Evening star., 1945-11-04
Past Mistakes Help
Federal Builders
Plans Ready for Permanent Post
war Office Space Here

NF@l OAhS~ oPnS~ AASA<
By Rudolph Kaufman II.
Man improves his lot on earth to a
large extent In direct proportion to the
extent he profits by past mistakes.
Rarely, however. does he seek to reap
the benefits of past errors to so great
an extent as the Public Buildings Ad-
ministration of the Federal Works
Agency is doing by presenting to Con-
gress at this time comprehensive plan
to provide adequate permanent Federal
office buildings in Washington for the
postwar years.
H. r. 1916, which incorporates the
plan in question and which would
authorize about $175,000,0O0 worth of
urgently needed new Federal buildings
in and near the District, is gratifying
correction of the mistakes made after
the last war.
Washington, then as now, was filled
with emergency workers in temporary
and rented buildings. The United States
was emerging from the World War as
a great power and the agencies of Gov
ernment had acquired healthy appetite
for Office space, which, it was proved
later, was not to revert to prewar pro-
| portions.
The Sundry Civil Appropriations Act
1 of July /, 1916, had created commission
to determine the public buildings which
would be needed for all Government
activities in Washington. 1t consisted
of the chairman and two members of
the Senate and House Committees on
Public Buildings and Grounds, the su-
| perintendent of the Capitol building
and grounds, the officer in charge of
(other) public buildings and grounds
and the supervising architect of the
| Treasury. 1t was told to report back
to Congress by January l, 1918.
| x 4
| It's report, submitted December Is,
1917 reached this conclusion: THE in
fiated conditions due to the war emer-
gencies make the present time very
inopportune for dealing with many Of
the questions involved. 1t seems to the
commission that final disposition may
well be permitted to remain until normal
conditions are again reached"
1t is doubtful if one can blame the
commission for taking this position. It
made its report in the midst of war and
| had not then, as we have now, the prece-
dent of what actually had happened
following a major conflict to guide it,
| Perhaps it may be excused for believing
the Government could fit back into its
prewar suit OF clothes.
kYnuy hnueunr fhnra uoS
little likelihood of return to prewar
conditions and the commissions atti-
tude merely gave specious permanency
to the system of temporary and leased
buildings which has remained in effect
to date despite the building program
of the 1930s.
This commission, having made it's re-
port, disbanded to rejoice in victory and
sniff the advance political breezes Of
the return to normalcy," leaving the
Government with no agency RESPONSE
BILE for overall building plans.
/ A second commission, like the first in
makeup, was created in March. 1919.
but was made responsible for space con-
troll only. In other words, the 1919 COM
mission simply took what was available
and decided which agency should use it.
Each agency, at that time, attempted
to battle its own building appropriations
through Congress. and all were equally
unsuccessful. The supervising architect
was merely "hired" by a department.
which had already obtained its funds.
The result was that no buildings were
built and the situation worsened until
the 1919 commission and friends of
building legislation in Congress got a
green light from President Coolidge for
the Public Buildings Act of 1926
father Of the present Triangle and other
permanent buildings built during the
depression years more than a decade
after the need arose.
The Government now Is faced with
the same problem as in 1918. On De-
cember 81, 1916, it will have 81 500 900
square feet of office space in permanent
buildings, 100000 square feet in more
than 80 buildings which clutter park
areas and will be renting another T.
100000 square feet for a total of IS ,20O,-
900 square feet for 25o,Ooo personnel.
Public Buildings Commissioner w. E.
Reynolds estimates that by 1850 per-
sonnel in Washington will drop to 18o,-
900. To arrive at this figure all depart
ments and agencies were asked for esti-
mates. Estimates were pared to the
bone and calculations were made pur.
posely ultfa conservative, allowing for
net increase in personnel over prewar
years of 10000. This figure is roughly
the same as the net gain scored after
the First World War.
The bill sponsored by MIR. Reynolds
organization contemplates building an
additional 5.950000 square feet of per-
manent office space, leaving 2,500 900
square feet still to be rented in 1850 If
the estimate of 10000 personnel proves
correct. 1t is believed, on the basis of
carefully kept cost figures, that the new
construction can be amortized in 80 years
through rent savings and lowering of
the high maintenance costs necessi-
tated by temporary structures, all pro-
posed to be demolished by 1850.
Thus the present approach is dia-
metrically opposed to that made after
the World War and is based on sound,
common sense and experience.
was. richly rewarded. for it is impossible
to imagine pair more thoroughly
suited"
|