Evening star., 1923-10-16
PRESIDENT TOASK
| BIG YEARLY FUND
| FOR NEW BUILDINGS
$4,000 to s5,ooo,ooo
Sought Until Departments
Are Properly Housed.
GETS CABINET OPINION
ON CONSTRUCTION IDEA
Executive Impressed With Need for
New Office for D. C. Re-
corder of Deeds.

President Coolidge is convinced that
better facilities for housing the gov
ernment departments in Washington
are urgent, and this winter he will
endeayor 20 obtain from Congress a
continuing appropriation of from So
100000 to s5,00O,o0O a year until the
necessary buildings have been erected.
This was made known at the White
House today, and at the same time it
was explained that the matter of
more suitable buildings not only to
serve as ornaments and as models of
architecture. but to adequately house
the government. was the principal
topic of discussion at today's cabinet
session.
The matter of more public build
lngS has been before President Cool
idge several times and on several oc-
casions President Harding'S atten-
tfon was called to it by cabinet mem
bers and other high officials.
Gets Cabinets Views.
During the cabinet discussion today
OF this building program the Presi-
dent obtained from each member of
the cabinet his personal opinion re-
garding the immediate needs for his
particular department. In some in
stances, the President was informed
that one or two departments of the
government are housed in twenty to
thirty different buildings scattered
throughout the city. Some of these
buildings, the President was told, are
not only Inadequate, but are diiapi-
dated. unsafe and insanitary. all of
which, it was pointed out. is not con-
ducive to promotion of efficiency in
the government work which is being
required by. the administration.
praCIdan4 q no Sy,,
pressed with the great need for the
proper housing of the Office of the
recorder of deeds for the District of
Columbia.
Realizes Danger.
His attention has been called to
the danger of destruction of these
important records because of the
present congested and fiimsy nature
of the building now occupied by this
Office.
1t was not made known whether
the President and his cabinet con-
tive Langley. OF Kentucky, chairman
of the House committee on public
buildings and grounds, to introduce
one big public building bill TO answer
the wants of the government
throughout the United States, which
would cali for an annual appropria-
tion Of S50,000,000 a year for ten
years and which would include new
buildings for the departments in
Washington.
Five or Six Buildings Asked.
1t was made plain. however. that
in the cabinet discussion today it was
the concensus of opinion of all, re-
gardless of the Langley general build
ing bill, the President should insist
upon the starting of a plan for the
erection of at least FIVE CT six gov
ernment buildings urgently needed
at this time. 1t was said by a spokes-
man for the President that in decid-
ing upon this plan to be put before
Congress the President specified
neither particular buildings nor par
ticular sites. 1t was said he was
represented as favoring the plan
originally drawn up by the arts COM
mission, and was willing TO leave IL
to the discretion of this body to
carry it cut.
This would mean that the Mall
south of Pennsylvania avenue and
east of 18th street would be the
territory selected for the erection
of these new buildings and that con-
struction would not be of a tempo
rary nature, to answer an emergency,
but would be magnificent in architec-
ture and general aspect. 1t is under
stood also that besides new buildings
for the Department of Justice. De-
partment of State and bureau of in
ternal revenue, an archives building
for the government was among the
buildings looked upon generally as
most needed at this time.