The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-01

Washington, D. c., May 31.-In
the vigorous hunt for moresways OF
saving a dollar, congress is keep
ing an eagle eye on the govern
ment's housing bill The govern
ment clerk may work in a granite
masterpiece of Greek architecture
that suggests a large and lavish
scale of administration, but the
classic edifice is run on strictly
modern, save-the-pennies basis.
! The government is the largest
property owner in the United
States. Besides the great depart
ment buildings in Washington, each
costing several million dollars, it
owns offices all over the country.
These include 1850 postoffices,
ranging in value from the small
town building worth only a few
thousand dollars to the Chicago
lpostoffice which cost more than
five millions.
Economy is now the watchword
in the management of all this prop
erty. Take the stucco buildings
which sprang up to house the army
+ of war stenographers and filing
clerks in the capital. About 10000
war workers have departed and
whole flocks of the tempos, as the
war buildings were called, have
/ been struck like circus tents. But
some are needed because Washing
ton still has twice as many clerks
as in pre-war days.
| The tempos near Potomac park
stand on leased land and the lease
is about to expire. Furthermore,
the owners want a higher rate of
rent, and if the government turns
the property back to the owners, it
must tear down its stucco build
ings and even pay for the struc-
lures that stood on the land when
lit took possession.
In this dilemma the government
finds one satisfactory way out. 1t
can buy the land for $1.500,000,
about what three years rent would
cost. Congress is considering this
obviously economical measure and
approval is said to be certain. The
temporary buildings are regarded
as good for several years, and after
that the government will still have
the land as site for permanent
structures.
Across the street from some of
these temporary offices is another
government problem. Here are two
buildings, joined by passageways,
which together make the largest
office building in the world. They
are the Navy and Munitions build
ings. They contain 100000 square
feet of space, and some of the cor
ridors are 1900 feet long.
These record-breaking office
are a bone of contention !
because they were put up as tenn .
porary war structures They stand
firmly enough on germantown
ed ground, but the land is part Of
Potomac park, and the city plan
ming scheme calls for the removal
of the prosaic buildings to develop
the park.
Economy Is Watchw0rd.
The buildings are modern in ev-
cry respect and are extremely 7
solid for temporary construction. /
If they had been built across the
street on the leased ground which
he government is now buying they 4
would have stood unchallenged and il
for at least Is years to Il
,ome. They may stand for years as
{ is. The two buildings together I
cost more than 100000 They '
louise several thousand workers Il
Who would have to be provided for b
somewhere if the biggest govern {
nent office unit were scrapped.
Economy and the. city beautiful {
dea are contesting over this situa- I
ion, and economy has the advant- '
Ige now. It's cause is being adj {
-anced for the government by /
rubIic buildings commission at the I
'apitol. This commission has for =
IS ultimate aim the removal of "
very government office in Wash e
ngton from rented building space t
he department OF agriculture, /
which is housed in % different t
about half of which are s
ented, is an example of the prob T
ems which confront the commits d
ion. c
The public buildings commission n
J out to save the government e
honey, and it points proudly to the t