Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-08

Continued from First Page)
ness men and manufacturers from
every State in the Union.
The Public Buildings Commission IS
authorized by the public building act
to select the sites, type OF building and
architectural plans as well as TO de-
eide questions of priority or e&pedl-
ency in connection with the public
building program within the limit of
the $4,000 900 appropriation author
lied by Congress. The Fine Arts Com
mission acts in an advisory capacity
regarding conformity with the gen
eral policy and program for maintain
ing washington Beautiful"
Opposition Is Heard.
The Public Buildings Commission
has announced its decision to locate
the Commerce Building on the Mall,
south OF Il street and very vigorous
and determined opposition has been
voiced against any further INVASION OF
buildings on the Mall other than those
of monumental and educational char
acter. such as already authorized
which includes the allotted location at
Seventh and 3 streets for the pro-
posed National Art Gallery.
That section of the Mall, where II
is proposed to locate the new Com
merce Building, is commonly known
as the Department of Agriculture
grounds" and for a time it was CON
templated that a big new office build
ing for the Department of Agriculture
should he built on the site later sell
ected for the Commerce Building. Sec
rotary of Agriculture Jardlne. in
letter to the chairman of the CimmlS-
sion Of Fine Arts, pointed out that
the new pavilion building for his de-
partment, connecting the two existing
marble wings now used by the Bureau
of Plant Industry and the Bureau Of
Animal Industry, is TO be the main
administration monumental building
of the Department of Agriculture. For
that reason he opposed locating a sub
ordinate, or lesser office building of
the department in front of the main
building, and this argument had
weight in influencing the Public Build
inCs Commission to decide upon the
purchase Of three squares south Of
the department grounds on which an
eXtensible office building will be
erected.
Secretary Jardine further recon-
mended to the Commission of Fine
Arts that on general principles he was
unalterably opposed TO the erection of
any Office buildings, department build!
ings or other workshops of the Gov.
ernment in the Mall-other than
those Of q museum or art gallery ma
ture for diffusion Of knowledge, relat-
ed to the Smithsonian group.
That is the present situation with
regard to the location OF the Com
merce Building. There is serious OPP
position to it's being placed on the
Mall, and Secretary Hoover is per
feCtly willing 10 relinquish the loca-
ton in Difference to public opinion
and the long ahercG-to plan for beau
tification of the Capital City, If a con
venient and adequate location can be
found which matches up with the
needs of the department and the char
acter Of it's work.
May Occupy Market Site.
Secretary Hoover has seriously en-
tertained the suggestion that the new
Commerce Building. which must pro-
vide a million square feet, net, of
Office space, may be erected on the
present Center Market site. extended
to include the adjacent area between
Ninth and Tenth streets, PennSyl-
vania avenue and + street. much OF
which Is now occupied by commission
merchants and what is known as "the
wholesale market" This proposition
! is now being figured upon by repre-
sentatives of the Department of Com
merce. the Public Building Commits
/ sion and the Treasury Department in
/ charge of the public building program.
Erection Of the $4,000, 900 Com
merce Building on that site second in
size only to the Capitol itself. would
not only preserve the integrity OF the
| Mall and give it a more beautiful and
impressive vicinage, but it would be
| one of the greatest steps in the entire
125 years since the Capital was estab-
! lished in carrying forward the mag
niticent plans OF Maj. L'Enfant and
| Gen. Washington, as moderniZed in
1901 by the famous Mcmillan commits
sion.
AS late as Charles Dickens visit in
1872. the most notable thing about the
Capital was its pretentioGs plan. char
acterized by the great novelist as the
vast design of an aspiring F'renchman,
displaying as it's leading features spa
cious avenues that begin in nothing
and lead nowhere; streets miles long
that only want houses. roads and in
habitantS: public buildings that need
but a public to be complete, and orna-
ments Of great thorOughtares. which
only lack great thoroughfares to orna-
ment.'
Have Fiye-Fold Task.
Our modern capital builders have
had as their task. % Protection Of
the original streets and avenues, parks
and parklets of the clty'S plan. CD eX-
pensive maintenance ana development
Of the original streets and avenues
: covering a vast area, suitable for
the thoroughfares of a populouS and
wealthy capital. ludicrously out of re-
lation to the resources of Il Self-Sup-
porting. self-developing Maryland viii
Iage: t3) extension OF the city's orlgl
nal plan. as far as possible. to the new
Washington outside of the original
limits. which is spreading urban con-
1iti0ns 20 the boundaries of the Dis
trict: t4) removal Of conditions which
have sprung up 20 mar the original
plan and the harmonious development
ct the city beautiful: and 90 acquisi-
ton ard DEVELOPMENT Of all the com
ponenr parts Of the new system OF
connected outer parks which did rot
enter into the plans OF the forefathers,
hut which are essential TO the ade-
ouotc and rounded development of
the modern capital.
The special Immediate labor under
the fourth heading is the removal
of ugly and discreditable conditions
n1ectin- Pernsxfva MIA avenue, the
great historic thoroughfare and par
ado street Of the CAPITAL, $50 feet