Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07

dertaken the biggest building
program in Its history. After
III a long period of comparative In
action, during which the popula-
lation outstripped the development OF
public buildings. Congress has given its
approval to a general program that may
cost close to $500, O00,0 900 before it Is
completed Alaska to Florida, from
New York to California, building prof.
ects are under way or are contemplated
Acting under authority given by the
last Congress, the Treasury and Post
ONCE Departments are getting ready
to begin operation where the need is
most pressing. The buildings in this
program viii cover the requirements OF
all agencies of the Federal Government.
except Army barracks, veterans hospi-
tails and one or two other activities.
The project Is q gigantic one. Further
more, 1t is one intimately related to the
industrial growth of the country; for in
adequate postal facilities handicap any
city. In the current building program
new post offices easily constitute the
most important element.
Marks Passing Of Pork Barrel.
The plan is worthy of note for an
other reason. It marks a change from
the old days Of the pork barrel public
buildings bill, when q Representative
voted for building in another dis
trict in return for the support of his
colleague for his own pet project. II
was In 1919 that the last public build
ing act Of this kind was passed. Then
came the World War with the curtail-
ing Of all expenditures not necessary
to its prosecution. Years passed and few
important projects were authorized
Then, in 1926, Congress decided to
change the system under which public
buildings had been constructed.
In legislation that year Congress set
up an mter-departmental committee
headed by the Secretary of the Treasury
and the Postmaster General, to study
the public building needs of the coun-
try, from the national, rather than the
local point of view.
These two cabinet officers appointed
as committee their principal subordi-
mates. This committee has studied
carefully the needs of the National
Government. Carl T. Schuneman, As
sistant Secretary Of the Treasury, has
been Secretary Melons chief aid in
working out this program, and j. H.
Bartlett, First Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral, has been the ranking representa-
tive OF the Post Once Department.
Committee Makes Own Studies.
The committee has made an exhaus-
tive study of the construction needs of
every town and city of importance in
the United States. Two or more men,
berS have visited every city or town
where a new Federal building project
was under construction. They wanted
to see conditions for themselves rather
than to trust to reports.
Many small communities had put in
claims for new Federal buildings. On
investigation, the committee concluded
that for the mcst part their claims were
justified. In every section of the coun-
try the commute found large agricul-
tural areas, larger than some Of our
small States, which have not been pro-
vided with Federal buildings. Almost
without exception, it found a progress
sive community gathered around many
small industries.
These places usually are county seats.
railroad functions or trading centers
which give promise Of a slow but
steady growth. The committee has felt
that Congress ought to give some con-
sideration to this character of COM
munity in any extension Of its public
building program.
The committe made another inter-
esting find. It learned Of the develop
ment and the expansion Of industrial
enterprise at points which until recent
ly were considered to be small towns.
Almost overnight the village Main street
has become q metropolitan Broadway.
Such places are on the way to becom-
ing thriving industrial centers.
New Cities Sprung Up.
The Federal Investigators found still
another type Of community. Near many
of our larger cities are stable towns
with populations as high as 10000.
Though the postal receipts In most OF
these communities are now less than
$4,000 a year, in majority OF these
cases the receipts are expected to ex-
coed this amount during the next few
years, at which time they automatically
will become entitled to Federal build
ing.
A few examples may be cited. Pampa,
Tex. Is q town in one OF the largest
wheat-growing areas in the Southwest.
Wellsboro. Pa, is located in county
which never had Federal building.
HAYES. Kan. county seat, in addition to
being an important shipping point and
trading center for well developed ag-
ricuitural section, is the home Of the
Kansas State Teachers College, with
an enrolment of some 800 students.
Old Hickory, Tenn. is q newcomer,
but within the last three years three
large artificial silk mills with weekly
nav rolls totaling 100000 have been
located there. East Moline, Ill, is an
industrial community of $4,000 popula-
ton. and its manufacturing establish
ments are planning extensive additions
to their plants. The committee believes
East Moline should grow rapidly, both
in population and in postal receipts.
NSllchcnlacnS indicate the necessity of