Evening star., 1928-10-18

puDllC DulluulBS are COIlCcIIleO 1t ID Ilou
necessary that the amounts authorized
specifically for projects be appropriated
for in their entirety at once, as the
Secretary of the Treasury is given au-
thority to enter into contracts to the
full limit of cost in each instance.
Therefore, the estimates submitted to
Congress are simply In such amounts
as will provide adequate funds to carry
each project until the following appro-
priation can have become law. 1t is all
simple and readily understandable by
those having knowledge of the Govern
ment business.
THE governor cites number OF
instances in which building sites were
acquired some years ago on which no
building has to date been constructed
The fact is that the last omnibus public
building bill, the items for which were
made up by the committees OF the
House and Senate, became a law on
March 4, 1918. Work under that bill
progressed steadily until the conditions
brought about by the World War caused
the then Secretary of the Treasury, in
the interest of conserving manpower
materials and transportation facilities
for war purposes. to suspend the letting
of contracts for new buildings.
Task Faced in 1921.
when the new administration came
into power in 1921, the immediate task
to be undertaken was putting the Gov
ernment's own house in order; the
restoration of economical and business
like principles of administration; the
reduction of the cost of Government
necessarily followed by relief from the
frightful burdens of taxation under
which the country was staggering and
which formed so serious an impeachment
to the restoration of the economic pros
peritv of the Nation. Until this vital
task had been accomplished, no thought
could be given to expanding the
plS 'Sjcal plant of the Government:
"Once accomplished, the President
recommended to the Congress that the
time had come for expanding the physi-
cal facilities of the Federal Government,
but he was unwilling that we should
return to the old pork Barrel practices
of an omnibus public buildings olll.
Accordingly a law was enacted, under
the terms of which, for the ,flrst Ttlme
in its history, the physical plant OF the
Government would be constructed son
the basis of actual requirements Arather
than by virtue of the political needs of
congressional districts. so =:
"Since that time and in the Acourse
of the last three years general sau-
thorization of $298,000000 has been
made for public buildings purposes, ~of
which $77.000,0 900 have been appro5
priated and of which $50000,000 ap=
proximately are being annually. eXS
pended To date PSI projects havesbeen,
authorized-244 for the country at large
and 7 for the District of Columbia.
Cites Brooklyn Case.
1.-THE governor gave what he called "a
few shining examples or mlSmanage-
ment He stated that in the Borough
of BROOKLYN the Government acquired a
sita as far back as 1915, and that up TO
and including this year not a single
dollar has ever been appropriated 10
put building on 1t. Now what are the
facts? When the land in question was
acquired there were buildings on 1t, and
the very act which authorized its acqul-.
sition provided for the remodeling OF
those buildings. They have since oeen
remodeled and have been in use by tne
Federal Government ever since: AS al
ready stated. there was no public build
ings act until 1925. At the present tlme
50 700 900 has been authorized for the
demolition of the old buildings and the
extension and remodeling OF the main
building. 1t is expected to advertise the
foundations in January and the super
structure in April, 1929.
"In Chicago, Gov. Smith states that
site was acquired at cost OF close
to $4,00O,000, that the new Federal
building is designed to cost $l4,25O, 600.
and that at the last session Congress
appropriated Just 100000, not enough
for the foundation. From which he
would have the people infer that this
project is being handled in a waseful
and unbusiness-lk like manner.
Here again the Governor has been
guilty of making charges without a
careful ascertainment of the facts. 1t
is true that a site has been acquired
in 1928 at cost of $3,890,000, but that
site does not include all of the land
required for the new building. The
Government was not able to purchase
the balance Of the property for what it
conceived to be a reasonable price.
Condemnation proceedings have had
to be resorted to. Until this needed
property has been acquired, it is i'm
possible to begin construction, and the
100000 appropriated is all that can
possibly be expended this fiscal year.
U. S. Biggest Business.
"These examples are. think, suft1-
cient to demonstrate that Gov. Smith
has been led to draw rash conclusions
from insufficient data and inadequate
study.
1.-The business Of the United States
Government is the greatest business
enterprise in the world. knowledge of
it is not to be acquired hastily during
the course of a few months campaign.
1t is no reflection on Gov. Smiths
ability that he is inadequately informed
as to the business of the Federal Gov
eminent. What might reasonably be
asked of him. however. is that he re-
frain from charging others with mis-
representation and bad faith until by
study and familiarity with his subject
he has placed himself In position to
deal with it in terms of fact"
Work Defends G. O.P.
Chairman Work said in part:
when the Republican administra-
ton came into power in 1921 the war
had been over for two years and a half;
our troops had returned from France;
our Army cantonments had been
abandoned. our military and Naval
FORCES QeHlODlllZeO. ne 0lXJY- Y-SlXJn
Congress, Republican in both branches.
eliminated 81 10000, 900 of appropria-
tions demanded by the Democratic ad-
ministrative officials. SO the 1921 Fed
eral expenditures were those of peace
time, and Gov. Smith admits that the
1927 expenditures were $4,000, 900 900
less than those Of 1921
But he makes the assertion that the
Republican administration was able to
make so good a showing because it had
inherited from the Democratic admin
istration war material which had cost
the United States Government $2600.-
100000. That is true. but while
Gov. Smith was citing the record, he
neglected to state that the cost of this
material was based on fictitious war
values; that the material was bought
by Democratic officials without com
petitive bidding and frequently without
even so much as a written contract or
memorandum; and that it represented
values and purchases under conditions