Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03

to add a, fifth story on the facade, on which
is erected an entablature.
In order to secure appropriate notices for this
entabature, the then Secretary of Agriculture
William M. Jardine asked the personnel of the
Secretary's Office to have land grant colleges and
other farmers institutions throughout the cou4-
try suggest phrases to be used on the frieze.
After these suggestions were made three were
selected and have been cut in the marble.
On the left OF the entablature is an appropri-
ate motto from st. Paul, 1.-THE husbandman that
laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits "
In the center Is q phrase from Abraham
Lincoln's only farm address, a talk made to the
farmers Of Wisconsin before he was elected
President. It is "No other human occupation
opens so wide field for profitable and agree
able combination of labor with cultivated
thought as agriculture" The motto on tho
right is phrase from President George WASH
ington: with reference either to individual or
national welfare agriculture is Of primary i'm
portance"
Abraham Lincoln's only farm address made
In Wisconsin contains clever saying regarding
the gusto with which politicians persistently
run to the farmer. Lincoln said that he could
not understand why most speakers were con-
stantly complimenting the farmer. 1t had been
his observation that farmers were no more in
dustrious nor less industrious, no more intelli-
gent nor less intelligent than any other group
The compliments must have been because the
farmers had more votes than any other group.
Below this entablature are IL supporting coll
umns of white marble. It is through these on
the second floor at the front of the building
that the Secretary of Agriculture will have his
suite The SecretaryiS suite is trimmed in black
walnut Across the corridor from the secrc-
tarial set of rooms will be small conferences
room in addition to the inner court. There Is
more Office space on the floors above the second
the space above the inner court with the corTi-
doris between the offices on the outside of the
building and those surrounding the inner court
THE completed structure including the pre-
posed extensible building to the rear as wen
as the new central building and two wings. win
form the worlds largest housing establishment
dedicated to agriculture. The department hopes
that when the whole thing is constructed it win
form suitable central home for all workers OF
the department who now wander over the whale
city to fad places of dwelling in As different
buildings or sections of buildings.
That was the expectation of the department
fol- the two wings between 1905 and 1903 when
they were being constructed. The department.
hoped that when the two wings were CON.
ployes. But when the wings were completed in
1908 they were Immediately crammed and per.
sonnet of the department flowed out into build
ings of the city round the wings
The whole building is expected to be COM
pleted at a cost of construction totaling
$3.50 900. That is not very much money for
the construction of the largest agricultural
building in the world! The two wings cost
100000 The new central portion is being
constructed from an appropriation of 81. 500, 900.
And Congress has authorized an appropriation
Of SIS, 100000 for the extensible building to the
rear.
Perhaps many Washingtonians have already
noticed how effectively the new Department OF
Agriculture Building balances the Lincoln Me-
mortal in the plan for the development of the
Mall. On certain portions of the washington
Monument grounds the Lincoln Memorial and
the new Department of Agriculture Building
rise above the grass so as perfectly to harmon-1
ize. The facade of the agricultural building
also harmonizes with the Capitol, for it has two
wings and central portion just as the Capitol
has the main building over which rises the dome
and House Of Representatives wing on one side
and the Senate wing on the other
The beholder who catches a chance view OF
the Department of Agriculture Building from
some distant point in Washington does not
think he is looking at unitarian structure to
house the Federal agriculturists. He thinks he
IS looking at some white marble temple or
mpausoleum that people come to view from fer
across the sea- = - ,ftfu - fs4tN u