Evening star., 1925-08-30


the President and Senator Smoot in
sisted the need is greatest. 1t was
proposed that a building program cost
ing $4,000 900 over Il period of years
be authorized. But members of Con
gross We're unwilling to provide for
new buildings in the District unless
the needs of the States also were pro
rided for, and finally the House put
through the Elliott bin, providing Tor
81 expenditure of S150,000.o 900 for q
building program extending over six
years. with maximum expenditure
or obligation In any one year OF $685.
10000 The understanding was that
$50 900 of this total was to be OK
pended in the National Capital and
800 100000 in the States.
The Elliott bill left TO the discre
ton of the Secretary OF the Treasury
and the Postmaster General, acting
jointly, the selection of the projects
to be undertaken under the authority
conferred by the bill. Prior to this
bill public buildings have always been
authorized either in omnibus building
bills, as in the 1913 Measure. or in
separate bills for Individual projects.
In every case Congress has specified
the place and the amount TO be ex-
pended for public buildings. The FL
lott bill was III effect lump-sum ap-
preparation. leaving the executive de-
partments TO determine where build
tngs were to be erected and OF what
cost and character.
Bill Hits Snas.
The new plan contemplated the es-
tabllShment OF q list Of projects to De
handled and an allotment of money
for each after a general survey Of
nPnHd ~ ha
made. Such a system has distinct
adv antage over the cid method. in
that with the latter many cases re-
suited In the limits OF cost being set
for buildings below the actual needs
Of the particular locality and condi-
tioHS. In other cases unnecessarily
large limits of cost were set, which,
if followed would have given just
cause for claims Of extravaganza in
the expenditure of public money.
Furthermore, the new plan proposed
IN the Elliott bill is directly in line
with the Treasury Department policy
Of standardization for public build
ings. The type of building selected
for a community. would be dictated by
the needs therefor, instead of having
the amount available too great or too
little. as has been the case too often
IN the past
The Elliott bill, however. struck a
snag in the Senate. Democratic SEN
ators in the closing hours OF the short
session ending March 4 declared 1t
could not be passed. In this they
may have been aided and abetted by
some Of the Republicans. For Con-
greSs Is jealous of its power to deter
mine just where public funds are to
be expended and for what purpose.
Senators saw their authority 10 die
tate where a new Federal building
should be located in their States about
to vanish.
But Senator Smoot, chairman Of the
Public Buildings Commission, be-
lieves firmly in the proposed new sys-
tem,, with authority placed in the
hands OF the Secretary OF the Treas
ury to determine, after consultation
with the Postmaster General and
other department heads, when and
where and in what proportion the
money shall be expended. II is his
plan TO introduce a bill authorizing
the appropriation of sf00,00O,000 at
the coming session-s5o, 900 900 to be
expended for Federal buildings in
Washington and an equal amount
throughout the country.
Pork Barrel Charge.
The pork barrel charge has been
made against public building bills
III Inc past. just as 1t has against
river and harbor bills. Appropria-
tions have been made for buildings
too large and expensive for the COM
munities in which they were located.
and members of Congress have sliced
on pieces of pork for their districts
which the actual needs of the Gov
ernments business did not warran Mt
Log rolling, by which one Senator eot
what he wanted in a public building
bill because he was willing to support
projects for other Senator's kind
OF back-scratching game-has been
pracllced frequently. The more Fed
eral money obtained for a district or
state. the better for the Representa-
tive or the Senator. This kind o+
procedure, however, does not make
eltner Tor economical administration
Oh The Government or for efficiency.
An important step which has been
undertaken in connection with the
construction Of Federal buildings is
Standardization. Four classes have
been established, determined by the
size OF the postal receipts. situation
and character Of the site, character
OF the surrounding property and
streets, and the valuation OF the sur
rounding property and the probabiu-
ties Of its increase or decrease in
value.
beginning with the use Of the more
expensive building materials for the
highest class OF monumental buildings.
the materials used in the four classes
are graded down to the simpler and
less expensive classes for use in com
mercial types Of small buildings. in
accordance with the basic elements of
the classification adopted. BY this
system, buildings are designed in ac-
cordance with the principles Of sound
business Investment and in accord
ance with reasonable local require
mentS.
How Standardization Works.
This scheme Of standardization of
nllhllC buildings 10 rria6 into .affnnt