18th streets and B
and c streets northwest, separated
by Ohio avenue. should be purchased
for the building to house national
archives. Senator Robinson of
Arkansas opposed the amendment on
the ground that the government
should build the structure on some
property already owned by the gov
ernment and thus save half million
dollars
Opposition to the committees pro-
posal was also expressed by Senator
Underwood Of Alabama, who insisted
that to purchase these two small
squares and close up Ohio avenue
- 1eH Ht
sons living south of Pennsylvania
avenue, who must use the street
going east and west He pointed out
that the present traffic congestion at
Pennsylvania avenue and 18th street
would be intensified by cutting off
Ohio avenue.
Senator Poindexter, who has
strongly favored the erection OF an
archives building, pointed out that
the public buildings commission in
1917 had recommended the site pro-
posed by the committee.
He said 1t was shown in the COM
missions report an archives building
would relieve for other uses 500. goo
cubic feet Of Aooa Space now occupied
by government records in government
buildings. He also said that the erec-
tion of a building scientifically de-
signed to hold the government records
would make available to government
officials and the public many records
which now are reached only with
great dinieulty or are entirely mac
cessible.
Other sites Proposed
A letter read by Senator Robinson
from R Williams Of Arkansas, who
has been visiting here. suggested that
the Navy building and the munitions
building might be used for the gov
ernment records,
Senator Poindexter, however, point
Is.sN
suited for the storing of government
records and also 1t was proposed
eventually to remove them.
Senator Underwood held that the
government should build an archives
hall on the lot which the government
for a State Department building. 1t
lies between 14th and 18th streets and
B and c streets. Finally Senator I'm
derwood offered an amendment pro-
viding that no street or avenue shall
be closed or used for the erection of
the archives building.
Ec0nemizing ON Printing.
Continuing its consideration Of the
sundry civil bill, the Senate agreed
to the committee amendment provid-
ing that any magazine or periodical
published now by a department or an
establishment of the government may.
in the discretion of the head of the
department., De continued Wltnin the
limitation of available appropriation
until December /, 1921. when. il it
shall not have been specifically au-
thorized by Congress-. its publication
shall be discontinued.
Another committee amendment
adopted establishes a new system for
paying for the Congressional Record
index. Specific salaries are provided
for this work, instead of a lump>sum.
Item for Service Men Debated.
The Senate then took up the ques-
tion of providing additional hospital
facilities to care for the disabled
soldiers and sailors Of the world war
An amendment proposed by the
Senate committee authorizes the ex-
penditure of $17.500,o0O for this pur-
pose, specifying in considerable de-
tail how and where the money is to
be expended.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas pro-
posed to increase the amount to ap-
proximately $3O.000.Q00. He objected
to the proposal OF the committee that
there be created a commission COM
posed Of two senators, two members
of the House, the surgeon general of
the public health service and other
government officials to carry out the
provisions of the act relating to the
erection of these hospitals. He said
that in his opinion senator's and men,
bers OF the House would be less quali-
fed for this work than other gov
ernment officials would be. He sug-
gested that the selection Of the sites
be left to the Secretary of the Treas