Evening star., 1945-11-25
D. {. Is Backed
On Financing Of
New Courthouse
Stefan Says Site =
Proposed Justifies
Bigger u. S. Outlay

proposed JustIties
Bigger u. S. Outlay
IAN editorial on the proposed
ne1D Federal courthouse here
appears on Page CO of todays
STAR
Placing the projected $10,300, 900
Federal-District Courthouse site on
Constitution avenue, which often is
used for historic parades, would be
another justification for increasing
the Federal payment toward
District expenses, Representative
Stefan, Republican, of Nebraska,
declared yesterday.
IF we are going to locate the
new courthouse on Constitution
avenue. between Third street and
John Marshall place." he said, "the
costs inevitably are going to be
higher than If we were to treat the
project as only one for city, not
the Nation. Down there, along the
parade avenue and near the Mel
Ion Art Gallery, and the monu-
mental Federal buildings, it is
going to be a monumental, and
costly structure"
Mr.. Stefan, who is ranking mi
nority member of the House Ap-
Subcommittee, which
writes the annual District budget
bills, said that aside from terms of
the proposed project, the question
of fiscal equity between the Federal
and District governments arises
because of the location of the site
selected.
Report on Negotiations Released.
Mr.. Stefan made these comments
on the fiscal questions involved as
he released report from Corpora
ton Counsel Vernon E. West on
leading up to the
present courthouse bill, which pro-
vides that the District pay half of
all building and maintenance costs
while placing the title in the United
States. The District would be given
credit for half the value of the site,
which it owns. The land has been
appraised at $2,240,0O0.
Hearings on the measure, intro
duced by Chairman Lanham of the
House Public Buildings and Grounds
Committee, are to be opened at 10
am. Wednesday before the Lanham
committee in the new House Office
Building.
The West report brought out
that the financial terms of the
pending bill are strikingly different
from one offered in 1941, under
which the United States would
have borne the entire construction
cost and would have used Federal
owned land. the site of the Old Pen
sion Office Building.
194I Bill Reported Favorably.
The Commissioners reported ia
verably on the 194l bill, Mr.. West
recalled, but he added that the
Budget Bureau had stipulated that
the measure should be amended so
that the costs of construction and
be divided equally be-
tween the Federal and District gov
Nothing was done with the 1941
bill because of the war. Explain
ing why the Commissioners had
given up their earlier position and
yielded to arguments for a $3.50
cost division, Mr.. West said.
When hostilities terminated, the
question of construction of the court
house was again revived. 1t was
found that the site formerly selected
pension Office would not be avail
able for at least five years, and it
was determined that the courthouse
should be erected on a part of the
land purchased by the District for
the Municipal Center.
New Bill Drafted.
Having in mind that when the
former bill was under consideration
the Budget Bureau only required the
District to bear one half of the cost
Of construction and maintenance of
the building, the United States to
furnish the land, new bill was
drafted upon this theory. This bill
provided that when this land was
conveyed by the District to the
United States the District should
receive credit for the entire ap-
praised value thereof. The bill also
gave to the District an additional
credit of $425,000, being approx
mately the amount contributed by
the District as it's share of the cost
of remodeling in 1919 the building
now occupied by the United States
District Court, title to which is in
the United States.
This draft was delivered to q
committee of judges, who presented
1t to Chairman Lanham of the
House Public Buildings and Grounds
Committee. The judges thereafter
advised the Commissioners that Mr..
Lanham was of the opinion the bill
could not pass in that form, that
Congress would not give the District
credit for expenditures made by it
on the existing courthouse and
would require the District to bear
one-half of the cost of the new
courthouse, including the land.
Commissioners Yielded.
THE Commissioners, feeling that
the new courthouse was an urgent
necessity and not wishing to pre-
vent its prompt erection, yielded by
waving credit for reimbursement
for the Districts share of the 1919
and by agreeing to turn
over to the United States the pro-
posed site at one-half its appraised
value
Mr.. Stefan had written to Mr..
West for a report on the project in
connection with study he is max
ing of Federal-District fiscal rela-
tions.
Honor Society PIons
Tor ~ nunhor4on