Evening star., 1942-03-29
u. 5. Buildings
b|ackoutW Waits
On Pending Bill
Part Of ST, 100000
Fund May Repay
Works Agency

vate their blackout preparations to
the standards set by President
Roosevelt and to match as far as
possible the preparations already
made by District citizens turned
hopeful eyes yesterday to Capitol
Hill where a bill to provide 81 500 900
for backing out United States Gov
eminent buildings in the Capital is
pending.
The Federal Works Agency, which
would distribute the fund and has
been authorized by the President to
see that Federal buildings comply
with District blackout orders, has
been using its own money-the ope-
rating funds of the Public Build
ings Administration - to provide
blackout materials for essential
points in structures under its con-
troll.
P. B. A. wants to be reimbursed or,
1t said, one of its maintenance Serv-
ices will suffer.
Some Federal departments not
under P. B. A. supervision have been
able to take enough from their own
operating funds to blackout windows
in spots where work has to continue.
They, too, want to be paid back.
Funds Badly Needed.
Most concerned of all, however,
are the non-P. B. A. supervised
agencies which either have had no
operating funds that could be drawn
on for backing out or no one will
ing to authorize that operating funds
be spent for that purpose. Less
flexible funds than those of P. B. A.
cannot be tapped as readily, espe-
cially near the end of the fiscal year.
AS P. B. A. official explained it,
some agencies have been unwilling
to take SIS 900 or $4,000 out of their
operating funds on the chance of
getting paid back.
The item for the blackout money
Is part of the sixth supplemental
national defense appropriation bill
which includes Sl2,500,000 for pro-
lection of Federal buildings through
out the country. The measure passed
the House yesterday and has been
sent on to the Senate.
Those in charge of backing out
one group of buildings have nothing
to worry about if the bill finally IS
passed as it now stands. For the
Capitol, Senate and House Office
buildings, Library of Congress build
ings, the Botanic Garden buildings,
the Capitol power plant, the legisla-
tive garage and the Supreme Court
buildings and any other structures
under the supervision of the Archi-
tect of the Capitol, 100000 would
be set aside from the Sl2,500,000
total.
Application Not Settled.
Just how much of the $780, ,0C0
blackout fund will be used for re-
payment and how much to extend
blackout preparations already made
here is question that Federal
Works will have to decide, but w. E.
REYNOLDS, Commissioner OF Public
Buildings, told the House Appropria-
tions Committee during hearings on
the bill that I'VE have spent IN eX-
cess of 100000 for blackout ma
terials, etc, on buildings outside the
District of Columbia, especially on
the West Coast"
He said part Of the money had
gone into camouflaglng the exterior
of the mint building in San Fran
cisco because it was "a perfect land
mark for bombers.'
Asked if he expected to be reim-
bursed from the blackout fund,
Commissioner Reynolds told the
committee he did, because the
money was taken from P. B. AS
regular repair appropriation.
The blackout money he indicated,
would be spent Ion belt along the
coasts" and in any other sections
where the Army and Navy believed
there was any likelihood of bombing.
Proceeds With Work.
Meanwhile. P. B. A. Is going
ahead with its blackout prepara-
tions for ITS of the 404 buildings
under it's control. A p. B. A. spokes-
man explained that the rest of the
UullulllSS ~
mainly in the parks.
Since the President put the re-
sponsibility for backing out in the
hands of the Federal Works Agency
P. B. A. has asked cooperation by
officials of the buildings not under
its supervision but has offered no
funds for the purpose,
n
dozen formal requests for blackout
materials have been made to P. B.
A. from various agencies. The de-
cision as to whether these requests
are for Offices where work must con-
tinue during blackout rests with
P. B. A.
How fast the requests are being
filled Is a question. P. B. A. says
it is proceeding as rapidly as posi-
BILE and several agencies checked
pronounced themselves we'll saAs-
fed with what they had received.
On the other hand, one agency
complained it put in its request fol
blackout materials in January anc
received enough for the administra-
tor S suite but no 1urtner response
to semi-weekly calls for more ma
terials.
Vital Points Blacked Out.
In the temporary buildings having
night shifts only the vital spots
have been blacked out. In othel
buildings, shelter areas" for workers
have been blacked out. The tenn.
porary buildings are lacking shell
ter areas and the workers woulc
have to remain in their Offices ir
darkness in case of practice black.
out or "the real thing"
A. P. B. A. official said the pro-
vision of some kind of lighting fol
workers in the temporary buildings
was under study.
Some agencies, the official said
feel their employees ought to be able
to work through blackout practices
and want blackout materials to
make that possible, but said the Of
fcial," we have not been authorized
to spend money for that"
Another P. B. A. official said ii