Evening star., 1937-01-20

DeCWoen tUe river ana the Naval Hospital. SOuth
Of e street, for the eventual Navy Department
TIME whole rental situation here in WASH
ington has brought the Government face
to face with the necessity Of doing some
thing. Even reorganization of the Gov
ernment. proposed by the President is to bo
done, according to the Chief Executive, with tho
main objective OF establishing a good sound.
business organization. This reorganization has
not yet been oficaly tied into the problem Of
housing. but eventually, 1t is believed it will
Particularly with the possible vast expansion
Of the Social Security Board which has been
split already into two cities, Washington and
Baltimore. will the Government be faced with
the problem OF efficiency and economy which
would be provided by placing this agency under
one roof.
The possibility OF q building for the social
security agency first came up publicly last
Summer. when President Roosevelt was at HYDE
Park. But nothing definite was declared. and.
so far as could be learned in q survey of tho
situation Federal officials themselves have nOt
yet come to any final conclusions in the matter.
It h known however, that the question of such
. building has been discussed, and its need
considered.
Social security Is only one of the factors in
the rental problem here in Washington. At
present the Government is renting considerably
more than 100000 square feet OF Office space
here in addition to a huge area in Baltimore
for q branch Of the Social Security Board.
Occupancy OF the new Interior Building this
month makes q dent Of only 70O,O 900 square
feet Of usable space in the 000, 900 rented here
and leaves Uncle Sam still with big rent bill
To accommodate the Federal employees now
In rented Offices in the Nations own Capital. it
is estimated would require about three other
buildings Of the size Of the new interior De-
partment. Uncle Sam now has 1l4,O0O people
harn n rOl1 r>f uyI1 in
rented office buildings and old homes.
President Roosevelt made another recon-
mendation to the last Congress for a new build
Ing here. which was temporarily laid aside, but
may be brought up again. This was for q new
home for the general accounting Office. OF
which the chief is the controller general OF
the United States The Appropriations Com
mittee did not act on the proposal for the new
site and building. but indicated 1t was not,
however against the idea At that time tho
committee felt there was not SUFFICIENT infOrma-
tion to justify going ahead with the project.
Meantime, the controller general was to make
. complete survey OF his Office to determine
the actual needs. Already there are pending
funds authorized in the past for extension and
remodeling Of the old Pension Office. which
now houses the general accounting office.
These funds could be transferred by Congress
TN SOME quarters there had been put forward
the suggestion that a decision in regard to
new home for the general accounting
office will await the appointment by Presi-
dent Roosevelt OF q new controller general
OF his own Since the retirement Of former
Controller General J. r. McCarl. the acting
controller general has been Richard N. Elliott,
former member OF Congress, who. as previous
chairman Of the House Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds had large and infiu-
entail part in the early development Of the
public building program here in Washington.
He was q consistent champion Of the need for
new public buildings, both here and throughout
the country, and was strong supporter Of
appropriations for them
Many different locations have been discussed
Office. The first ones were in the Federal
tive site for the controller general was moved
about to two or three different places in the
Triangle. Finally, on objection of McCarl the
proposal for a home for his office in the Tri-
angle was dropped. It was learned later that
McCarl took the position that his office was in
reality a representative Of the legislative
branch Of the Government to which he reported.
He felt that If his Office were brigaded, SO to
speak. in the midst Of a closely connected group
OF buildings housing administrative offices OF
the executive branch of the Government. 1t
would tend to lessen its independence and to
increase unduly the contact between the audit
ing officers Of the Government and the men
whose accounts they were auditing.
From the Federal Triangle the site for the