Evening star., 1922-01-22
SENATE APPROVES
ARCHIVES BUILDING
Amends Bill to Appropriate
$500,O0O for Site of Pro-
posed Structure.
VITAL NEED EMPHASIZED
Senator Smoot Says U. S. Is Being
Held Up for Rentals-Treasury
Addition Also Voted.

Addition Also Voted.
First steps for the provision of a
national archives building here to
house the priceless and in most in
stances irreplaceable government rec
ords were taken yesterday by the
Senate when it adopted an amend
ment to the Treasury appropriation
bill. allowing $50O,00O for the pur-
chase of site.
The bill. the first of the big supply
bills to pass the Senate. also carried
a Senate committee amendment,
which was approved. appropriating
$1,000,000 for the construction of a
three-story building in the north
court of the Treasury building, the
two lower stories of which would be
vault space and the third story office
space.
An item of SEQ, 900 put in by the Sem
ate committee and approved by the
Senate is for renewing the roof on
the old building of the bureau of en-
craving and printing, at 14th and b
streets southwest. now known as the
auditors building.
Declares Need Imperative.
Imperative need of an immediate
provision for the national archives
building was pointed out to the Sem
ate in forceful manner by Senator
Reed Smoot of Utah. chairman of the
public buildings commission. He in
formed the body that the archives
building would enable the government
to give up some of the buildings now
occupied at high rentals.
The government would make 10 per
cent on the investment in the build
ing from the time it moves the rec
ords into it, he saiG.
He informed the Senate that the
lease on the building now occupied by
the Department of Justice expires
about June Is, and that the owners
now are asking the government for
an increase of from 400 to 500 per cent
over the present rent for renewal of
the lease. They will not get it, he
said. He cited this as one of the prob
lens facing the buildings commission
and an argument in favor of the
archives building.
Senator King of Utah suggested
that such a matter should be re-
ferred to the rent commission.
Won't Pay Increased Rent.
1--WE are not going to pay the in
creased rent unless the Supreme
Court of the United States tells US
we have to- said Senator Smoot
What your commission wants. and
archives building in a central place,
so that it can take care of all the
records of the government. l want
to assure you that your commission
wants to save every penny possible.
The only question here is whether
we are to have an archives building.
II will say now that I would build
an archives building just as quickly
as 1t is possible to do so. There are
thousands of government papers that
he 10 t1n
able value to the American people,
now stored in the Easements of pub
lie buildings exposed to all kinds Of
dangers.
go to the Arlington building and
down into the basement and see the
conditions there" he continued. Il
don't want a handsome marble build
ing. with carved walls and statues,
and immense pillars of ancient Greece
and Rome. I want a large building.
ing these valuable archives. a sub
stantial building that will last the
government of the United States for
the next hundred years.
War Records Piled High.
Valuable records of the late war
are piled high in the cities of New
York and Philadelphia. They ought
to get them here is to build an ar
chives building, as all of the available
space is now used up
Senator Fletcher Of Florida, said the
government ought to have such a
building here.
Senator King of Utah said that the
government should erect the building
on space now owned by 1t, and op-
posed the purchase of any additional
land. He had read before the Senate
q lengthy communication from J. H.
Lord, who said that he was an engi-
rn nd 5rta -, @;kr
ming in the west. Mr.. Lords letter
opposed the erection of the building
on the site originally proposed on the
squares bounded by B and c, 18th and
14th streets, which would involve the
closing of Ohio avenue, which bisects
the squares.
The writer urged the present site
of the War Trade building at 18th
and B streets northwest, pointing out
that the government owns this prop
erty, having purchased it years ago
for the proposed buildings for the
State, Commerce and Justice depart
ments. Owing to the increase in for
eign relations, he said. it was proper
for the State Department to remain
in its present location close to the
White House.
Building over streets, he said, may
offer present economy. but will ulti-
mately be highly expensive and
savors of penny WISDOM
Building Must Be Central
Senator Smoot said that some years
ago 1t was proposed to erect the
building on the site mentioned by
Mr.. Lord. but to construct it SO as
not to block the street. but it was
not agreeable. He added, however,
that the building must be centrally
located, or there would be no gain,
owing to the time and expense neces-
sary for long trips to building not
located near the departments. Sena-
tor Smoot said the Senate could feel
assured that the commission was 60
ing to do the best it could, and that
unless it could save money in the
erection of such a building, he would
ask for further instructions.
Senator King warned the commits
sion that if it didn't select a site
on property now owned by the gov
ernment. it could look for criticism.
He agreed that there should be such
building, and expressed regret that
1T hadn't been provided years ago.
The Treasury bill as finally passed
by the Senate carried a total of $780,
272.0O0 as compared with $11S, 500, 900
authorized by the House.
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