The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-03-08
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Senator Warren explained that the
stacks were badly needed because
there was no archives building. Sen
ator Smoot said the filing stacks
could be put into the archives build
ing when II should be erected. Sew
eral senators talked eloquently Of the
needs of an archives building. Sena-
tor Smoot said that II he did not
know that the Pension building stacks
would s'ye the government $5OO.0OO,
year he would Lot ask for the APP
preparation. Finally Senator Poin-
dexter offered this amendment:
For the construction of ma.
, tional archives building in the city
or Washington. District of Columbia,
on square East So. Including mechan-
icaI equipment and the drafting Of
plans and 81 ecihcatIons. which plans
and specifications shall provide for n
building not to coed s2,50O.oOO in
total cost. 100000 OF said sum to he
disbursed and the building to be con-
sfructed under the direction and SUI
pervislon Of the supervising architect
Of the treasury"
This amendment was taken up the
next day and caused a very long de-
bnte. Senator Norris said. among
other things:
Mr.. Norris-Mr President. twents
yearI ago I came (, the house OF rep
resentntlyea was put on the com.
mittee on public buildings and
grounds. One OF the first things I
ever did officially was to listen for
several days to gentlemen talking Id
favor Of an archives building. They
showed that we had all kinds of doc
uments that were In danger every
day: that we might have a fire before
night and mike the government absO-
lutely bankrupt; and therefore that
we had to have nm archives building,
and have II nj once. There was
great propaganda In favor Of Il In the
city Of Washington. Every newspa-
per wns filled with articles demon
strafing the necessity OF an archives
building to save the old records. For
days and days and months and
months that went on: and these
people came before TINT committee.
composed Of some good men and some
suckers like me. and they poured that
kind Of argument into us until we
were frightened. We thought tho
government vas going to fall. did
not sleep nights for fear a Are might
take place and the whole thing might
go up in smoke. and I could not hurry
fast enough TO help get that bill out
OF the committee. We reported II:
we provided for TIE purchase of
square Of renl estate: and the propa-
ganda for n: archives building died
the very minute we passed the bill
and appropriated the money to buy
the land upon which we should build
IT,
After debate rs 10 whether the Poin.
dexter amendment was in order n
was brought out that the building was
Authorized Ly nm act Of March 4. 1918.
Then the question Of whether tho
Pension building was fireproof was
fercely debated. Senator FreIinrhuy.
sen. who is In the insurance business,
had the Inst word and said that In
the event OF fire In the Pension
building the fire would spread and
could not he extingrished.
Finally the senate accepted both
propositlons-the Pension building
stack and the Poindexter amendment.
But both propositions were killed
In conference. Considerations of
economy had weight; also the fnct
that such amendments rs the Poin-
dexter amendment would destroy tho
new budget system.