Evening star., 1935-12-22
PLANS ARE BEGUN
FOR D. c. OFFICES
Hazen Decides on Bill to Sell
Unneeded Portion of
Site to u. S.

Plans for an early start of construc-
ton of new administrative Offices for
the District government were begun
yesterday by Commissioner Melvin c.
Hazen, with decision to prepare a bill
for the sale to the United States of
the lower two squares of the extensive
municipal center site north of Penn
sylvania avenue.
Hazen announced he would call on
Corporation Counsel E. Barrett Pretty
man promptly to prepare legislation
for such disposition of the lower half
of the site. deemed by the Commission
ers not needed now or later for the
purposes of the District.
At the same time, he gave his ap-
proval to legislation proposed by Pret-
lyman for a direct loan to the District
from the Treasury of S3,500,0o0 for
construction Of buildings to house the
three minor courts and the recorder Of
deeds Office.
Minor Courts Buildings.
The minor courts buildings, includ-
ing provision for the recorder of deeds.
are to be erected in Judiciary Square,
to the north of the District Supreme
Court Building. Congress at the last
session gave authority for the use Of
such a site for the courts buildings.
Hazen plans to push for approval
at this session of sale of the lower
half of the municipal center site. The
District has spent more than So ,000,-
900 for purchase of the site bounded
by Third and Sixth streets, Pennsyl-
vania and Indiana avenues. This was
done at the dictate of Congress.
Last Winter District officials made
technical survey of space needs and
determined the lower half of the site
would not be needed now or in future
years. Particularly was this found to
be the case with plans for placing the
three minor courts in Judiciary
Square.
Loan Authorization.
At the last session also, Congress
authorized the District to apply to
the Public Works Administration for
a loan and grant for construction Of
the minor courts buildings. This ap-
plication was made months ago, but
to date the P. w. A. has failed to
make the sum available.
For this reason, Hazen has approved
the plan for legislation to obtain a
direct loan from the Treasury, this to
be repaid after the District has COM
pleted repayments to the P. w. A. for
sums borrowed for the adult tuber-
culosis hospital and the sewage dis
posal plant.
The District Building is valued by
District officials at some $5,000,000.
They hope to obtain some such sum
from the Federal Government when
it takes possession of the present
home of the District government. The
District spent nearly $4,000,000 for
purchase of the lower two squares of
the municipal center site. If this is
taken over by Ghe United States for
Federal building plans, the District
would have in hand at least most of
the money needed for building the
new administrative home of the Dis
trict, Hazen said.
Five Measures Up.
Five measures on the Commission
ers' tentative new legislative program
are to be taken up for action at a
special meeting of the board tomor-
row morning. These five bills have
these objectives:
To strengthen the provisions Of the
Districts pharmaceutical law; tc adopt
the uniform narcotics control law; to
make the Office of the director of
trafhc an Office of record for liens
on vehicles; to strengthen the present
law governing small loans, until such
time as Congress may enact the pro-
posed stringent new loan shark meas
ure considered last session, and to
provide for the proposed direct loan
from the United States Treasury to
the District for construction Of the
three minor courts buildings in Ju-
dietary Square.
A little later the board will act on
the proposed bill to enlarge the powers
of the Commissioners. One of the
principal features of this revised meas
ure would provide that District bud
getary estimates be sent directly to
the committees of Congress rather
than to pass first through the Budget
Bureau. The Budget Bureau would
be left with only one function as to
the District budget.
At the direction of the Commis-
sioners Corporation Counsel Pretty
man has stripped from the bill the
proposal to give them powers Of direc-
ton and veto over actions of the
Board of Education and other citi-
zens' boards, as well as certain other
controversial features which raised
wide public protests last Winter.