Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-01-29
Rescind Stand
For New District Court
On Capitol Hill
Action Seen os Giving
Impetus to Building
On Pension Office Site

Action of the judicial Conference
of Senior Court Judges resembling
their approval of Capitol Hill as a
site for the new home for District
Court here today, apparently had
concentrated all efforts for the
structure on the site now occupied
by the old Pension Office In Judiciary
Square.
Difference of opinion over the
proposed location had sharply
divided groups interested in the
building. But the decision of the
judicial conference, which was made
public yesterday, did more than
withdraw favor from the Capitol
Hill location east of the Supreme
Court. 1t put the judicial confer
ence on record for early erection of
such courthouse"
The Judicial Conferences latest
action was taken at its meeting
which started January 81. but was
not disclosed until yesterday. The
conference rescinded a previous res
olution passed last October. which
had favored the Capitol Hill site.
and went further. 1t instructed
director of the administrative Office
of the United States Courts. Henry
P. Chandler, ito take such steps as
may be practicable to accomplish
the early erection of such a court
house, subject to the approval Of
the Chief Justice of the United
States Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia ID. Lawrence
Groner)." The official resolution
did not mention either site, but the
meaning was plain.
Chief Justice Groner represented
the District of Columbia judiciary
in both the October and the January
sessions of the judicial conference.
resolution and the one which has
repealed it.
Other Court Proposals Pending.
Action of the conference is in
terpreted as an "acquiescence" by
the conference in the movement
for the Pension Office site, and rec
ignition of the urgent necessity for
a new courthouse.
The proposal to develop east of
the Supreme Court Building an area
where structures could be built for
other Federal courts of this city, of
a strictly national nature. such as
the Court of Claims, Court of Gus
toms, Court of Customs and Patent
Appeals, still is pending. Impetus to
this movement was given when the
late Supreme Court Justice Oliver
Wendell Holmes left fund of $685.
37201 and his home at 1720 street,
to the Government. The Oliver
Wendell Holmes Devise Committee,
headed by Associate Justice Stone
of the Supreme Court and including
members of the Supreme Court and
members of Congress, is charged
with responsibility of erecting
memorial with the funds.
District Bar Association leaders
were pleased with the judicial con-
ference decision. Francis w. Hill,
jr, president of the association, i'm
mediately conferred with F. Regis
Noel, chairman of the Association
Committee on the New Court Build
ing. who has been active for years
in promoting the movement for new
structures for other courts here.
The drive for the building re-
Gently took. on new impetus at
meeting largely attended by repre-
sentatives of both the bench and
bar. Speaking for the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission. Thomas S. Settle, it's sec
rotary, said he believed the city
would get the new building more
quickly if 1t were placed in Jul
dietary Square.