Evening star., 1922-04-10
AGREES TO $4,000
FOR HIGHER RENTAL
House Takes Tentative Step
to Keep Department. of
Justice From Moving.

While the public buildings COM
mission Is negotiating to house the
Department of Justice in the Mu-
tentatively agreed to an appropri-
alton of $4,000 for rent of buildings
'if space cannot be assigned by the
public buildings commission in build
ings under the control of that COM
mission" Representative Hustled of
New York, in charge of the Justice
Department appropriation bill, said:
Tie Department of Justice expects
to continue in the occupancy Of its
present premises well adopted to It's
purposes. Perhaps there is not quite
room enough. but there does not seem
to be any othtT place that is avail
able. 1t would cost great deal
to move. and be very inconvenient.
rangements have been made which
will assure the continuance of the
department in its present location. 1t
will be at somewhat increased
rental, but the rental, / think, will
be reasonable and much less than the
owners of the premises would rent
the property for to any private con-
cern.
Stafford Explains Needs.
In discussing the situation that has
arisen regarding the occupancy by the
Department of Justice of its present
building, at Vermont avenue and X
street northwest. Representative Staf-
ford of Wisconsin said:
Here is the practical situation that
confrontS the committee and the
Congress: This building was erected
primarily for the Department of
Justice, under contract whereby we
secured that property at the rate, as
Of
Costs of construction have gone up
considerably since then, as all costs
have gone up. During the war private
investors were not willing to enter
into contracts with the government
for similarly constructed buildings for
less than so or 60 cents per square
foot. Here is a department housed
in building that is suitable for its
needs. with no appropriation avail
able to continue it in the those quar-
ters, and its will be obliged to find
quarters in available public buildings.
Il do not wish to bring up the his
tory of the neglect of the then Attor-
ney General in not following the di-
rection of Congress in the legislative
appropriation bill authorizing the
leasing of this property, which car
ried a mandatory direction that the
period of five years, with an option
on the part of the government for
another five years. That was incluG-
ed in the lease of the building now
occupied by the Depar rtment of Labor
but as to the Department of Justice
building, they did not follow the di-
rection of Congress, but entered into
a lease for the period of five years
only.
I'VE are confronted with the condi-
tion of rising costs, and it cannot be
expected that we will be able 10
secure the same quarters when build
ing costs are SO much higher a, the
same rental as we secured this build
ing five years ago, when costs were
so much less. We will necessarily
have to pay more. / should say thar
twice the present rental would be
an exorbitant price. Perhaps an in
crease of so per cent over what We
are paying today would be reason
able rental, considering the increased
costs.
IF there is available space in
we'll constructed building, such as the
Navy or munitions building. the De-
partment of Justice should be housed
there; but l am opposed to the con-
tinued housing of government activi-
ties in timsy shacks, where in the
summer time the quarters are unfit
for the occupancy of employees