Evening star., 1932-11-13
NEW HOSPITALS
COST S15,OI0,0[l]
Veterans Administration in
Midst of Huge ConStruC-
ton Program.

The Veterans Administration is in
the midst of huge construction pro-
gram for hospitals throughout the
country with more than $4,000, 900
worth of work now under way, accord
ing to a survey of the situation just
completed.
The institutions now going up un-
der direction of Col. L. H. Trip, di-
rector of construction for the Veterans
Administration, are located in "a cities,
at some of which are located soldiers
homes. Some of the structures are to
house beds for so-called domicihary
care, while others are strictly hospital
beds. Some are additions to present
hospitals, while 10 are new hospitals.
Construction now under way will
provide for 7.19o new beds, at a cost
of about SIS. 5.750,000.
These new hospitals are going up at
Aspinwall, Pa; Augusta, Me; Batavia,
N. Y; Bedford, Mass; Biloxi, Miss;
Canandaigua, N. Y; Cheyenne, Wyo.;
Chillicothe, Ohio; Coatesville, Pa; Co
lhmbia, S. c.; Danville, Ill; DeS
Moines, Iowa Fayetteville, Ark; Fort
Harrison, Mont; Leavenworth, Kans.;
Minneapolis, Mimi; Oteen, N. c.; Rose
burg, Greg; Rutland, Mass; Sheridan,
Wyo; st. Cloud, Mimi; st. Peters
burg, Fla; Tuskegee, Ala, and Wichita,
Kans.
So Major Projects.
A review of the comprehensive con-
gtruction program of the Veterans Ad-
miniStration shows that from Septem-
Der, 1890, to August, 1882, contracts
were awarded for So major projects
providing 12,608 beds and involving an
estimated expenditure of $29, 700 900,
as compared with % projects, 4,453
beds and $13,700 during the previous
two-year period. The So projects pro-
vided construction in 80 separate
States and included the erection of Is
new hospitals or homes in as many
States.
The progress made in speeding up
new construction. particularly within
the past year, is also reflected in a
comparison of the projects handled
within one year after the passage of
the authorization acts Of December %.
1929, and March 4, 1881. One year
after the act of 1881 there had been
placed under contract for accomplish
ment out of this authorization "a
projects providing 4,400 beds and in
volving an estimated expenditure of ap-
proximately S4,50O,00O for the same
period after the act of 1929.
Aside from aiding unemployment,
officials of the Veterans Administra-
ton pointed out that another advan-
tage in expediting construction during
this period was the reduced construc-
ton costs. approximately three times
as many beds were acquired at slightly
over twice the expenditure recorded
during the period from September, 1928,
to August, 1880. Still another example
OF reduced construction costs during the
past two years is found in an analysis
of the projects approved by the Federal
Board of disqualification for accom-
plishment out of the last general au-
thorization act of 1881.
More Beds Possible.
The program submitted to Congress
and used as a basis of the $20,877, 900
carried in this act contemplated the
acquisition Of 7,477 additional beds,
while the estimated cost Of construc-
tion approved to date is $16,783, $40, as
the result of which it is expected to
acquire 1854 beds. In other words, it
Is now estimated that it will be pos
sible to acquire 167 beds in excess of
the number carried in the basic pro-
gram at saving of approximately
$4,000,00O
During the past two years the aver
age number of beds under construction
was 4,916, as compared with an average
of 2,523 for the previous two-year
period
The estimated number of craftsmen
and other workers employed directly on
major construction projects during the
past two years was 1888, as compared
with 1,739 for the two years immedi-
ately preceding. The estimated num-
Der as Of the first of September was
4, ,431, as compared with 2,499 the pre-
vious year.
In general it has been the policy of
contractors to encourage the employ
ment of local labor, which is said to
have been factor in reducing unem-
ployment, especially where the new
facilities we're erected in small COM
munitieS.
1t is estimated that the principal
building materials required to complete
the SO projects placed under contract
from September, 1880, to August, 1882,
would fill approximately 6,587 standard
freight cars. The type of building ma
terials used in the construction includ-
ed some Of the following Cement, 1850
cars; bricks, 2,175 cars; tile, 1924 cars;
mortar, TBS cars; reinforced steel, 621
cars, hardware, 13 cars, and doors and