Evening star., 1923-01-04
$50, 900, 900 IN u. S.
BUILDINGS IS URGED

Continued from First Page)
| Agriculture was housed in twenty
| TWO scattered structures and the gen
eral accounting Office in nineteen.
Cost or collecting income taxes
would be decreased 25 70 80 per cent,
| 1t was said, If internal revenue
| gether.
temporary Buildings Detcriorate.
Discussing the proposed building
| program. the report says in part:
| One fact which is becoming more
evident each day is that the govern
ment should at the earliest possible
moment embark upon a building pro-
gram which will lead TO the housing
of all departments and independent
| establishments in permanent govern
! ment-oWned structures. The commits
sion Is rapidly approaching a point
where II will be impossible to effect
further reductions in rentals unless
! new buildings be erected. To illus
trate the urgent necessity for imme-
! diate action. the attention of Con-
| gress is directed to the fact that there
| are now In existence twelve of the So
! called temporary war buildings, COM
prising total floor area OF 2.3S0,559
| square feet. The best Judgment of
| those In position to know is that
| these structures cannot possibly last
| more than eight or ten years longer,
! and even then 1t will probably be
necessary to spend vast sums for
their repair. In fact, one of them is
deteriorating SO rapidly at this time
| that the constant expenditure of con-
! siderable funds Is necessary to make
It habitable. The building referred
10 Is the old war Industries building
at 18th and B streets, and occupied by
an important unit OF the bureau of
| internal revenue.
The erection of the following
buildings at an early date is earnest
1 ly recommended:
81. A modern office building, well
| lighted, with appropriate but simple
| fnish, on square east of IS, between
goth and 21st streets and B and c
| streets northwest, land now owned by
| adapted to the construction of an
[ Office building; this building to be
| approximately six stories and base
ment. providing floor space of
| care OF both the internal revenue Of
fee and the controller generals
office.
"2. The demolition OF the buildings
south OF Pennsylvania avenue, be-
! tween 14th and 18th streets north
west, and the erection thereon of the
three buildings for which plans have
| already been prepared. with such
| notifications in the plans that VII!
make il possible to meet the present
| day needs of the departments.
"3. The procurement of site for
! the construction OF an archives
! building and the construction OF this
building according to plans already
| completed and approved.
| ~. The erection OF hfteen stories OF
steel filing stacks In the interior court
of the Pension once building, at an
! estimated cost of $1,0o0.0oo. II these
| stacks are installed, 1t will result IN
an ideal archives building. That
building Is fireproof and is isolated
4 from other buildings. In addition.
| there is no heating plant In IT,, as IL
| ing. The danger from fire, therefore,
would seem to be reduced to an apso-
lutte minimum.
! supply Warehouse Needed.
Another great need, as the COM
mission sees 1t, is the erection of a
large fireproof warehouse In sultaDie
4 location for the use OF the genera
! supply committee. Their supplies are
old barracks buildings in East 20
tomac Park These structures, aside
from being eyesoreS In pubic park'
are rapidly falling to pieces and az
Il ford but little protection TO the goous
"This commission is unanimously of
the opinion that Congress should az
once authorize the expenditure OF
| dollars for the construction OF sutta-
| Bile public buildings in Washington.
This amount could be appropriated at
| the rate Of two or three million doi-
reeomme mendation be favorably acted
upon it Is confidently believed that
| within few years all government
| activities in Washington Will pc
housed in permanent nrepreot, t,st ouiiS .Ss
public buildings commission be desig-
MATED as the agency which shal! ds.
1 eide which buildings are to be puiit
| vii enable the commission to lay out
| tha plans OF housing the various de-
4 nartfn ents and will make 1t possiDle
to consider the whole matter from
the s19sa 1sSs,ss ss8srrttht of the VaSw1 sowernent.
| "It In suggested that the legislation
harefn proposed authorize the commits
sion to submit an estimate to the direc-
tor Of the budget each year prior 70
| estimate shall state the amount required
1 Sor carrying on the work for the en-
| suing fsoal year. It ID also suggested
that the commission be authorized to
apportion. the work or preparation or
| Mans. letting of contracts, and super
/ Vision Of construction OF the buildings
herein proposed among such agencies
of the government as appear best quail
ned to do the work.
"The Independent offices appropriation
act approved Juno IL. 1929. appropriated
81 100000 for the purchase of seven
SQUARES Of ground between 18th and
| 2fst streets and between B street and
Nav York avenue northwest. This ap-
propriation was based upon options
/ which had been secured previous to the
massage Of tho act, but there was con-
siderable delay in the passage Of the
bill. SO that the options expired before
it became a law, 1t was feared that
some difficulty would be met in securing
the fact that the options had expired
before the funds became available. In
reality, however, the superintendent OF
the State, War and Navy buildings re-
ports that the purchases are being made
at considerably lower figures on the
average than the option figures"