Evening star., 1945-11-30
Ddrr Argues
Against Delay
0nCourthouse
Former Bur Head
Fears Tribunal Will
Lose Respect Here

Charging that delay in construc-
tion of a new Federal Courthouse
here would result in "irreparable
injury" to the court and admins
tration of justice, Seton Darr, for
mer president of the District Bar
Association, today warned that if
people start losing respect for their
courts they are liable to begin
thinking about some other form of
Government"
Mr.. Darr, in urging enactment of
legislation to authorize the new
court building, told the House Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds Commit
tee, holding hearings on the bill,
thai the courts were the Govern
ment's protection against "isms."
His warning came in response to
a question by Representative Arnold,
Republican, of Missouri, who asked
If it would not be possible to delay
the courthouse project two or three
years, until the budget could be
brought nearer a balance.
4 To Resume Tuesday.
Mr.. Arnold, who said he had the
taxpayers interest at heart, finally
commented: Il think you should
have the building sooner or later"
The committee will reconvene at
1890 am. Tuesday. At that time,
the first witness to oppose any part
Of the bill will be Harry S. Wender,
representing the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations and the Fedora
tlon OF Businessmen's Associations.
MIR. Wender has indicated he will
support the idea of a new court
house as necessary, but will strenu-
ously object to saddling half the
cost of the $10,300,000 building and
the site on the District.
The measure, with it's $3.50 split
of the costs between the Federal and
District Governments, is approved
by the District Commissioners, the
committee was told by Corporation
Counsel Vernon West. He said the
Commissioners had given careful
consideration" to the proposal and
were convinced the new structure
was essential and urgent" The
Commissioners, he said, had not
yet had time to submit the bill to the
Budget Bureau.
Cost Split Approved.
When a previous measure in 1941
was introduced in Congress to build
a Federal courthouse on the site of
the old Pension Office Building, Mr..
West said the Commissioners agreed
with the position of the Budget Bu-
reau that the municipality should
bear cne-half the cost of the build
ing on federally y-owned land. He
said the Commissioners had gone
further in this latest bill to agree
that the District should not only
pay half the cost of the building
but also one-half the appraised
value of the site. The site for the
proposed building is now owned en-
'tirely by the District, at Constitu-
ton avenue between Third street
and John Marshall place NV.
Supplementing his testimony yes
terday, Chief Justice Bolitha j.
Laws of District Court warned the
tribunal was faced with tremen-
dous congestion of new litigation
including the Governments case
against As defendants in the arti-
flcial-limb industry who are charged
with conspiracy to defraud.
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant III, chair
man of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, told the
committee it had approved the pro-
posed site for a courthouse because
of the urgent need, despite the fact
that the location previously had
been approved for an auditorium.
United States Attorney Edward
M. Curran approved the bill, stress
ing the congested condition of his
own Office.
Henry I. Quinn, a former presi-
dent of the District Bar Association,
predicted tremendous increase in
litigation in postwar years, so great
that it might require new Judges.