Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-06
S50,0D0,O0O VOTED
FOR D. c. BUILDINGS
Bill Goes to Conference ir
Few Days, With Senate
Changes at Stake.

The bill authorizing $4,000, 900 for
| urgently needed Government build
ings in Washington and $4,000, 900
for Federal structures throughout the
country was passed by the Senate late
yesterday and will go to conference
between the two houses in few days,
1t by the Senate.
The Senate accepted the amend.
ment of Senator Bruce of Maryland
which. IL retained by the conferees.
will require that the structures in
Washington be located within the
area south of Pennsylvania and west
of Maryland avenue. The Bruce
amendment further stipulates that the
buildings in Washington should
crafty "the highest standards of
architectural beauty as well as prac.
tical utility"
Supreme Court Building o. KID.
At the last moment yesterday the
Senate also inserted in modified form
the proposal of Senator Moses of New
Hampshire to include in the local
program a separate building for the
United States Supreme Court, now oc-
cupying cramped quarters in the CEN
trail part of the Capitol Building. Two
days ago the Senate rejected a clause
offered by Senator Moses. which would
have made it mandatory to erect
Supreme Court building Immediately.
Senators in charge of the bill felt
the need for new office buildings for
the executive departments was more
urgent than the court situation, and
were unwilling to give a preferential
status to the court structure. The
amendment as adopted would author
ize a Supreme Court building, but
would not place the project above
other governmental needs in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
s1O,OOO,O 900 Yearly.
The 0,0O0 900 for the District is
to be appropriated at the rate Of
100000 annually, and Senator
Smoct, chairman of the Public Build
ings Commission, is confident the
first installment will be included in
the last deficiency appropriation bill
before the present session ends.
Decisions as to locations and order
of construction in Washington are
left to the Public Buildings Commits
sion, and, while that body has not
made known its plans for the first
Internal Revenue Bureau and the
General Accounting Office Will be
among the offices seriously considered
for new buildings the first year. The
Department of Agriculture, scattered
as it is in As places, and the Depart
ment of Commerce, occupying a large
private Office building, also are
among the branches of the Govern
ment to be considered.
In offering his amendment to the
local program, Senator Bruce declared
his object was to prevent the scatter
ing of Government buildings over a
day by eliminating the restriction
against buildings going north of New
York avenue. AS agreed to, the
amendment follows:
Text of Amendment.
"That aside from land that may be
acquired for enlarging the site of the
Government Printing Office, or a ware
house., the sum of $50,000,000 herein
after made available for projects in
the District of Columbia, shall be used
exclusively for the purpose of acquir-
ing by purchase, condemnation, or
otherwise, south of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and west of Maryland avenue
pfOCfdCJ0u IN a StrdlSnL line 10 lWlH-
ing Lake, such sites or additions to
sites as the Secretary of the Treasury
may deem necessary to provide such
suitable office accommodations in the
District of Columbia as are hereinbe-
fore mentioned, of constructing ade-
quate and suitable buildings for the
furnishing of such office accommoda-
tions on said sites or additions to
sites, or on sites already owned by
the Government south of Pennsylvania
avenue and west of Maryland avenue
as above mentioned and of providing
suitable approaches to said buildings,
and beautifying and embellishing their
surroundings: it being the sense of
Congress that the haphaZard practice
heretofore pursued by the Govern
ment of erecting or purchasing build
ings for such office accommodations
north of Pennsylvania avenue should
come wholly to an end and that suit
able provision for all such Office ac-
commodations in the future should,
as nearly in harmony with the plan of
Peter Charles L'Enfant as may be
practicable, be made in the territory
south of Pennsylvania avenue and
west of Maryland avenue as above
mentioned, and in such manner as
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