Evening star., 1934-04-14
FIGHT ON PLANS
DELAYS BUILDING
Miss Perkins Asks More
Expensive Flooring and
Better Lighting.

Continued From First Page.)
yet who will pay for it. The con-
ernment refuses to pay for it.
There are some shower baths in
other old Government buildings in
stalled at public expense-for in
stance, at the City Post once and
In some Government departments. But
the new economy wave, or whatever 1t
Is, apparently has decreed no more
public money for shower baths for
public officials. They can take their
baths at home.
There are some who stoutly defend
Miss Perkins insistence on improve
ments in her building, while others
privately say that, despite construction
delays due to strikes on the building
the structure would be ready for occu-
pancy by the first of the fiscal year,
July /, If it hadn't been for the many
new things Miss Perkins insisted upon.
OF most public interest, of course.
Is her private suite, where, in justice
tC the first woman cabinet member, 1t
should be said she has requested very
few changes, probably costing around
1000 or less. AS a matter of fact she
stoutly protested against the private
elevator planned for former Secretary
of Labor Doak, which runs from the
first floor up to her Office on the third
floor, stopping nowhere else. She
wanted that taken out, but when it
was found 1t would cost $40 900 to re-
y,,ovo tho elevator Left in
Changes Room.
Changes in her private suite from
original specifications provide prin-
cipally for changing small room for
merly intended as vestibule into a
private anteroom just of her private
office. 1t will be necessary to close off
two doors and cut one new door to
accomplish this change. according to
plans which have not yet been turned
over to the contractor for execution.
An additional electric outlet Is to be
installed in this little anteroom. This
will be for Miss Perkins use in case
she wants to hook up an electric
stove or an electric refrigerator for
the purpose, ostensibly. of serving tea.
1t has not yet been made clear wheth-
er the Government will be expected to
pay for the electric stove or the cleo
trio refrigerator. but the supposition
is that the Secretary herself is to
install these facilities at her own ex-
pense.
The first woman cabinet member
would be setting no new precedent,
however, by serving tea at her office
This has been done in the past by at
last one cabinet officer in a recent ad-
neutrality-suspicious. more, when
the pressure of work kept officials late
III the afternoon or night.
The largest additional expenses
asked by the woman Secretary on top
of original specifications and original
contract price, however. are included
in the matters of new flooring, new
electric lights and many additional
partitions throughout the whole build
ing.
The floors have caused no end of
figuring, opposition and trips back
and forth to the Budget Bureau, and
even to the White House.
AS a matter of fact, the first big
group Of alterations proposed by Miss
Perkins totaled such figure, amount
ing to about S125.000, that when it
went up to the White House it came
back with cold rundown. 1t was
fatty refused. Nothing daunted, Miss
Perkins came back, however, with de.
tailed requests. and these are being
granted some at time, with others
still hanging fire.
Floors now appear to be the big
center of controversy. Miss Perkins
refused to accept the original specifl-
cations in the form of certain COM
position floor, such as had been used
in some other new buildings. They
were too slippery, she thought. She
wanted cork floors. This was refused.
because of the extra cost. This floor
proposal, it is understood. went up to
the Bureau of the Budget and came
back refused. Now the matter is back
again before the Bureau of the
Budget to decide whether the rev
Department of Labor throughout shall
have cork floors. cork composition,
rubber tile, mastic nnoleum, asphalt
tile or what have you"
Wins Lighting Support.
Then there is the matter of lighting
fixtures. Miss Perkins insisted on bet
ter lights than had been specified in
the original plans. Those who cham
pion the eyesight of Government
workers stand by Miss Perkins in this
campaign she has been making for
better illumination.
Twice bids have been opened for the
new kind of semi-indirect electric
lighting. The first time all bids were
rejected and new ones asked. These
second bids were opened the other day
eight Of them. The low bid was
submitted by Edwin F. Guth Co. of
St. Louis, Mo. The figure was s13,-
0S474. Now the Bureau of Standards
Is testing the lights of the low bidder
and some others submitted by other
bidders, to determine by scientific ex-
pertinent, provided in the speciflca-
tions, which ones come up to those
specifications and are to be bought.
Among other new things added by
Miss Perkins to her building are sew
eral acoustical ceilings on rooms
where tabulating machines make a
racket. This is common practice in
commercial concerns and in some
other parts of the Government as a
matter of fact, and diminishes the
unnerving clatter of many machines.
In defense of Miss Perkins changes,
those who support her in her cam
paign to get her building like she
wants it say that IS per cent Of the
extra costs, as a matter Of fact, are
70 c,,hdivida the seventh floor Of the