Evening star., 1926-03-21
SENATE APPROVES
SHIFT Of FEDERAL
BUREAUS OFFICES
Committee of the Whole
Favors S25O,0OO for
Relocation.
ABSENCE OF QUORUM
DELAYS VOTE ON PLAN
Norris Loses Attempt to Put Limit
on Shipping Boards Re-
pairs Program.

The first step toward a comprehen-
Sive relocation of many of the Con
ernment bureaus in Washington in
order to make more advantageous use
of Uncle Sans available office space
was taken yesterday, when the Sen
ate in committee of the whole adopt
ed an amendment to the independent
offices appropriation bill authorizing
$3.50. 900 for that purpose.
Final passage of. the bill was de
iayed until tomorrow, however. when
it developed that there was not a
quorum present to act after II had
been reported from the committee of
the whole to the Senate.
The Public Buildings Commission
for several months has been working
on plan for the shifting of consid-
erable number of bureaus from one
building to another to economiZe on
floor space, but the execution of the
program has been awaiting the neces-
sary moving fund. The money pro
vided for in the Senate amendment
would be available not only for NOV
ing, but for altera tons to buildings
as we'll.
10000 Square Feet Wasted.
In offering the amendment yester
day Senator Smoot, chairman of the
public buildings committee, predicted
it would result in a saving to the
Government. He explained that it
was found recently that 1l0, 200
square feet of space could be saved
by locating scattered branches of the
Interior Department under one roof
in the Interior building. The space
thus conserved he sQid. would have
u value to the Government OF $780,
900 annually.
The plan calls for the relocation of
several branches of the Department
Building.
Then. again." Senator Smoot told
the Senate, I'VE want to take out of
the Pension Building all pension ac-
tivities and move them to the In
terror Department and use the Pen
sion Office Building for purposes that
will relieve the Treasury Department
and give uS room there that other
wise we must go out and rent at
$3.50 a square foot, at least
Absence OF quorum.
After all amendments to the bill
had been passed upon in committee
of the whole and the mea asure was
reported to the Senate for enactment,
Senator Norris of Nebraska suggest
ed the absence of quorum.
Those in charge of the appropria-
ton bill were anxious to have it dis
posed of and when the call of the roll
failed to produce the required num-
ber, Chairman Warren of the appro-
priation committee moved that the
sergeant-at-arms be directed to com
municate with the absentees.
At the end of an hour of waiting
several more were still needed to make
a quorum, and at 7:10 O'Clock Senator
Warren moved that the Senate recess
until noon tomorrow, at which time
the Independent Offices bill again will
be up for action.
Several times while the Senators
present were waiting for sufficient
number Of their colleagues to be
reached motions to adjourn were
made, but each time they were voted
down.
$4,000 Authorized.
The Senate also adopted an amend
ment authorizing $4,000 for current
expenses of the public buildings COM
mission.
Just before the Senate became in
volved in the effort to round up a.
quorum Senator Norris failed in an
effort to have an amendment adopt
ed which would have placed certain
restrictions on the Shipping Board in
the matter of repairing vessels.
When a point of order was made
against his amendment and sustained
by the chair. Senator Norris raised
points of order against three other
amendments inserted in the bill by
the appropriations committee. The
Nebraska Senator contended they
were the same as his amendment and
should also be stricken out if his
amendment was out of order.
The Chair overruled his points of
order, whereupon Senator Norris said
he wanted to protest against the pro-
cedure, cOntending that the Senate
was following one rule on commit
tee amendments and different rule
on amendments offered by individual
Senators. 1t was shortly after this
that the absence of quorum was
suggested, which finally led to the
Senate recessing without acting on
the bill.
Includes Bridge Funds.
The independent offices bill includes
number of items of interest to the
District of Columbia. including $780,.
600 for continuing work on the Airing
ton Memorial Bridge across the
Potomac.
y House provision of the bill de-
signed to curb the Senate in directing
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