The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1937-01-02

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the world, was referred to a.
But now the New Deal blesses
Herbert for constructing these
giant structures and wishes he
had put up more.
For the Roosevelt administra-
ton has grown, expanded and
opened its cavernous map for more
ONCE space until 1t now has gath
cred into 1t a total Of 1l0 new
buildings since 1888.
Not only has 1t swallowed up of
fee buildings but 1t has taken on
theaters, apartment houses, bak-
cries and swank homes built In
the Gay NinetieS.
Exit Landmarks
There was a time when smart
career service diplomats Of the
State Department called the day
incomplete that did not find them
lunching at a famous hashery
called "Rauscher's." But now the
ovens have been pulled out Of the
bakery once connected with that
restaurant and the Resettlement
Administration has moved in.
Rental 5000 annually.
Fred Haskins, Of newspaper
fame, once built q large apartment
house overlooking the Lincoln
Memorial. For a time 1t thrived,
for time 1t did not. But now he
has sold 1t to the government to
house the Housing Division Of
PWA. Purchase price S550,00O.
The Washington Auditorium,
from whose stage CALI Curci
trilled, wrestlers heaved and
grunted, and orchestras played
now resounds to the click-clack Of
typewriters and the jangle Of tel
ephones. There are Offices on the
orchestra floor, in the orchestra
pit, on the stage, in the boxes, In
the balcony, in the dressing rooms,
and even In the mems and wom-
ems retiring rooms. They are all
Offices OF the WPA. Rental $780,.
900 a year.
Forgotten Days
Within a stones throw of each
other on Massachusetts avenue are
two swanky mansions. where the
footman used to stand under the
porte cochere to open the doors
Of landaulets. Now the cars that
drive up are messenger trucks with
government license tags.
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the Walsh mansion; and Num-
Der 1000, the Blaine mansion
have suffered interior decoration
Of sort never dreamed when
they sheltered the champagne
slipping socialites Of republican
days.
Their bathrooms have been par
titioned into office cubiclcs, their
gilt framed mirrors have been
boarded up TO- discourage gay
young stenographers. Bathtubs
and toilets have been boxed over
and desks now repose even in the
spacious bathrooms where James
q. Blaine and Tom Walsh once
did their daily dozen.
The Walsh mansion, the larger
Of the two, provides Resettlement
Administration with 1922 square
feet Of Office space. at rental of
$19,242 q year. The Blaine man.
sion provides 1880 square feet,
rents for $1S,75O o year.
A higher figure is paid for the
mansion once famous for Ned Nc
Leans New Years balls, now
housing WPA's white collar pro-
jects. Its downtown location COM
mands $4,000 q year. To avoid
appearance Of swank, Harry Hop
kins ordered that 1t should not be
referred to as the Mclean man.
sion. but simply as 1880 Eye
Street."
Lease Joker
There Is a Joker In the lease Of
all three Of these elegant offices.
Should the owner see At to repos-
sess his property, he could give
thirty days notice and epect the
New Deal-telephones, stenogra-
piers, charts. files and all.
A dollar square foot Is not
high for New Deal Office space.
Federal Reserve Offices In Pat
Hurley's Shoreham building pay
SLIT q square foot. In the
Washington building. Resettle-
ment pays over 81. Highest rent
Is paid for an office In the Mum
sey Building-S2.50 square
foot.
The sprawling out of the New
Deal has made strange bedfellows,
The Barr building now shelters
the RFC Zone branch, the Mexi-
can Mixed Claims commission,
and q section Of Resettlement.
Before the New Deal could take
over the Rochsmbeau Apartments
to house the Federal Trade COM
mission, 1t had to persuade hos
tile Supreme Court Justice Nc
Reynolds to pack up his law IL
brary and vacate the bachelor
quarters he had tenanted for
years. He moved, but to his
friends he made no secret Of the
fact that he didn't like 1t.
Baltimore Next
But when 1t came to the Airing
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