Evening star., 1926-12-03

erected
Fo, expansion OF the District Gov
ernmeni activities m utu,t%ihn d!
the southern Railway Headquarters
building has been recommended This
Is jnst east OF the present District
Building and Us 4 IN "irrn .fii"t- hi Id
ing 1t is not however sufficiently
arge to accommodate the DiStricl ac
tivit'es that would have to ind q
new home when the Federal program
gets underway
he meei his double situation II Is
,uw proposed that the present District
Building be turned over to indepen
tenl offices or some other small unit
If the Federal service possibly n
Labor Department II Is proposed also
hat the southern Railway Building
could be used for Federal activities
that need temporary home during
he building process
II is proposed that since the Far
ners Market and the Wholesale Mar
ket have to move anyhow now Is the
ogical time for the retail market
,lso 10 be moved especially since
hese commissions are agreed that
eventually the market site must be
surrendered as retail market is not
n harmony with the planned develop
nent of beautiful Federal buildings.
MIR Moore pointed out today to tbs
Gibson subcommittee that the District
government should be dignified with
L beautiful group of buildings on this
market site, midway between the
Capitol and the White House, and
.acing into the heart of the city. He
emphasized that a group of municipal
buildings is desirable for public con-
fhof n a n n
business with the city government
:an reach all of the related offices. He
pointed out that there seems to be
sufficient room on the present market
lite because there Is a larg space be
ween the present building and Penn
;ylvania avenue which could be built
upon, and that there is also an op-
portunity for expanding the municipal
group on adjacent squares to the east
# Seventh street and to the west o.!
Ninth street.
The cutting of Ninth street through
the Mall is extremely desirable for
Identification of the center of the city
As we'll as the utilitarian purposes. Ii
explained, because with Seventh
street, it is what the Fine Arts Com
mission calls a framing street." max
ing a cross panel effect on the Mall
area.
Another step toward the relocation
of the Farmers Produce Market was
made by the District Commissioners
:oday when they approved the draf'
of bill to authorize the acquisition
of a new site at a cost not to exceed
500, 900. Enactment will be sought at
he coming session of Congress. Be
fore transmitting the bill to the Cap,
tol, the Commissioners plan to send
copies to the Bureau of the Bulge
and Senator Smoot of Utah, chairman
of the Public Buildings Commission.
Need for Legislation.
The necessity for this legislation
the Commissioners explained in q
memorandum attached to the bill, is
occa stoned by the fact that the plans
of. the Public Buildings Commission
provide that the proposed Interna
:tevenue Building shall be located or
part of the present site of the
market, and since this building is one
of the first to be constructed under
the Federal building program, the
urgency for enactment of the bill
S manifest. The Commissioners also
pointed out that the relocation of tht
market has had the attention of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Comm sslon and will receive further
consideration before any steps are
taken to select q definite site.
The bill provides for the purchase
of the site out of the funds of the
District In the same manner as oI
other appropriations for the expense
of The municipal government.
The Gibson subcommittee ha6
called Mr.. Moore before it to ask why
some progress had not been made or
the new police court building, which
Congress authorized last session
pointing out by way of contrast
that progress has been made with h
Federal building program. Incident
ally. Mr.. Gibson stressed again the
daplorable condition at the Police
Court, which he considers disgraceful
to any community, much less to the
National Capital.
Drawing Funds Lacking.
Mr.. Moore agreed with him, stating
that he has been familiar with the
Police Court conditions for more than
25 years, never knew them to be
worse than at present, and that he
cannot conceive how any one could
possibly build such a bad police
court building. which is fit only for
a Jail. He explained that the munic.
ipal architect was in conference with
the Fine Arts Commission yesterday
and had told it that nothing can be
done about the Police Court Building
becaus. CONGRESS has made no funds
available for drawing plans and that
he is prohibited from using schoo
funds to draw plans for a police
court building.
Mr.. Moore said that the matter is
very complicated and that the Fine
Arts Commission has been trying
first to guide in the selection of 6
suitable site, but that even this has
been delayed because it is impera
tive that first there should be g
determination of just what Distric
activities should be housed in the
new Police Court building. He ad-
vised that the District Commission
ers should be asked to make definite
recommendations as 20 what activ'
tiles the new building should house
and that ~then an appropriation
should be made by Congress fol
drafting plans for such a building
Mr.. Moore assured the committe'
that the District has a very .goot
municipal architect.
When Chairman Gibson asked hi:
opinion regarding the housing prob
lem for the whole District Govern
ment. Mr.. Moore said that undoubted
ly the present building is altogether
too small for present needs and tina
space must be provided for expansion
He said 1t is quite feasible to tak'
the Southern Railway Building be
cause the railway offices themselve:
need expansion and there is no room
available in the triangle area which
the Government needs for Fedora