Evening star., 1943-10-05
j. S.-0wned Autos
Due 10 Fill Garage
In a Few Weeks
When Rented to Capacity
FWA Project to Cost
Users Sl2 Per Car

The Federal Works Agency today
said it would be only a few more
weeks before the full quota of 52l
Federally y-owned automobiles is
housed in the old Capital Garage at
1912 New York avenue NV
About seven weeks ago. The Star
first revealed that the large down
town garage, acquired by the F'WA
on August l, was almost entirely
empty. Star reporters at that time.
and on later occaslo found only a
handful of Federal vehicles garaged
on the premises which. under It's
previous ownership, had handled
hundreds of cars daily.
Although the capacity OF the eight
floor storage space is given BY It's
previous owners as 1850 passenger
cars. officials of the FrWA pointed
out that three floors are to be. used
for the storage of records and other
space is being set aside for repairing
and Servlclng Government vehicles
The space that remains. it was said
will accommodate a maximum OF 52l
passenger cars or a somewhat
smaller number of larger vehicles.
Monthly Cost Per Car Is Sl2.
FWA spokesmen estimated that
the monthly cost Of storing a Gov
ernment car in the garage would
garage is being used to capacity.
They figured it this way:
Rental of the building for a year
is s134 925. From this must be de-
Quoted s35 900. the value of the space
which is being used to store records
Of the Census Bureau and the Navy
Department.. This leaves about
100000. to which must be added.
however. another s33 900 to cover
the cost of maintaining staff in
cluding repairmen
After the value Of the repair serv-
ice and the space set aside for this
function is deducted. the total an
nual cost Of parking the cars, ac-
cording to F'WA. amounts TO about
$40 900. or approximately $685. a
month. The cost per car therefore.
it is pointed out is less than sl2 a
month if the full quota of 52l cars
is kept there.
Below Capacity Now.
Right now, FWA officials admitted.
the garage is running far below
capacity Saturday night. they said.
l29 vehicles were parked there. but
last night the figure went up to $50.
So far the agency has contracted
with seven out of a possible %
Federal agencies. and the seven are
not now storing all their cars in the
garage This. the FWA explained,
is because previous agreements made
for garaging Federal cars must be
allowed to expire before some of the
agencies can take. advantage of the
facilities which have been acquired
by the FWA.
The Office of Emergency Manage
ment now keeps approximately 80
cars in the garage, but will have
about 160 after a while The Geo.
logical Survey has only Is there
now. but will have IS eventually.
FWA itself is parking only 30 of the
149 it will later keep at the garage.
Smaller numbers of cars are now
being parked or will be soon by the
Securities and Exchange Commits
sion. the Federal Power Commits
sion. the National Housing Agency
and the Navy Department..
FWA officials said the IS Govern
ment agencies not yet contacted still
are to be considered as potential
customers for the 1875 spaces for
which no agreements have vet been
signed. Little difficulty was antici-
pated in assigning these spaces
within the next few weeks.