Evening star., 1922-06-04
Public Buildings Commits
sion in Report Cites Need
of New Structures.
PROPOSES A PROGRAM
FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTION
Puts Necessity for Archives
Structure First-Department
of Agriculture Next.


| tivities in government-owned per-
manent. fireproof structures of mod
| ern office type, according TO definite
building program. is urged upon
Congress as an imperative need in
the report of the public buildings COM
mission, submitted 10 the Senate yes
terday by Senator Reed Sr1oot of
Utah. chairman.
After three years experience in
dealing with the housing of the gov
eminent departments in this city,"
the report says. this commission is
unanimously of the opinion that at
the earliest practicable date Congress
should adopt a building program
which will lead TO the housing of all
government departments in perma-
nent fire-proof structures" -
Composed of Best Informed.
The public buildings commission ID
composed of men who, through yesrf .
of experience as chairmen of the pub
lie buildings committees of the House
and Senate, or through official duties.
are best informed regarding the
housing of governmental activities.
The members are: Senators Smoot
and Claude a. Swanson. Virginia;
Representatives John w Langley.
Kentucky. and Frank Clark, Florida:
Elliott Woods, architect of the
Capitol: James A Wetmore, super
yising architect of the Treasury, and
Lieuts Col. Clarnce o. Sheriff. of the
/ Engineer Corps, officer in charge of
| public buildings and grounds.
That the great government OF the
United States should be tenant in
| its own Capital city is certainly food
! for serious reflection" report con-
-tinues. probably no other large gov
ernment in the world has given so
tlittle thought TO an adequate housing
Of it's activities as this.%
Gives Expert Advice.
The report gives expert advice as
to the most urgent need OF the gov
ernment for new buildings. emphasiz-
| ing that priceless records and official
! documents are now subject TO fire
hazard and that one government de-
partment is now scattered in twenty
FIVE buildings in Washington.
AS the most pressing need. the re-
port insists that an archivies building.
for which legislation is now pend
| ing in Congress, should be built. 1t
says: The erection of building for
| the storage of the records and
archives of the government is prob
ably the most urgent need. Be-
sides the protection it would af-
| ford these records from fire. it
would make available for Office
purposes many thousands OF square
feet of office space, now being used
for storage in the various public
buildings"
Worst Housed Institution-
Regarding the needs OF the De-
partment of Agriculture the report
says: This department is probably
the, worst housed institution in the
city of Washington, 1t is now 'oc-
cupying twenty-five buildings scat
tered over the city, and many of them
are poorly adapted for office pur-
poses"
The installation of the federal
general accounting office. In dis
cussing this need, the report says;
| THE various divisions OF this activ-
ity should by all means be housed
under one roof. They are compelled
to occupy several rented buildings at
this time, in order to obtain fireproQ
space, which is very necessary
view of the character of their work.
| A separate bill for such structua
is now awaiting congressional actioa
Treasury Bureau in Need.
The report also recommends for
early construction building for the
bureau of internal revenue and other
outlying bureaus of the Treasury De-
! partment, "a most urgent need"
The kind of building best adapted
TO the needs of the government also
is discussed in the report. II strong
ly recommends that they be OF the
modern office-type structure, designed
with due regard for the safety. health
and comfort of the people who are
to use them"
1t explains that ito embark upon
program of building Greek tenn
pies for. housing the government de-
partments is both foolish and un-
necessary. These buildings are ex-
ceedingly. expensive and wastefui of
space. A very Illuminating example
of a building of this type is the'
Treasury Annex No. l. located on
PennsylTania avenue and Madison
place. across the street from the
main Treasury building.