Evening star., 1923-05-15
Next Congress to Be Asked
to Provide Money for More
Structures.
PRESENT SYSTEM BAD
FOR WORKERS is CLAIM
Mellon Cites Case Of Office Build.
ing That Is Rotting on
Foundation.

Congress at Its next session will be
urged by the President to appropriate
sufficient public money that the gov
ernment's agencies may be properly
housed in Washington.
The problems of housing the various
departments and bureaus of the gov
ernment was discussed at today's
cabinet meeting at the White House
and 1t was agreed by all present that
between now and the time Congress
conVenes consistent and economical
construction program must be care
fully prepared. 1t seemed to be the
opinion Of the meeting that the build
ing program should not be confined to
Washington, but should answer the
needs Of the federal government in its
operations throughout the entire
country.
The President and his advisers are
in accord with the general idea pre-
sented by the Fine Arts Commission,
which calls for a Capitalization of
government departments in the mall
and south of Pennsylvania avenue,
and it was intimated after the cabinet
meeting that the program to he pre-
pared very likely will include these
ideas.
Problem In Acute.
According to the views expressed
by a number of the cabinet officers
during the discussion. the problems
of housing have grown to embar-
RAISING proportions. The condition of
some of the rented buildings are such
that not only is the health of occu-
pants endangered, but the efficiency
of workers is being impaired. The
discussion was brought up by Secre-
tary Mellon of the Treasury. who
stated that he wanted advice and how
| to handle the situation, which up to
that time had him "stumped." One
rented building under his department
! and which houses a certain section of
! the income tax division is In such
, need of repair that the building has
!, actually become unsafe. The condition
! of this building and the need for per-
| manent buildingssto take the place of
| temporary structGFes was pointed out
in Sundays Star The foundations,
he said. are rotting away. To make
the necessary repairs would cost $20,-
900. which amount is $4,000 more than
the available funds for that particu-
lar building.
Also, TO move in another building
would cost approximately S20.000. 1t
was therefore decided that he should
go ahead and have the repairs made
with the available Sl5.000 and trust
to luck" to get the remainder in the
meantime.
Secretary Mellon was followed by
other cabinet officers, each with their
gloomy accounts of housing condi-
tions of their respective departments.
r1,..n ir,in h1f araIN
lem is becoming worse each year, and
that already il had been found diff
cult to efficiently carry on the work
of the government.
New Tells of Problems.
Postmaster General New. in describ-
ing the problems of his department.
is known to have told the gathering
that the demands for better housing
facilities for post offices throughout
the United States are most extraordi-
nary and insistent
1t was pointed out that despite the
fact that the normal business of the
department has increased more than
ESQ per cent and the fact that the
installation of the parcel post system
has greatly added to the labors of
The department buildings are still
being used throughout the country
which were either erected or rented
for the use of the department as far
back at fifty years ago. In other
words this branch of the government
and others are virtually doing busl-
ness "out on the streets" for lack OF
space. according to the views of one
cabinet officer.
In preparing the general program
for these public buildings. it is be-
lieyed that the fine arts commission
and the architects office of the Treas-
ury Department and the budget bu-
reau will direct the preliminary work.
1t is not thought that the proposed
reorganization plan of the depart
ments of the federal government, if
enacted. will interfere with the adop-
ton of such a general construction
plan.