Evening star., 1923-02-02
FESS MAKES PLEA
FOR i. S. ARCHIVES
Urges Early Action on Pro-
posed Building for Price
less Records.

Strong plea to Congress not TO pro-
crastinatc in the matter of establish
ing federal archives building was
made i'll the House today by Rep
resentativc s. d. FeSS of Ohio. lie
told the House that this is the only
government of any Importance in the
world that has not an archives build
ing. He pointed out that priceless
records of the government are now
stored in fire traps. in attics and in un-
dcrground passages to the shame or
tho nation.
The question came before the
House as soon as the conference re-
port on independent Offices approprla-
tion bill was called up. Represents
tive pallinger of Massachusetts ask
Ell regarding the action OF tho con-
ference on the proposal to appro-
priate Immediately $500 600 to start
work on the archives building, with
limit Of cost Of $@,ooo.ooo.
Argues Against Item.
REPRESENTATIVE Wood OF Indiana. in
charge of the bill. said il would be
:, greet mistake to agree I" THIS item
on tho bill. 1t is just such items as
this he said, which would destroy our
budget system. lie said that the cf !,
fort to carry this as rider had
served some good purpose.
We ought tn know the character OF
the building proposed he said. Rep
reScntative Wood warned that II was
still an open question whether thcre
should he both an archives and gen
cral accounting building. He said that
the proposition had never been conSd-
cred in the House, or Hearings held by
a. Senate committee. Representative
Byrns of Tennessee. democratic con-
ferce said there were the very best
reasons justifyinS the conference COM
mittee OH receding from tins item
which has never been authorized by law
Representative FesS said we must
have AN archives building. IT we must
wait for a general public buildings bill
10 be reported, there is no telling when
that will be"
Cites Building Needs Elsewhere.
Representative Clark of Florida.
ranking democrat on the public build
ing aud grounds committee. said there
has been an investigation of tho pro
posed archives building TO cost SS.on0,-
600 instead of two or two and d half
millions. Representative Clark called
attention that there is a crying nee
cssity all over the country for public
buildings. No public building bill has
hccn passed since the one signed by
President Taft in 1918. There IS Just
as much necessity in other parts OF
the country as in Washington. he said
1t is not right to put these items on
appropriation hills. said Mr.. Clark.
"I-nlcss NC have LEGISLATION cnnsid-
cred in the proper way. we might just
Us we'll abolish tho legislative COM
mlttce Of the House" sand Mr.. Clark.
Representative Andrews Of Nc
hraska sand that the origination of
this proposition "strikc$ at the very
foundation of our budget system.
Mr. TcSs sounds Warming.
representative FcSs told tho House
that hr is not in discnrd. but rather
il accord with what tho committee Is
nG. to do. There ought. however.
:" u. an effort made To protect these
v;,lu"llc documents. which arc nov
stored in wooden buildings" he said
~ would cost the government
much more if these documents were
destroyed than II would cost for the
BUILDING" Mr.. Fcss warned the House.
Representative FcsS continued: "The
proposed buildinG must he built like
Fl library. 50 that additions can he
made from time t" time. My concern
is that VIC must not procrastinate a
minute longer than * necessary. We
are drifting here. and when the de-
Struction of these documents come it
VIII be too late to say. I'VE ought TO
have done it We spend Slo,000.000
easily on some things and We just as
easily procrastinate on other impor-
tant ma tiers.