Evening star., 1924-01-30

are to be subject to the approval OF
the commission.
An annual estimate for this con-
struction work is to be submitted to
the bureau of the budget by the COM
mission. The first estimate is to be
sent to the budget bureau as soon
as practicable after the passage OF
this act.
The commission in charge of the
State, War and Navy departments
buildings, composed of the Secre-
taries of State. War and Navy, is
authorized by the bill to purchase
land which may be needed for sites
for these buildings as in the judg-
ment of the public buildings COM
mission may be needed.
Need of New buildings.
Senator Smoot in introducing the
bill declared that it seeks to make
provision for a number of new build
ings in Washington. the necessity
for which has been pressing for a
number of years. The bill is in line
with recommendations made by the
public buildings commission in it's
annual report.
The commission is firmly con-
vinced," continued Senator Smoot
that one authorization for the en-
tire group of buildings, without any
specific limit of cost on any of them.
and placing the entire program under
one central authority is a far more
satisfactory method of handling the
matter than the piecemeaI method of
approprlating for one building at a
time, which has prevailed in the past.
F1uctuntiOn on Costs.
Building costs fiuctuate greatly and
1t is impossible to make a satisfactory
estimate Of the probable cost of build
ing few months hence. A building
which could be built for $4,000. 900 now
might cost S3,000,0O0 a year hence.
The commission is named as the
Dody winch shall exercise general sup
erVIslon over the program because of
the fact that for nearly five years it
space in the federal buildings Of this
city, and has necessarily acquired an
intimate knowledge of conditions and
the needs of the various departments
and independent esta blishments
by this method it will be possible
TO plan the locations of the various
buildings in such a way that the ac-
tlVlties of each department will be
centered in one locality as much as
possible. 1t will also make it pos
aioie 10 plan the entire program with
view to the best interests of the
government seyvice as a whole. so
tnat one department or agency will
not be unduly favored to the detrf-
ment OF another.
Size of Buildings.
The bill also provides that the
commission shall make decision as TO
dne SIZE OF each building. This is
aone Tor the reason that sometimes
departments in the government have
very exaggerated ideas with regard
10 their space requirements.
Type Of Building.
Ihe type of building to be erected
IN each case would be governed pri-
marily by its location and the ac-
tlvity which is to use it. On proui-
nent avenues and thorouehfareS
buildings would necessarily be Of
CLASSIC design and entirely in keeping
WIN the IDEA or enhancing the beauty
or the Federal Capital. In the less
prominent locations it worId NM
doubtedly be the policy TO erant
buildings of the modern office type
the new Interior building being a
goto got a. eHLmp,e' sI1 in The commission is
artistic extremists who would line
the streets of Washington with Greek
temples for the housing of the yari
Gus federal activities. Such a pro-
ceeding would involve the government
in expenditures which would probably
run into the hundreds of millions.
Section four Of the bill, which au-
thorizes the Secretary of the Treas
ury to acquire privately owned lands
when needed, is inserted as a pre-
lieved at this time that the acauisi-
tfon of such lands will be necessary.
The government now owns the seven
squares upon which the temporary
buildings are located west of 18th
street. squares south of Pennsylvania
avenue between 14th and 18th streets,
sites along the Mall and in other
locations. 1t would, of course, be the
policy Of the commission to utilize
the various areas to the fullest pos
sible extent. The bill as drawn, it
is believed, will accomplished the de-
sired result in the shortest possible
time. and 1t is hoped without the
usual accompaniment of govern
mental red tape"