New Britain herald., 1926-12-28
Federal Government to Take Up Construction Work After Lapse of Twelve Years.
BY GEORGE E. MANNING

BY GEORGE E. MANNING | Washington Bureau ot the x. 5. Heraldj Washington, D. C., Dec. 2S,-The
 greatest program for constructing
 public buildings ever undertaken in 1 this country is about to be launched
 by the federal government.
 Virtually every city in the country will get q share in the program in the form Of a new or enlarged post office or a building to house the fed eral court. revenue office. veterans bureau branch or other agency of the federal government.
 Not since 1914, when the Euro pean war sent building prices sky rocketing, have any federal buildings been built, and now there Is scarcely a post office or federal agency in the country which is adequately housed. The greatly increased use of the mails in advertising. in business and personal correspondence and in magazine circulation. tho advent of parcel post, postal savings and air mail, and the natural growth in the population of the country have crowded every post office building far beyond it's capacity.
 But now plans to take care Of this situation are rapidly being com pleted. A huge surplus is piling up in the treasury which congress has refused to turn back to the taXpay- CTS. and many members Of congress believe that the best possible use that could be made of this money is in constructing new federal build ings.
 A start already has been made, q vigorous start and one which will be felt in every city in the United States.
 20OO Cities Affected
 Within a very few days the Post master General and the supervisor architect O. the treasury department will lay before congress the details of a plan 10 build new or enlarged post office buildings in some 2,o00 cities throughout the country. This list has not been made up by con- gress seeking slices Of 'pork" for their constituents, but is the re- suit of a careful, scientific survey by unbiased post office and treasury officials. Every post office in the country having annual receipts of more than s20.0O0 was visited this summer by committee from the treasury and post office departments and it's findings are now being tabu- lated.
 Each department made its own list of cities arranging them in the order of the urgency of their federal building needs with the idea of talk ing them up in order when the aWaI ding of contracts begins. The treasury's architects worked out a formula whereby the ratio of urgency of building needs is shown by computing such factors as population, postal re- ceipts, present floor space, number l of carriers and clerks availa bility of | site. rent on leased quarters. etc. The post office inspectors made their list independently and rated the 1 cities according to personal observa- ton, postal experience, complaints of postmasters and patrons, and | general knowledge. These two lists | are now being compared, and in nearly every case they agree as 10 . which buildings in each state should be taken Up first.
 In addition 10 showing the degree Of need for increased quarters for federal activities in each city, the list will show the amount of money required to build a new building or enlarge the old federal building In zach of the 1000 cities surveyed. Along side of this will be shown n much less Space--the amount of money now available for this work. This is where the rub comes, but
  will double and treble the lpropriations within the next year or two, and with the full approval )f the administration.
 Elliott -Fernald Act Paycs Way
 When congress passed the Elliott 'ernald public buildings act last Nay it broke the deadlock which as prevented the construction of my government buildings whatever md opened the way for the biggest. he most scientific and the most use ul building program ever under akcn. Previous public bills had made specific appropriations for .ost office buildings. Most of them we're needed more or less. but some we're mere political prizes. That was 'eforc the words economy and eff ,oltic2l vocabulary. Today such q jill would have 10 include at least ! re building in every congressional ' istrict in order 10 pass, and it's plume would break the treasury ; nd swamp the supervising archi-' acts office.
 The Elliott act authorized sl65,- oo,o00 for public buildings. or this otal. s5o,000 oo0 is 10 be spent in he District of Columbia and s1i.- " 01,0o0 on bu'dings previously au- lorizcd but where the existing ap- "