Evening star., 1926-10-21
SPECIALIST TO AID
US. BUILDING PLAN
Mellon Selects Chicagoan as
Consulting Architect in
New Structures.

Confronted with a series Of ques
tions over which there has arisel
serious disagreement among pubI'
officials, the Treasury Department ha
appointed Edward H. Bennett o
Chicago as consulting architecture
specialist in connection with the pub
lie buildings work under the contro
of the Treasury" it was announced
today.
The new expert was highly praised
today by Secretary Of Treasury Mel
Ion in an official announcement, which
indicated that Mr.. Bennett will "spent
such portion Of his time in Washing
ton as may be necessary for the
proper development of the work. i
is understood he is to receive $50 &
day while on duty here.
While some progress has been made
on the public buildings program, both
here and throughout the country, and
the supervising architects office has
been diligently going ahead with plans
authorized. 1t is known that the big
problem of what to do about the
triangle of land between Pennsylvania
. avenue, the Mall and Fifteenth street
is giving concern to several groups
of officials.
Differences Cause Delays.
The Public Buildings Commission
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, the Fine Arts Com
mission, the Secretary Of the Treasury
and every department for which a
structure is to be built under the new
Federal program are at variance over
some of the policies, 80 that there
has been considerable delay in arriv.
ing at some Of the most important
conclusions necessary before much
practical progress can be made. The
program is not at q standstill, as
much actual work Is under way, but
many things are tied up, 1t Is known
because of a lack Of decision in some
major policies.
Although Congress has authorized
the expenditure Of $165, ,00O. 900 for
the country at large over a period of
nve years, and appropriated a total
or $lO,000,000 for expenditure here
this fiscal year. nearly four months
or the fiscal year are gone, and only
four comparatively minor projects
nave been brought to the point of
signing on the dotted line. The
Treasury has bought the Economics
culture. 1t has let contract for con-
struction Of two stories on the Lib
crty Loan Building, contract for
drilling to determine subsoil under
the site for the proposed internal rev.
enue building, and contract for
Wrecking one square, No. 324, part
of the internal revenue site back Of
the Post Office Department..
Architects Await Final Word,
The practical end of" the work in
the supervising architects office has
been forging ahead as rapidly as de-
termination OF plans by the various
commissions and the Treasury De-
partment allowed, but the question Of
where several of the major buildings
will be placed in the triangle has
raised the whole problem Of what the
Government ought to do about the
triangle; buy 1t outright, or put build
tngS here and there in the triangle,
to buy piecemeal later when the price
OF land has been greatly enhanced
by the new Federal structures.
Coming from the outside. Mr. Ben
nett, 1t is believed, will bring to the
problems faced by the Treasury, not
only wide experience in city plan
ming, but fresh viewpoint free from
any previous disposition to defend
one plan among the several which
are pending.
Considerable significance therefore
has been attached to the appointment
OF AIR. Bennett, by those who have
been in close touch with the Govern
ments building program. as 1t is
believed to be far more than a per-
functory or routine appointment.
Has Had Wide Experience.
MIR. Bennett. according to Secre.
tary Melons statement, 'is the senior
member of the firm Of Bennett. Par
sons and Frost Of Chicago. whose
practice in city planning and civic
establishment extends throughout
the country. MIR. Bennett was asso-
ciated with p. II. Burnham in the
creation of the plans of the cities of
Chicago and san Francisco, and a,
the present time Is consulting civic
planning architect of the Chicago
Planning Commission in it very e..
tenSiNe projects in civic planning
In addition he and his firm have rem
dered similar services to other munich
palities. including Minneapolis. St.
Paul, Portland, Greg. Detroit. Buff
falo, Pasadena and Ottawa, Canada,
as well as numerous small Comrlu.
mites.
Mr., Bennett'S appointment will
provide the Treasury with the benefit
of the counsel and advice of special.
ist having broad experience in the
solution OF problems similar to those
which will arise in connection with
the public buildings program. In the
performance of his duties Mr. Ben
nett will of course work in coIlabo.
ration with the experts Of the office Of
the Supervising Architect and will
represent the Secretary of the Treas
ury In the handling of many prob
lens which will arise for the Joint
consideration of the Treasury and
other Executive departments, the
Public Buildings Commission. the
Fine Arts Commission and the
National Capital Park and Planning
commission. He will spend such por-
tion of his time in Washington as
may he necessary for the proper
development of the work
'Mr Bennett is graduate of the
French National School of Fine Arts,
and is a former director of the Ma
tional City Planning Institute"