The Washington times., 1923-01-04
IS
ASKEDFORU. 6.
BUILDINGS
Congress Is Told of Great Saw
ings Possible Under Com
mission Plan.
Continued from Page III

| NOAglHu6O from rage 1I.y
a suitable location erected, the COM
mission declares.
Zone fact which is becoming
more evident each day" the COM
mission says, lis that the Govern
ment should at the earliest possible
moment embark upon q building
program which will lead to the
housing Of all departments and in
dependent blishments in perna-
nent Goyernment-owned structures.
The commission is rapidly approach
Ing q point where It will be Inn
possible to effect further reductions
in rent unless new buildings be
erected.
ITO illustrate the urgent neces-
sfty for immediate action, the at
tention OF Congress is directed to
the fact that there are now In
existence twelve Of the so-called
temporary war buildings, cQmpris-
ing total floor area Of 2,SSO,559
square feet.
Buildings SIaOrt-Lived.
The best judgment OF those in
| position to know is that these
structures cannot possibly last more
than eight or ten years longer, and
4
sary to spend vast sums for their
repair.
I'm fact one OF them is de-
teriorating 50 rapidly at this time
that the constant expenditure OF
considerable funds ID necessary to
make It habitable. The building
referred to is the old War In
dustries building at Fourteenth and
b streets, occupied by an important
unit Of the Bureau Of Internal
Revenue.
ct Is very evident that innme-
date steps should be taken to re-
place these structures with per-
manent buildings. While officials
In charge of them take the most
elaborate precautions against fire
and are doing everything that is
humanity possible to guard against
1t, nevertheless the danger Is al-
ways present. Their destruction
by fire would almost certainly en-
tail the loss of valuable and, in
as well as the possibility of loss
| OF human life. The Government
would then be forced to rent pri-
vate buildings at q tremendous out
lay OF money.
| aside from the urgent necessity
of replacing the temporary build
| ings, there are other and equally
as serious situations demanding re-
lief.
Haphazard Housing.
''The present haphazard housing
of the Department of Agriculture
is cited as an example. This de-
/ partment, one OF the worst-housed
| institutions in the city, occupies
i twenty-five buildings of all possible
types, in widely scattered locations.
! 1t does not require a very dis
corning mind to picture the great
/ economy and Increased efficiency
which would inevitably result in
bringing this great activity to-
| getIner in one location in buildings
adapted to its needs.
''The Bureau of Internal Revenue
OF the Treasury Department is
lanother activity which is suffering
lby reason of inadequate housing.
4 This important unit should by all
/ means be housed in one building,
instead of being distributed around
/ in nine different locations as at
present. Officials of the bureau
estimate that a saving OF % to 80
per cent in the cost OF collection
of taxes could be effected should
they be housed In one building.
''The general accounting office
lnow located in nineteen different
/ buildings would function with high
lily increased efficiency il located In
Ione building.
Use for Pension Office.
It is suggested that the erection
OF fifteen stories of steel shelves in
the Pension Office building, at the
approximate cost of 81 ,000, 900, would
result in making that structure ian
ideal archives building" il only OF
temporary character. The space
and shelvage is taken up in detail
in the report, and the fact that the
receives heat from the Land Office
building, is cited as an advantage.
Installation of the files in the main
court of the Pension Office would
not interfere with the principal
activities there, it is stated.
| The commission shows that the
annual rental of buildings for Fed
eral use amounted to $1,135, 1928 on
May %, 1919, while on December 1,
last, the total had been reduced to
1924, 693.04 by apportionment of Of
fees to Government structures.
An unexpended balance Of ST.
OS6.VO AAOAA tu0 94OSOUU dppTOpTId-
ton for the commissions expenses,
remains in the Federal Treasury.
The commission, Is composed of
Senator Reed Smoot, chairman; Ed
ward Clark, secretary and dis
bursting officer; Senator Claude A.
Swanson, Congressman John w.
Langley, Congressman Frank Clark,
Elliott Woods, architect of the
Capitol; James A. Wetmore, acting
supervising architect of the Treas
uTy, and Lieut.. Col. Clarence o.
Sheriff., officer in charge of public
buildings and grounds.
Spread Over Years.
The proposed building program of
the commission provides that the
original authorized \ expenditures
would be laid out over a period Of
years, at the rate Of $4,000, 900 or
100000 annually.
SHOULD this recommendation be
favorably acted upon it is confident
ly believed that within a few years
all Government activities in Wash
ington will be housed in permanent
fireproof buildings" the report de-
clares.
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