Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-21
OUTLINES
IBU|LDINGPR0GRAM
~;M E
Treasury Official Paints
! Glowing Picture in Forum
Radio Talk. ~.

Radio Talk. ~
Craticizing present Federal housing
conditions because of huge payment Of
rents for totally inadequate quarters
and because of working conditions that
In many instances are a disgrace to
the Nation" Ferry K. Heath, Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury last night
predicted in the National Radio Forum
that If the pending Keyes-Elliott bill
Is enacted a Nationwide survey will be
undertaken this coming Summer to de-
termine increased requirements, and
that during the 10 years building pro-
gram more than 1900 beautiful and
adequate buildings will be constructed"
In this city and throughout the United
states.
Through Station wMAL.
Mr.. Heath, speaking over the coun-
tTy-wide hook-up of the National Radio
Forum, arranged by The Evening Star
and sponsored by the Columbia Broad
casting System, emphasized the impor-
lance of furnishing homes for the Gov
eminent here at its headquarters. He
painted a glowing word picture of the
future of the new Washington and de-
scribed the local building program as
magnificent"
Measure Will Speed Up Work.
The Keyes-Elliott bill. which already
has passed the House and is on the
calendar in the Senate. will allow a
speeding up Of the work all along the
line" declared Mr.. Heath. and it is
hoped that few years will find gov
ernmental activities in dignified and eff
fective structures both in Washington,
where all activities center, and in the
country at large where facilities are so
badly needed"
The pending bill would increase the
amount already authorized for Federal
building here and throughout the Nation
from $3.50, 000. 900 to $3.50, 900 600, the
sneaker explained, with the division of
this total being $50. 000, 900 for the Dis
trict of Columbia and 1878, 600, 900 for
the country at large.
The speeding up process provided by
the Keyes-Elliott bill the speaker re-
ferred to as an answer to the. enlarged
building Sprogram demand to assist
labor throughout the land"
while Secretary of Commerce. Presi-
dent Hoover took the keenest interest
In the Nations building program, as has
Secretary Mellon" said Mr.. Heath. "In
the Presidents inaugural address the
attention of Congress was called to. the
of the threatened business reaction last
Fall an enlarged program was urged
not only in order to meet our present
governmental needs, but to assist labor
throughout the land. The House of
Representatives" he added, has already
passed the Keyes-Elliott bill and If il
passed by the Senate a Nationwide
survey viii be undertaken this Summer
to determine the increased require
ments."
Order Of Construction Explained.
The system worked out for determin-
ing the order of public building con-
struction was explained by the speaker,
who also told of the difficulties faced by
the executive branch of the Government
in translating an appropriation into a
public building, through the long series
of steps necessary. He explained the
problems Of site purchase, preparation
of plans, working drawings. speciflca-
tons, bids, contracts, and told of the
supervisory work of the United States
construction engineers on the projects
themselves.
Appealing to. the American people Il
be patient not only with the executive
departments, but also with their own
members of Congress in the matter Of
public buildings, the Assistant Secretary
said:
'If the people Of the country can re-
aliBe the enormous program under way
they viii appreciate not only the difn.
cultieS Of the departments having the
work in charge, but also the dificultie:
Of their representatives in Congress, in
attempting to obtain immediate actor
In their local communities The worl
Is being pushed as rapidly as is humanly
possible, when consideration is given II
the legal limits Of expenditure eacl
year"
These limits, Mr.. Heath explained
would be raised in the new Legislation
to $15,O0o,O0O in the District of Columbis
and s35,o00,000 in the country at larg
for. any, one year.
In the District Of Columbia, unde
the already authorized program, MI
Heath explained that seven buildin
projects have been authorized, of which
fve are under construction and two ar
awaiting the acquisition of land
The money spent for construction o
public building in this city, however
Mr.. Heath explained, also benefits man
other portions of the country. Referrin
70 the expenditure of $l7,000,000 70
the Department of Commerce Buildin
here, he said at least $10,000,O00 of thi
amount is distributed in different sec
tons of the country for labor and ma
terialS-not to mention the outside Ia
Dor brought into Washington to wor
on the job"
Other Important Buildings.
In addition to the so-called triangl
development of IL buildings here; M
Heath explained that the extended pro
gram includes a number OF importar
buildings in other portions of the cit.
among them new buildings for the Wa
and Navy Departments, involving a
expenditure of approximately 5000
600, and this will then permit the re
moval of the present temporary build
ings from the Mall.
In addition to the construction Wor
here under the direction of the Secre
tary of the Treasury, Mr.. Heath e.
planned that other building project
contemplated or in course of construC
ton in this city include a new builc
ing for the Supreme Court, the Arlinf
ton Memorial Bridge, Office buildinI
arr additions for the Senate and Hou;
of Representatives and the so-calle
municipal center. which will be deve
oped north of Pennsylvania avenue ar
will house the administrative activiti
of the District of Columbia.
1T will be seen that there is und
way in Washington" said Mr.. Heat
"a magnificent and costly development
originally planned and devised
1Enfant." Mr.. Heath's speech in fl
follows:
How Capital Originated.
Every early one beautiful morning
xnid-October, 1890, a lone horseman lie
the inn in Georgetown and disal
peared into the forest. On his retul
that night the. location of the Capt.
of q great Nation had been decide
The horseman was the first Preside
of the United States of America. al