Evening star., 1942-01-14
Space Survey
Asked;F.H.A A.
'Doub|esUp
10000 Square Feet
Released for Other
Federal Agencies

President Roosevelt today was
asked to have q survey made i'm
mediately to determine how much
space can be saved in Government
omces here by "crowding in" more
employees and working them in two
or three shifts after the Federal
Housing Administration released
30 800 square feet of space to other
agencies by doubling up"
The appeal was made by Chair
man Downs of House public build
ings and grounds subcommittee.
which for nearly three months has
been conducting hearings to deter
mine If decentralization Of Govern
ment agencies is feasible In the in
terests of efficiency and economy
and to make room in Washington
for expansion Of the national de-
tense program.
In his letter to the President, Mr..
Downs said that testimony received
at the hearings had convinced him
that in this way the necessity for re-
moving any Of the old line agencies
from Washington could be avoided.
that closer cooperation could be
had on the defense program and
that very substantial savings could
be effected.
Two Buildings Released.
With his letter Mr.. Downs sub
mitted copy of letter he had just
received from Abner H. Ferguson.
administrator Of the Federal Hous-
ing Administration, which stated
that as a result of suggestion made
to him by the Downs subcommittee
when he was q witness on January
S he Is releasing to w. E. Reynolds.
commissioner of public buildings, a
large portion of the space his agency
has been using.
Mr.. Ferguson reminded Mr.. Downs
that when he was first asked at the
hearings whether he could save
space in this way his reply had been
that he doubted If any substantial
amount could be saved but that he
would have . study made Of the
space situation in the r. H. A.
I'VE find" he said. that by work.
ing in two shifts where practicable.
reducing the size OF some of our
rooms and removing partitions in
others, by doubling up and by dis
continuing some of our present ac-
tivities, We will be able to release
two entire buildings and one floor
in an ONCE building which We now
occupy, containing in all about 10000
square feet which might be used by
other agencies"
Other Savings Suggested.
Chairman Downs, in announcing
that he was submitting his plea to
the President, said: In view of the
results attained by the survey con-
Quoted by the F. H. A.. am Of the
opinion that the suggestion of our
subcommittee on decentralizati ton
for the installation of q two or three
shift program Is the solution to the
decentralization problem in WASH
ington. I am sure that, If similar
surveys are conducted by every
agency in Washington, hundreds of
thousands OF square feet of ONCE
space will be made available. If
these surveys are carried out as sug-
gested by our subcommittee in let
ter to the President, I feel that we
will be able TO retain all agencies
in Washington"
Todays moves followed President
Roosevelt's assertion late yesterday
that he contemplated no modinca-
ton of transfer plans already an
nounced
Declaring that many more thou
sands of workers are still to come
here for war jobs-to an even
greater number than has yet been
realized-the President told a press
conference that he could see no rea-
son for revising orders which called
for removal Of IL agencies and about
10000 employees.
Referring to claims that additional
ofiice space could be provided for the
expanded Government plant more
cheaply and quickly than agencies
can be transferred, Mr.. Roosevelt
said both sides Of that question may
prove to be correct-in other words.
that extensive additions to office
space must and will be made but
that there still will be a necessity
to move some bureas to provide suf-
flcient room.
Earlier in the day, the President
had conferred with Chairmen Nc
Carran and Randolph Of the Senate
and House District Committees and
had agreed to consult further with
Mr.. Reynolds.
Not interested in Authority.
The legislators are opposing the
transfers and Senator McCarran
said as he left the White House that
Mr.. Reynolds is in possession of sta
tistics bearing out the contention
that facilities can be provided here
to better advantage than through
the decentralization program.
The President, in response to a
press conference question, said he
was not interested in the issue of
authority for ordering the trans
fers. Senator McCarran has legis-
lation pending which would make
approval Of Congress necessary in
the application of any transfer order.
Problems Of moving Patent Once
equipment and personnel to Rich
mond was the, subject Of q confer
ence today between Commissioner
Conway p. Coe and three repre-
sentatives of the Decentralization
Service of the Procurement Division.
Representing the service in the
conference were James D. Landauer.
until recently In charge of its Rich
mond ONCE: Amos Hewitt and Sam
Whiting.
Following the conference. Com
missioner Coe indicated he probably
would be able to announce, before
the end Of the week, the date when
moving actually will get under way.
1t is expected that this will be about
February /.