Evening star., 1924-01-03
Sum Would Be Spent Over a
Period of Five or Ten
Years, Says Report.
PROPOSAL Is IN LINE
WITH COOLIDGE MESSAGE
Internal Revenue, Agriculture and
Archives Cited Among Most
Vital Housing Problems.

A proposal that Congress authorize
the expenditure of s50,oo0,Ooo ove'
a period of five or ten years for the
construction of buildings needed b,
the government in the District o.
Columbia is contained in the annua
report of the public buildings com
mission, submitted to the Senate to-
day by Senator Smoot of Utah, chair
man.
The proposal is in line with the
recommendation made by Presiden'
Coolidge in his annual address te
Congress.
The report of the commission gives
in detail the needs of the variou;
government departments and agencie:
for better housing facilities anc
urges that provision for a bulidlne
plan in the District of Columbia bt
inserted in one of the public building
bills.
>Tfme-SavinE Seen.
This general legislation" the re.
port says, would make it possible to
carry out the entire program without
the necessity of coming to Congress
and asking for authorization for each
individual building, as has been the
custom in the past. In fact, the com
mission is convinced that this is the
only way in which satisfactory provi'
sion can be made for an adequate
housing of the various departments
within a reasonable time. Further
more, il would make 1t possible te
plan the entire program at once, keep
ing in mind at all times the desirable
ity of bringing the various units oi
each department as closely together
as possible.
This plan, if adopted, will place
the entire construction program un'
der the general supervision of one
centralized authority. This commits
sion has had nearly five years ex'
ment Of space in the public buildings
and has necessarily acquired an init
mate knowledge of conditions ant
the space needs of the government ii
the District of Columbia.
Cites Most Vital Needs.
Discussing the new building needed
the report says:
Probably the most urgent ant
vital need in this respect is the erec-
tion of a new building for the bureau
of internal revenue of the Treasury
Department. This important unit ot
the government handling valuable
papers and records representing bill.
lions of dollars, is occupying 636, ,00(
square feet of floor space in nine diff
ferent buildings. scattered over al
area of one and ohe-half square
miles However, the most alarming
feature of the housing situation oi
the bureau is the fact that 1913 pei
cent of its space is in the temporary
non -fireproof buildings.
Another activity which is suffering
greatly by reason of having its vari.
Gus divisions scattered over the cit.
is the general accounting office. Thi:
office is now occupying twenty differ
ent buildings spread out over con
siderable area. The controller gen
600 per annum would result should
his office be housed in single build
ing.
Worst Housed Department.
LAS stated in previous reports. the
Department of Agriculture is without
a doubt the worst housed institution
in the city of Washington. 1t is now
snread out over the District of Co
Iimbia in forty-five buildings, twenty
eight of which are rented and thu
owned While a rental of $1S2,65'
per annum is now being paid. thi!
does not by any means represent thu
total saving which would result were
the departments activities concen
trated in one location.
1.-The commission believes that new
building for the Department of Justic,
ia badly needed at this time. The mair
building of the department, located a
Vermont avenue and K street, Is
rented structure which is costing th'
government approximately $115.0O0 PEE
annum for rent and upkeep-
THE need for such an archive:
building has been generally known foI
so long that it hardly seems necessar!
to stress 1t here. The construction o.
such a building would have the effec
of releasing 544,023 square feet o.
space now being used in good off1c,
Buildings for the storage Of records
which are seldom referred to.
want Large Warehouse.
"Another badly needed building il
a large warehouse, conveniently 10
Gated on a railway siding, for the us.
of the general supply committee ant
other purchasing agencies 1t woule
make it possible to concentrate all thu
governments storage of supplies II
the District Of Columbia in one loca
tion. 1t would enable the genera
supply committee and other purchas
ing agencies to purchase supplies or
a definite quantity basis, thereby ef-
fecting great savings In costs. i
would make 1t possible to demolisf
those unsightly structures in East
Potomac Park.