Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-25
THRONG WILL SEE
HOOVER LAY STONE
FOR i. s. BUILDING
Ceremonies to Be Held at
New Commerce Department
Home Iune 10.
PRESIDENT AND LAMONT
LISTED FOR ADDRESSES
Preliminary Plans Made for Elab.
crate Program-structureto
Cost s17,5oo, 900.

President Hoover will lay the cor
ner stone Of the new s17,5oo,oo De-
partment of Commerce Building Mon
day afternoon. June &c. at 4 o'clock
with elaborate ceremonies, it was
learned today.
The stone will be placed at the
northwest corner of the great building,
near Fifteenth and. z streets, before 2,
huge aSsemblage and in the presence
of group Of distinguished invited
guests.
Preliminary plans which have not IS
yet been completed in all their details
call for addresses by President Hoover
and by Secretary Of Commerce Robert
P. Lamont.
It is considered particularly fitting
that President Hoover should lay the
corner stone of this structure, as plans
for it were developed while he was Sec
rotary of Commerce, In charge of the
department which is 70 occupy the new
building. A further significance at
taches to the participation of the Presi-
dent, as he is an engineer by profess
sion. and has been keenly interested,
from professional viewpoint, in the
development of the whole Federal build
ing program in Washington. especially
the Department of Commerce Building.
President Hoover built UP the Depart
ment of Commerce to its present posi-
ton of commanding importance in the
commercial and industrial life Of the
United States.
Plans for setting UP the platform and
other facilities needed at the corner
stone laying we're gone over this morn
ing on the site itself by group of on
Gals interested.
Platform TO Be Erected.
1t was decided to erect a platform for
the speakers near the spot where the
larger platform facing the speakers.
large enough to hold an audience of
about 500 invited guests. It Is expected
there also will be standing room for the
public.
The officials who visited the spot this
morning to make plans for the cere-
monies included: e. w. Libby. chief
clerk and superintendent Of the De-
partmennt of Commerce; j. r. Gill.
George w. Barkman, S. w. Hawkins
and H. r. Owen of the Office Of Public
Buildings and Public Parks of the
National Capital. and F. M. Kramer,
representing York & Sawyer of New
York, architects of the building.
The United States Marine Band will
play and the decorations will include
profusion of American flags.
These plans for the corner stone lay
ing appropriately fell also on today
when the si3,567,0o0 contract of the
Consolidated Engineering Co. to erect
the superstructure officially begins. This
contract, which is by far the largest
yet awarded in the public building pro-
gram in Washington, runs for 100
days and means that the Department
of Commerce Building is to be finished
by May 80, 1882.
Foundation Finished.
The Consolidated Co. last Thursday
finished the work of building the foun-
dalton for the Commerce Building, and
today preliminary work on the super
structure was under way. A few con-
crete waterprooferS were at work, and
fence was being constructed around
is the longest in the city, being consid-
erably longer than that of the National
Capitol. The building covers the area
between Fourteenth, Fifteenth, 3 and
E streets.
1t is believed that John H. Elgen,
superintendent for the Consolidated,
who has been in charge of building the
foundation. will be continued on the Job
to erect the superstructure. He is an
experienced builder, having served as
superintendent on both the Department
OF Interior and the Mayflower Hotel
Buildings.
Mr.. Kramer represents the archi-
tectS. York & Sawyer of New York
City. and will have charge of the in
spection of construction.
The Government is represented in
the building of the structure by C. H
Branscombe, construction engineer of
the office of supervising architect,
Treasury Department.
First steel for the Commerce Build
ing is expected to arrive about June Is.
1t is being fabricated by the American
Bridge Co.