Evening star., 1929-12-18
ACTION DELAYED
ON BUILDING BILL
Expect Committee Report to
Be Made to Senate After
Christmas.

Senate action on the new public
buildings bill, which passed the House
two days ago, authorizing $115,00O, 900
for the program in the National Capital
and a similar amount for Federal con-
struction work. throughout the United
States, will have TO wait until after the
Christmas recess. h.. ..
This was indicated today when the
Senate public buildings and grounds
committee held hearing on the bill,
but did not have a quorum present to
order 1t reported to the Senate. It was
also indicated that the Senate commit
tee may incorporate one or two amend
ments, which would necessitate sending
the measure back to the House before
final enactment.
Keyes Asks Action.
Shortly after the Senate met today
Chairman Keyes of the Senate public
buildings committee made an effort
to obtain immediate passage of the
separate bill to authorize the United
States Supreme Court Building, the site
for which already has been purchased,
but Senator Norris, Republican of
Nebraska, requested that it be laid aside
until later. 1t Is possible that there
will be another opportunity to consider
this bill before the Christmas recess
begins.
Senator Norris said that the bill may
be alright and that he did not want to
delay It, but he thought 1t should be
explained. The Senate was considering
a nomination in executive session at
the time and Senator Norris suggested
that the Supreme Court bill be de-
ferred until the nomination was dis
posed of.
Labor Editor Is Heard.
During the committee hearing on the
general public buildings bill this morn
ing, Edward Keating, editor OF Labor,
requested an amendment to exempt
from the public buildings area the head
quarters of the railroad labor organ1za-
tions, at Delaware avenue and B street,
on the south side Of the Capitol. Keat-
ing explained that the organization,
in erecting the labor building, endeav-
ored to have it conform to the archl-
lecture of the surrounding area ana
would like to be left undiSturbed. SEN
ator Fess, Republican of Ohio, prepared
an amendment to this exemption. IL
was explained that If, at any time IN
the future the Government needed this
corner, it could, of course, acquire II.
Treasury Department ofacials ex-
planned that it was not the intention or
the Government to buy all Of the prop
erty within the new boundary def1ned
in this bill, but that the primary rea-
son in fixing these boundaries was to
protect the large investment the Gov
ernment is making in new buildings.
They explained that 1t was the inten-
ton of the Government to cooperate
with semi-public organizations that de-
sired to place ornamental buildings in
the vicinity of the new Federal sector.
The original public buildings plan
contemplated development in the tri-
angle between Pennsylvania avenue and
the Mall, the Capitol and the White
House This bill extends the area as
follows: To Pennsylvania avenue and
New York avenue on the north, Vir-
ginia avenue and Maryland avenue, pro-
jected to the Tidal Basin on the south,
and Delaware avenue southwest on the
east.
The passage of this bill would bring
the total for the public buildings pro-
gram in Washington up to $3.50, ,000. 900
and the total for post Offices and other
structures throughout the country to
$363,000,000
Senator Trammell Disagrees.
Senator Trammell, Democrat, of Flor
ida told the committee he was in favor
Of meeting the public buildings needs
in the National Capital, but thought
the amount authorized for the Dis
trist in this bill was out of proportion
to the authorization for the country as
whole.
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Heath and Acting Supervising Archi-
tect Wetmore explained that these fig-
ureS were total authorizations to be
spent over number of years. and that
the actual expenditures during the next
few years would be much larger
throughout the country than in Wash
ington.
They pointed out to Senator Tram
nell that the annual expenditure
throughout the country would be $35,-
000, 900 more, and in the District of
Columbia $15,000,O00.
It is expected that if the committee
is unable to hold another meeting this
week 1t will meet as soon as Congress
returns after the recess and take action
on the bill.
Sir James Barry, the author, has Just
been made an honorary ivice president
IL. = 4