Evening star., 1935-09-24
KING WILL APPEAL
TO ROOSEVELT FOR
MUNICIPAL CENTER
Senator Reveals He Has
Backing of Secretary
ICkeS in Project.
LIMITATIONS ON COST
MAY BALK APPROVAL
P. W. A. Administrator Awaits
Opportunity to Deliver Revised
List to White House.

There was a glimmer Of hope today
that President Roosevelt might be pre-
vailed on to include the three minor
court buildings proposed for erection
on Judiciary Square in the revised nst
of new P. w. A. projects, for which he
has set aside an additional $780,
100000.
Chairman King of the Senate Dis
trict Committee, who is to put the
question up to the President this week,
revealed today he has the backing OF
Secretary Ickes, public works admin
tstrator.
Secretary Ickes has acted in very
splendid way and promised to do any
thing in his power to secure funds for
starting the Municipal Center" King
said. II am going to try to get an
appointment with the President tomor-
row or Thursday, but am bit AFRAID
that the limitations placed on man
cost may constitute obstacles to plans
for starting the Municipal Center at
this time"
Instructed to InterCede.
As an eX-officio member OF the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, Senator KING was IN
structed last week to intercede with
Secretary Ickes and President Roose-
velt in behalf of the s2,800000 P. w
A. allotment for construction OF the
three court buildings.
Ickes, when asked about the matter
at his press conference. referred all
inquiries to Senator King. However,
he told King he was not sure whether
the project would receive approval be-
cause of the $3.50 man-coSt limitation
placed on new works projects by the
President.
To Deliver Revised List.
Secretary IckeS was awaiting an op-
portunity today to deliver his revised
list of projects to the White House
for final approval or possible revision.
Compelled to bring S800,0O0,OOO worth
of improvements within the scope OF
a 5000 ,OOO, 900 program. he said he eX-
pected the list would pi ovide for be-
tween 1000 and 5000 individual prof.
ects.
Along with his new P. w. A. pro-
gram. Secretary Ickes will submit a
list of 100000, 900 in low-cost housing
projects for the Presidents official
o. K. He did not make the list
public, but said he was well aware that
many cities expecting housing develop
ments are due for disappointment.
This is due to the fact that he was
forced to prune s249, 100000 housing
program to meet his reduced funds.
Three housing projects for Washing
ton. the sites for which had been
chosen, had been included in the larger
program. Since the Government owns
titles to two of the sites, it was
thought probable that these two
might be among those on the new list
going to the President.
Ickes Realizes Need.
Secretary Ickes has never opposed
erection of the three court buildings
for the Municipal Center on the
grounds of undesirability, his former
objection to approving such an allot-
ment being based on the ground that
LI5 llTI1lJeo dL Ills ulSDOodA
20 to communities where the building
trade has been harder hit than in
Washington.
He was represented as being thor
oughly acquainted with the needs of
q new Police Court building as well
as for the Municipal and Juvenile
Courts.
He would welcome the inclusion of
the Municipal Center project in the
new program, it was said at P. w. A,
if the President could be prevailed
upon to exempt it from the strict lin
itations he has imposed on all new
projects.