Evening star., 1925-10-11

uneconomical arrangement Of the Gov
erninents housing in Washington.
There are reasons by the score why
this intoierable and preposterous stu.
alton should be remedied without
lie lay.
Can Save $1,00O.0OO a Year.
In the first place. there is the matter
of economy. The Government is now
paying rentals in the District of Co.
lGnb.a amounting to $SS1,6S2 annu-
ally. In addition to this, there are the
maintenance and upkeep charges on
these rented buildings, which the Gov.
ernnent pays. and which in many
cases is as much as the rent 1t Is
therefore safe to say that the con-
struction of public buildings and the
elimination OF these charges would
easily effect Il saving of 81 .000, 900 an.
nuaily. Other great economies would
result when each department is able
to bring it's activities together under
one roof, or at least In the Immediate
vicinity of each other.
As the situation exists today the
Government is squandering untold
sums OF money for messenger service
automobiles, trucks. time lost by en-
ployees going from one building to the
other. delays while officials are wait
ing for papers, etc, which in numer-
Gus instances must be secured from
another division or bureau located at
considerable distance. The time
wasted by the pubic in transactine
business with the Government on ac-
count OF the widely scattered units
OF each establishment Is also large.
Congress Fully Warned.
As an example of how Congress has
been warned of the growth of vari-
Gus agencies. which further congests
The housing facilities-away back in
January, 1923, the Secretary Of the
Treasury transmitted to Congress a
letter from the then Postmaster Gen
era!. DR.. Huber, Work. In which he
said:
Next to the Post Office Department
he Internal Revenue Service has
beer the greatest sufferer on account
Of lack of space. Since 1918 there has
been added to its activities the collec-
ton of direct taxes under the six
teenth amendment of the Constitution
and the enforcement of prohibition
under the eighteenth amendment.
This has added so greatly to the per
Sonnel that In many buildings part of
the internal revenue business Is
transacted in public corridors to the
great detrlment OF efficiency and the
health OF the employees. Netwith.
standing the maximum use of Fed
oral buildings this bureau alone is
now paying s45s. .27263 rent annually
.Gr commercial space"
Congress has been repeatedly and
forcefuliy advised of the necessity
for working out definite program of
housing for Government activities
On December IS, 1917. the Public
Buildings Commission. composed of
members of the appropriations and
public buildings committees of both
House and Senate, the architect OF
the Capitol. the supervising archi-
tect of the Treasury and the engineer
officer in charge of public buildings
and grounds submitted a comprehen-
sive report analyzing the needs of
the Government departments and
Establishments for Office space in the
District of Columbia. In this report
the Public Buildings Commission an
nounced certain important principles.
which should be followed in the con-
struction OF new buildings. as follows:
First. Public buildings. other than
those Of the executive departments.
should face the grounds of the Capt.
tol.
Second. New executive depart
mental buildings may well be located
to face Lafayette Square in such man.
ner as to complete the arrangement
already begun. and south OF Pennsyl
vania avenue along Fifteenth street
to B street, on the land already pur
chased and awaiting such occupation.
Third. Both sides of the Mall. with
the exception of the space needed by
the Department Of Agriculture on it's
grounds, should be occupied by mu.
seums and other buildings containing
collections in which the public gen.
orally Is interested. but not by de-
partmental buildings.
Fourth. The space east of Four
teenth street, between Pennsylvania
avenue and the Mall should be occu-
pied by public buildings.
Distinct Types Urged.
In determining the cost of the
buildings to be constructed the follow
Ing types have been assumed:
First Departmental type, to house
the head of a department and such OF
the divisions and bureaus Of the de.
partments as should be in direct and
immediate touch with the central
office. AS typical examples Of de-
partmental buildings to be followed.
but not copied. in designing future
structures. your committee has taken
the Treasury Department Building.
the preliminary designs for the De-
partment OF State, Justice and 0hen
Commerce and Labor, the Patent
Office, the Senate and House Office
Buildings, and the old Post ONCE De-
partment Building on Seventh and F
streets. A five-story building (above
basement) Is considered proper and
suitable for the departmental type.
Second The Mall type, for build.
ings constructed along the Mall.
Typical examples are the new Ma
tional Museum. the Freer Art Gal
lery, the new Department OF AgricU-