Evening star., 1934-02-02
FINE ARTS BOARD
STUDIES PRINTING
OFFICE
Shop Official Would Sup.
plant Present Building With
Modern Structure.
PLANS INCLUDE SPACE
FOR NEW WAREHOUSE
Commission Proposes Turning
Nearby Block Into Park for
Benefit of Employees.

Alternate plans Tor the lmmedlate
expansion OF the Government Print
ing Office, already the worlds largest
print shop are being studied by the
Fine Arts Commission.
Two building projects are involved
The first, which Public Printe,
George H. Carter wishes to start
without delay, would supplant the old
buildings of the Government Printing
Office dating back to 1856, with a
modern fireproof structure on the
present site at North Capitol and H
streets. The proposal for future de-
velopment calls for acquisition of the
entire square opposite on the east
side of North Capitol street, adjacent
to the City Post Office and railroad
tracks, for warehouse, storage and
mailing purposes.
Armed with the approval of the
Joint Congressional Committee on
Printing, Mr.. Carter has been seeking
. S3500,O00 allotment from the Pub
lie Works Administration for carrying
out the first project. Until the Fine
Arts Commission took up a general
study of all the plans he had met
with little encouragement outside OF
congressional circles.
The Fine Arts Commission, on the
other hand, has another plan in con-
nection with beautifying the imme-
diate surroundings of the Government
Printing Office and this plan, when
proposed to Mr.. Carter a few days
ago, met with his full approval. 1t
calls for converting into a park, the
block between the Government Print
ing Office and Massachusetts, avenue
Triangular in shape, this block now
offers a conglomeration of small
buildings, a gas station, restaurants
and the Gales School Building, one
Of the oldest in the city.
For Workers Use.
The commission proposes to make
this a park which not only would
beautify the surroundings and fit in
with development of the Printing
Office, but also could be used by en-
ployes of this Office and the City Post
Office. The expense involved, it was
said. is not prohibitive. Only the tip
Of the triangle, at Massachusetts, ave-
hue and G street, Immediately ada
eent to the school grounds, is reserved
now as small park area.
Alfred E. Hanson, mechanical su-
perintendent of the Government
Printing Office, has prepared floor
plans for the proposed S3,500,000 ad-
dition, which the Public Printer and
congressional committee say is an ur-
gent need.
1T is our opinion that the exterior
OF the new structure, at least on the
North Capitol street side, ought to
conform to the main building, with
which it should be united,' the Fine
Arts Commission was informed.
Relative to site for future eX-
pansion beyond the present location
of the old building" Mr.. Carter wrote,
''our preference would be the block
bounded by G, North Capitol and H
streets, because of the accessibility to
railroad tracks, which could be ex-
tended into the building. At present
we have no direct railroad connec-
ton"
The supplanting of the old original
buildings of the Government Print
ing Office. dating back 78 years, is no
new proposal on Mr.. Carter'S part. He
has been broaching the question for
several years. but now, for the first
time, he is hopeful the funds will be
authorized The old buildings, in Mr..
Carter's words, are not only "dilapi-
dated" but have highly inflammable
wooden interiors and inadequate ca
pacities.'
Stored Paper Valuable.
Stored in these old structures and
adding to the fire hazard. are ap-
proximately 100000 Government
publications; also large stocks of pa
per and other materials used in the
daily production of the Government
Printing Office The value of these
publications runs into millions of dol
lars and many of them could not be
replaced
Another urgent need for a new
building is to provide administrative
Offices on the upper floors and addi-
tional work rooms.
Looking to future expansion. with
the growing demands upon the big
print shop in mind, Mr.. Carter has
definite ideas about the utilization of
the square directly opposite the main
building on North Capitol street He
visualizes a post Office station where
the tons Of mail sent out weekly could
be loaded directly on mail cars run
ming into the warehouse building.
1t is proposed to tunnel under North
Capitol street, connecting the ware
house with the printing office as the
city post Office is now connected The
normal capacity of the printing office
= five carloads of paper daily and
during rush periods. as many as 25
or 80 carloads a day are required to
keep pace with governmental demands
for more and more copy. A fleet of
80 trucks is maintained for general
trucking purposes All the problems
entailed in handling this quantity Of
paper alone, Mr.. Carter points out,
would be simplified by railroad tracks
cunning into the warehouse.
The expansion of the present plant,
either by the construction of the ad-
dition or development of the area ad
tacent to the post office, also could
provide accommodations for other
governmental agencies dealing directly
with the Government Printing Office
It was pointed out There has been
talk of moving the old folding rooms
Of the Senate and House to either site
when it is eventually developed. At
present great heaps of congressional
documents are stored in the folding
rooms The present quarters of the
superintendent of documents, now
housed in the old building of the
printing Office, are crowded and anti
tuated.
The Fine Arts Commission has not
committed itself on either of the al
ternate proposals for the development
bf the big print shop. These plans
Sdll be given close and serious study
q connection with the development
q that section Of Washington.