Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-09-02
Government Is Largest Property
Owner in the United
States.
ECONOMY is THE WATCHWORD
Congress Keeps an Eagle Eye on the
Governments Housing 6ll-Com-
mission Saves Half-Million in
Rents in Three Years.

Washington, d. C.-In the vigorous
"a hunt Tor more ways Of saving a dol
II lar, congress is keeping an eagle eye
h on She governments housing bin. The
government clerk may work in a gran
ite masterpiece OF Greek architecture
81 THAI suggests a large and lavish scale
Of administration, but the classic edi-
b fee is run on strictly modern, save
81 thepeuIies basis.
Il THE government is the largest prop
n ertE owner in the United States. Be
81 sides the great department buildings
II IN Washington, each costing several
u million dollars, it owns Offices all over
Il ue country. These include / ,250 post
Offices ranging in value from small
u town building worth only a few thou
SAM dollars to the Chicago post office,
n Which cost more than $4,000, 600.
Economy Becomes Watchword.
II Economy is now the watchword in
Il Tie management Of all this property.
n lake the stucco buildings which
spanS up to house the army of war
y S,eho-i0pAers and filing clerks in the
q capital About 10000 war workers
d nave departed and whole blocks of the
'eaip"S, as the war buildings were
4 called have been struck like circus
tents. But some are needed because
Il washington still has twice as many
cefkS rs in pre-war days.
Inc tempos near Potomac park
STAND on leased land and the lease is
about 10 expire. Furthermore. the
owners want a higher rate of rent, and
u-e government turns the property
osck to the owners it must tear down
rs 9uceo buildings and even pay for
ue structures that stood on the land
"len 1t took possession.
Id this dilemma the government
Llds one satisfactory way out. 1t can
sp4y The land for $1.500,O00, about what
U'iee Years rent would cost. Congress
considering this obviously economi- |
"a measure, and approval is said to
~ certain The temporary buildings
s'e regarded as good for several years
anu after that the government will still
nave The land as a site for permanent |
$tructures.
Buildings Present Problem.
ACROSS the street from some of these
lem 0iaiy offices is another govern.
lDeAI problem. Here are two build |
inss Joined by passageways, which to-
49, make the largest Office build.
ta the world. They are the Navy
- Munitions buildings. They CON
II 10000 square feet OF space ana
o- Tie corridors are 1900 feet
-"s>e record-breaking Office build.
- 'IF bone Of contention because
are put up as temporary war
t's They stand firmly enough
''@Fnment-owned ground. but the
IS part of Potomac park, and
81 planning scheme calls for the
-o "I 81 the prosaic buildings to de-
s.'H Tie park.
sur buildings are modern in every
and are extremely solid for
~ construction. If they had
II across the street on the
md which the government
hg they would have stood
@d and serviceable for at
YEATS to come. They NAV
wears as it IS. The two
.osether cost more than ST.
-4ey house several thousand
$40 would have. 10 be pro-
somewhere if the biggest
af Fthce unit were scrapped.
omission Put in Charge.
and the city-beau6ful idea
ny over this situation, and
the advantage now. It's
-. ns advanced for thee govern
1, =. p public buIldihgs commission
-. fplto. This commission has
'.s -'umatT aim the remoya, of ey-