Evening star., 1932-05-03
SENATE CONF USES
SHIFT OF WORKERS
Pending Bill Delays Moving of
1000 to New ExtensibIe
Building.

Plans for moving about 1000 per-
sonnel Of the Department Of Agricul-
ture into part of the new extensible
building, now virtually complete, have
been confused by uncertainty over
whether the Senate will stop construc-
ton Of the other five wings Of the
building
The section Of the building now
almost ready for occupancy is located
in about the middle of the site, and
includes two wings connected by head
houses" between B and c streets, Thir-
teenth street and Linworth place south
west. The completed extenSible build
ing will run from Twelfth to Four
teenth street.
Already about 470 persons are occu-
pying the building under special ar
rangements, but the Department of
Agriculture is faced with the problem of
deciding how TO arrange its Offices and
personnel Plans had been completed
for a transfer Of all the Offices and
workers in the block bounded by B and
C streets, LinWorth place and Four
teenth street.
But if the Senate resolution to for
bid erection of the rest of the build
ing is enacted, it will be necessary for
the department to rearrange its en-
tire plan.
Final Decision Held Up.
H. A. Nelson, chief clerk of the de-
partment, explained today that no final
decision had been reached because of
uncertainty in the matter.
The activities already housed in the
new extenSible wings include the Bu-
reau of Home Economics, with 10
workers, who had been in the Earl
Building, and the new organization
known as Crop Production Unit Of the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation.
This latter outfit, which increased to
as high as 1000 workers, now is down
to about 400.
The building, now virtually ready, has
a gross area Of 375 900 square feet, with
net office and laboratory space of 284,-
900 feet. giving space for about 400.
The complete Extensible Building
when ready will be more than three
times as large, with five more wings,
q total of seven wings.
Among the agencies Of the depart
ment originally intended for transfer
to the two new wings at the present
time are the Central Supply Section,
Central Duplicating Section, Depart
ment Library, some parts OF the Bureau
of Agricultural Economics, parts OF the
Bureau of Plant Industry, the Office of
Co-operative Extension, the Office Of
Experiment Stations and two offices OF
the Bureau Of Animal Industry.
Problem Raised.
If, however, the Senate stops present
plans to tear down all the buildings in
that block between LinWorth place and
Fourteenth street for erection Of the
new wings, some Government agency
will continue to occupy these old
buildings, and the problem is, who
will be moved into the new buildings.
AS the new extensible wings have
been constructed specifically to house
certain units, they are equipped with
particular materials which would be
useless to other agencies. For in
stance, much of the building consists
of laboratories. There are some ad-
ministrative offices, but the big struc-
ture as a whole is considered bust
ness workshop" and has been built
for that purpose.
The housing situation Of the depart
ment has grown from bad to worse"
over the past 25 years, Nelson eX-
planned. but with the new Administra-
ton Building and the Extensible
Building some hope had been seen.
The department now occupies about 40
different buildings in the city.
Plans now under way are for COM
pleting the other five wings Of the Ex-
tensible Building gradually, but under
a single contract.