Evening star., 1934-11-07
Joins Hazen in Declaring
Project Too Large and
Too Costly.
ALLEN MOVES TO AID
RELIEF LIST WORKERS
Commissioner Suggests Congress
Act to Permit Needy to Work
on Civic Building.

Engineer Commissioner Dan I. Sui
tan today supported the contention of
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen that
the Municipal Center project as now
planned is too large for District needs
and too costly.
Another new development in public
discussion of the center project was
declaration by Commissioner George
E. Allen that he believed Congress
should authorize the District govern
ment to handle the construction work
itself and to give first preference for
construction jobs to common laborers
and mechanics on the District relief
list. He said he prefers this to the
ordinary contract plan.
Allen, however, declined to commit
himself at this time as to when the
Municipal Center should be started or
what should be its size and cost. He
said he would like to give more study
to the subject.
Allen Wants More Jobs.
"Our most important need today, in
my opinion" he said, 'is to find en-
ployment for the thousands out of
work and now subject to the Districts
aid"
Under Aliens plan mechanics and
laborers on the relief rolls would be
hired first on the Municipal Center
construction on the same basis as Or
ganized workers and any other needy
workmen would be drawn from the
usual private channels. An act Of
Congress would be required to permit
the Engineer Department to handle
the construction instead of having 1t
performed under contract let to the
lowest bidder
Col Sultan suggested Monday that
construction of the center be started
under 100000 loan from the Pub
lie Works Administration. Legislation
would be required to authorize such
a loan.
Since then Hazen announced his
plan to ask Congress to allow the Dis
trict to sell the lower two squares Of
the site purchased for the center. now
bounded by Pennsylvania avenue,
Third and Sixth streets, and on the
north, Indiana and Louisiana avenues.
This would cut the site in half. The
idea is that the Federal Government
would buy the lower half as site for
some Federal development.
Hazen Plan Gains Favor.
Col. Sultan said: IF it seems so dif-
hcult to find any means of financing
the whole project as now planned,
every reasonable step should be taken
to reduce the cost to point that can
be met by the District and to reduce
the size to suit District needs. We
must cut the suit to fit the cloth in
this case instead of buying enough
cloth to fit the suit"
District officials have advanced a
number of arguments in favor of
Hazen's plan. One is that sale of the
lower two squares Of the site would
entirely separate the Municipal Gen.
ter from the monumental Federal
buildings along Pennsylvania avenue.
Another is that C street could be re-
tanned as traffic artery. Some traffic
officials have declared the thorough
fare is badly needed. Under present
center plans it would be closed be-
tween Third and Sixth streets.
Another argument is that the new
plan would enable the Federal Gov
ernment to develop Pennsylvania ave-
nue. with Federal buildings only and
those of q character to suit its own
wishes.
One official said the decision Of Con-
gress requiring the District to buy the
four full squares as the site for the
center placed a grievous wrong on
the District"
If Hazen's plan should be accepted
by Congress, it would be that the pres
ent architectural scheme for the center
would be junked and that an entirely
new layout would be drawn for the
north two squares.