The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-03
CONDITIONS
DISGRACE,
KEYES
SAYS
Points Out Great Fire Menace
to Invaluable Records and
Danger to Employees

Danger to Employees
An unsparing analysis of the
present departmental housing con,
ditions in the District of Colum-
bia is contained in the report of
the Senate Public Buildings and
Grounds Committee, made public
by Senator Reyes of New Hamp-
shire today.
In a desperate attempt to
arouse Congress to the real facts
Of the situation, the committee
deals with the fire hazard in the
decaying temporary war struc-
lures, the menace to the health
and security of thousands of Fed
eral workers, the disorganization
resulting from the scattering of
the work of a single big bureau
through fifteen buildings located
in different sections of the city.
Disgrace to Nation. Charge.
That the Government Is guilty
Of huge folly in it's chronic ad.
diction to the role Of tenant in
countless privately owned office
buildings and that the wooden
stables" built during the war and
still used, are a disgrace to the
nation, are statements made to
Congress.
New housing for the Bureau of
Internal Revenue, the Department
Of Justice, the general accounting
office, the Department OF Agricui-
ture. the general supply committee,
as well as a new National Archives
recommended for immediate con-
struction in the city.
The Department of Agriculture
is now housed in forty-five build.
ings, twenty-eight of which are
rented,
1t will be the policy of the Public
Buildings Commission to erect a
new group of buildings around the
present main structure on the Mall
and incidentally to unite the
wings of that building by an ap.
propriate central unit, a job which
Congress has neglected to do for
more than twelve years.
Estimates by McCarl.
The National Archives building
will be designed to provide space
for $500 employees. It will release
544 900 square feet of floor space
In the main departmental buildings
now occupied by records and docu.
ments, for other purposes.
Comptroller General McCarl esui,
mates there will be q saving of
S250,000 yearly by concentrating
the General Accounting Office in a
single structure.
1t is the plan of the Public Build.
ings Commission to place the entire
Department of Justice in a single
Government.owned building.
Senator Reyes calls the temper.
airy buildings "vertible firetrap6 of
the flimsiest wooden construction.
They present q constant and most
dangerous fire hazard. Several Of
them are literally crowded to the
roof with priceless and fireplace.
able records, the destruction of
which would mean q staggering
loss to the Government.
Tribute to Commission.
The Government Is q tenant in
ANo S0RASoA' NAIC ~ NAAV SAJOAbI VI
$67S,sO7 annually" continues Sena-
tor Reyes.
In paying tribute to the work
of the Public Buildings Cormls-
sion, headed by Senator Smoot. he
declares 1t has succeeded in saving
the Federal Government rental
bills to the extent Of $462,6S0 in
the five years since it was created.
Outside of the Departments Of
Commerce and Labor ana the Inter.
state Commerce Commission, which
he declares are fairly well housed
in rented buildings, Senator Keyes
expresses the opinion that the pro.
gram provided for In the report will
make it possible for the Govern.
mett to vacate all the other rented
buildings in the District OF Columbia.
In the Independent Offices build.
ings it is proposed to house the
Alien Property Custodian. the
Bureau Of Efficiency, the Civil
Service Commission, the Federal
Power Commission, the Federal
Trade Commission, the, Commission
Of Fine Arts, the Tariff Commission,
and other miscellaneous units.
Lands To Be Acquired.
The Public Buildings Commission
is vested with the powert to deter
mine the character Of building neces-
sary for each department, to desig
nate the site for the structure, to
prepare construction and architect.
ural plans, to submit an annual
estimate to the Budget Bureau. etc.
The commission Ia charge of the
State War and Navy buildings is
authorize to acquire such privately
owned lands In the District as. in
the judgment of the Public Build.
ings Commission, are needed as
sites for any OF the buildings
authorized by the act