Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-11
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
LAYS CORNER STONE
Hoover Uses Washington
TroWeI in Commerce
Building Ceremony.

SNuAuIS wi @tttSitya
President Hoover laid the corner
stone yesterday afternoon of the largest
Office building in Washington, and. ir
floor space, the largest in the world
| the new building for the Department
of Commerce. The impressive cere.
monies were conducted in the presence
of an immense throng, including many
| present and former officials of the Gov
eminent.
The President seemed especially
| pleased to lay this corner stone, since
he was Secretary of Commerce wher
the plans for the new building were
started, and probably did more thar
any other man to build up that depart.
| ment to its present position of import.
ance in the industrial and commercial
| life of the Nation.
President Hoover used the same
| trowel and gavel which President
Washington used when he laid the
corner stone of the Capitol in 1893.
BY cooperation and not by compul-
sion, the President said, in brief ad.
dress before the stone was put in place
the Department of Commerce SHOULD
seek to assist Gin maintaining and CIV
ing the impulse of progress to commerce
/ and industry in a nation whose sue
cessful economic life underlieS advance.
ment In every other field"
Lamont Presides.
The ceremonies began at 4 O'Clock
| and lasted about an hour. Other speak
ers were Secretary of Commerce La.
mont, who presided and delivered the
opening remarks; Senator Smoot Of
Utah, chairman Of the Public Building,
Commission; Representative Elliott Of
Indiana, chairman of the House com.
mittee on public buildings and grounds
and George B. Cortelyou, first Secre.
tary of Commerce and Labor, out Of
which grew the present Department Of
Commerce.
Bishop James e. Freeman of Wash.
ington delivered the invocation, anC
the benediction was pronounced by Rt
Rev. John M. Mcnamara, Auxiliary
Bishop of Baltimore. Music was fur
nished by the Marine Band.
The corner stone was laid at the
northwest corner of the new building
near Fifteenth and E streets.
"On an occasion which so peculiarly
marks the progress of this great ma
tional institution" said President
Hoover, "it is a particular pleasure tc
welcome those men who, as former
Secretaries of Commerce. have contrib
uted to its upbuilding. And 1 may per-
haps be pardoned for an especial pride
on this occasion, having served fol
seven years in the department, and
having had some part in the design and
initiation of this building. Those who
have presided over this department
truly appreciate the significance and
the inspiration of this occasion. II
marks the emergence of the Depart
ment of Commerce into full maturity
and service.
Setting the corner stone of any great
public building in the city of Washing
ton is also milestone of progress, not
only of the Capital. but of the Nation
as whole. This building will be not
only the largest single public structure
In the city, but In its actual floor space
it is said to be the largest office building
in the world. 1t represents the most
important structure in the new program
for better accommodation of our Gov
eminent and the Identification Of our
National Capital.
Uses Historic Trowel.
1--WE use today the trowel with which
President Washington laid the corner.
stone of the Capitol 1876 years ago. It's
use cannot but recall the growth Of this
city and of our country which that
period SO uniquely represents. When
President Washington laid that corner
stone this particular spot was but q
swamp traversed by little more than
COW path which led from the begin
nings of the Capitol to the beginnings
Of the White House. Even when, seven
years later, the administrative bureaus
Of the Government were moved from
New York and Philadelphia and set up
In Washington they consisted in entire
personnel of officials and clerical force
Of less than $50 persons. Since that
time the administrative functions of
! the Government have been expanded
year by year until they now require
twenty times as many officials for each
million OF people as were required then.
While there may be complaints over
the expansion in other directions, this
department cannot be a subject of them
for it is devoted solely to aid and foster
the development Of higher standards of
living and comfort of our people.
THE beginnings Of the idea to create
Department of Commerce are perhaps
obscure. There was no provision in
the Constitution for any cabinet off,
Ger, department or bureau. A nation
struggling for liberty and freedom nat
urally gave more thought to provision
for fundamental freedom by formula
ton of law for its protection than to
the administration Of those laws, but
necessarily administration quickly fol-
lowed.
Hamilton Used Vision.
"In advising upon the divisions into
which administrative work should be
assigned 1t Is said that Alexander Ham,
ilton proposed the creation Of six depart
mentS-State, Treasury, War, Justice,
Post ONCE and Trade. But out of
economy the laSt-named department
was not created. 1t was not until ia
years later that the functions which
he then described emerged as the De-
partment Of Commerce.
AS Secretary of the Treasury, how
ever, Hamilton'S vision well compre-
hended the necessities of Federal Gov
eminent activity in support of COM
merce and industry. OF the bureaus
ment OF Commerce, those Of patents.
census, lighthouses and navigation were
established by him in the Treasury.
During the hundred years before the
founding OF the department other bu-
reaus were created and finally brought
together into a homogeneous organi-
zation with full cabinet representation
under President Roosevelt and with
Mr.. Cortelyou as its first Secretary. The
| 26 years since its foundation have
shown an extraordinary expansion and
change, until the department has
evolved into its present impressive size
and helpfulness.
And its ideals are clear: That by
cooperation and not by compulSion II