Evening star., 1941-12-14
Bill 10 Permit
j. 5. Buildings
In Nearby Areas
Action Expected
T omorrow on
SIS, 900 900 Fund

New Federal office buildings TO
be erected with $25 900 900 provided
In the third supplemental national
defense appropriation bill can be
located in nearby Maryland and
Virginia as well as in the District
under an agreement reached yes
terday by House and Senate con-
SereeS.
AS the measure passed the Senate
Friday, 1t authorized erection of
some OF the buildings on the Sol
diers' Home reservation and d.
rected that all of the others also
be built IN the District. The joint
conference committee at the in
sistence OF the House members, how
ever. agreed to allow some of the
buildings to be located near the
District either In Maryland or Vir-
ginia.
In addition to approving SIS, ,0O0,-
600 for additional Federal office
buildings, the conferees left intact
IN the bill items totaling in excess
OF $4,000, 900 for emergency items
IN Washington. These include ST.
9l1,000 as the Districts share of
Federal-aid highway improvements,
most of which is for removing traf-
fic bottlenecks approaching the Po-
tomac River bridges, $780, 900 toward
completion of a 10000, ,O00- gallon
covered reservoir near the Mcmillan
Park liberation plant, $22,570 to
administer the Districts new rent
control law and $7,700 to enforce
the new industrial safety law.
Action Likely Tomorrow.
The conference agreement on the
bill which appropriates a total of
about $10,500, 900 900, is expected to
be acted on tomorrow in both House
and Senate. The House will con-
slider it first, according to Chair
man Cannon of the Appropriation
Committee.
Testimony before the Senate Ap-
preparations Committee indicated
that the new Federal office build
ings would be both temporary and
semi-permanent in character and
designed to accommodate at least
$4,000 defense workers. Construc-
ton, it was said, could be completed
In from IS to 60 days.
w. E. Reynolds, commissioner of
public buildings, said the new
buildings should be segregated from
the downtown area for these rea-
sons:
"First. there is growing conges-
ton of traffic in the downtown area
and, secondly, it is subject to at
tack if the City of Washington is
attacked by hostile forces. MY
thought has been that we might ac-
qujre some lands in the Northwest,
Northeast and Southeast portions of
Washington and the ervirons."
Rental Element.
Mr.. Reynolds described as AN
other element" in the Federal hous-
ing picture the apartment buildings
rented by the Government for Of
nee purposes.
I'VE rented the Dupont Circle
Building. which you probably heard
something about" he declared. II
live out at the Westchester and
have even been asked when we are
taking over the Westchester. How
ever, we would like to get one or two
OF these apartments back for the
use for which they were designed.
They are not good as q rule for
ONCE buildings inasmuch as they
are not designed for Office pur-
poses"
Highway Projects.
The projects that will be under
taken with the $1,9l1 900 for high
way work follow:
/. Grade separation at Fourteenth
street and Maine avenue and low
level bridge across the Tidal Basin
2. Elevated highway on K street
from Rock Greek Parkway with con-
nections TO Key Bridge.
3. Extension of Independence ave-
nue. west of Fourteenth street to
connect with Memorial Bridge
4. Widening of Twenty-third
street from Pennsylvania avenue to
Constitution avenue.