Evening star., 1935-09-28
FUNDSLACK SNAGS
WORK ON F STREET
AT BOTTLE NECK"
More P. W. A. Cash Only
Immediate Hope of Widen.
ing Pavement.
PROFESSIONAL FIGHT
OVER TASK Is DENIED
All Authorities Appear in Agree.
ment for "Ideap Plan Between
Seventh and Ninth Streets.

Lack of adequate funds apparently
is blocking elimination of the bottle
neck at F street, between Seventh and
Ninth street. temporarily at least.
Hope for speedy action lies in an
additional Public Works Administra-
ton ALLEGATION of about $4,000 to
supplement the original estimate Of
100000 made for the job. This was
found to be too low when bids for
altering the old Patent once Building
there were opened some time ago.
Ofncials consider it necessary to
eliminate the steps at the south end
Of the building before the street WIDEN
ing can go forward.
All authorities concerned-includ-
ing the District Government, Ma
tiOnal Park Service and National
Capital Park and Planning Commis-
sion-appeared to be in agreement
in carrying through the Ideal" plan
providing for an 8O-foot pavement,
widening F street 22la feet on the
north side and constructing a side
walk Is feet wide. This would mean
that the width of the thoroughfare
would be the same north of the street
car tracks as it is south. When the
improvement is realized, the street
car tracks would be in the center OF
F street.
Disagreement Denied.
Contrary to published reports, off,
cials said today there is no disagree
ment between the engineers and the
architects, nor is there any fight
over the transfer of necessary land
between the National Park Service
and the District government.
While bids we're opened for alter
ing the old Patent Ofice at F street
in May, and Controller General Nc
Carl held them illegal because of the
N. r. A. wage scales, after the N. r.
A. had been declared unconstitutional
by the Supreme Court, Congress later
by a joint resolution validated these
and other similar bids Despite this,
there are still insufficient funds to
carry through the so-calied ideal"
plan, which has received the indorse.
ment Of all the authorities concerned.
Whether Secretary 1ckes will grant
a supplementary fund to enable the
altering OF the old Patent Once to
proceed; whether Works Progress Ad-
ministrator Harry L. Hopkins will
grant money out of his funds for the
job, or whether the plans will again
have to be revised remains to be de-
termined
Under the program fo- alteration of
the old Patent ONCE Building. only
the steps would be removed. the col.'
umns remaining as they are. The
plans call for construction of a wall
under the columns to be faced with
granite, to make the south entrance
to the building on F street the main
entrance to the structure. which is
now occupied by the Civil Service
Commission. The 100000 is only for
alterations to the building, the D.s-
trict government proposing to secure
the funds for the street widening
elsewhere.
Whitehurst Is Ready.
capt. n y. WnltehurSt, District
director of highways, said today his
Office is prepared to do the street
work when the work on removing the
steps, which stand in the way, is
completed.
Officials of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission said
that a year ago they joined with the
Fine Arts Commission and the Ma
tional Park Service in asking Secre-
tary Ickes to allocate Public Works
Administration funds for the job. The
Planning Commission likewise rec
commended the transfer of the needed
land from the National Park Service
to the District government.
Capt. Whitehurst made it clear that
the land transfer is not holding up
the job, but is merely mechanical, as
there is no necessity for the transfer
OF this land until the District govern.
ment is prepared to go ahead with the
street construction.