Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-22
Federal Office
Space Fund Cut
$5O0,000 More
PBA Estimate of
Repair Program
ReducedThird

Repair Program |
ReducedThird
Appropriations for office space to
be rented by the Federal Govern
ment in washington during the 1947
fiscal year have been cut $500, 900
more than requested by President
Truman yesterday in his budget
message, 1t was learned today when
the independent Offices nppropria-
ton bill was reported to the House.
The budget estimated that 2,0O0,-
600 square feet of leased space
should be released in the fiscal year
1867, and the Governments an
nual bill for rents and utilities re-
duced from So 1875 900 to $7,091, TAO, a
reduction of $1,733,260.
In reporting the bill. the Hen
bricks Subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee today
recommended further reduction of
$500 900, total of $2,233, 260 The
report Of the subcommittee does not
specify the space reduction repre-
sented by the additional decrease.
Estimate Reduced One Third.
The bill, as reported, reduces by
one-third the Public Buildings Ad-
ministration's 1947 budget estimate
OF the amount necessary to start a
program Of repair and moderniza-
ton OF Federal buildings In Wash
ington. PBA's estimate was 81 $780,
900, three times the 1916 appropria-
ton. Building officials sought to
justify the amount on the ground
that enforced wartime neglect of
buildings has resulted in a backlog
Of badly needed repair work.
During hearings on the bill, also
made public as the bill was reported,
w. E. Reynolds, commissioner of
public buildings, presented a mass of
Office space statistics to the com :,
mittee, on which estimates of space
reduction are based.
These data, as placed in the record,
show that almost as fast as space is
released by one agency it has been
taken by another. In addition, Mr..
Reynolds, told the committee, bu-
reaus and Offices transferred to other
cities during the war now are seek
ing to return to Washington.
All Want to Come Back.
"They all want to come back" Mr..
Reynolds testified. II think most of
them will come back. but there is
one exeception-theR Railroad Retire.
ment Board, which operates in Chi
cago and for which we bought a
building in the early part of the
war"
In response to questioning by SUBJ
committee Chairman Hendricks as
to the Governments attitude toward
decentralization Of Government
work, Mr.. Reynolds said there was
mot very much" discussion of fur
ther decentralization.
There is a general feeling, how
ever" he said, that all work that
can be done outside of Washington
should be done outside. I have
preached the gospel constantly that
nothing other than departmental
work should be done in Washington
There should be no large nom
departmental activities here"
Good news to Washington plan
ners and park and recreation off,
Gals was contained in the SUBJ
committees report. The commits
sion's 1947 land purchase request of
$867,750 for land acquisition was
left intact.
Land Purchase Planned.
The amount, hearings brought
out, will be spent on Is land pur-
chase projects, II of which will be
completed with the amount speci-
fed. OF the projects, seven, on
which 10 per cent of the above
amount is expected to be spent, will
be recreation area projects.
Testimonye on park and planning
land purchase funds. which are ap-
propriated out of Federal funds
annually under the provisions of
the Capper-Cramton Act of 1880,
and later repaid without interest
by the District, brought out that
land costs have risen materially
during the war.
Questions by subcommittee men,
bers. brought out that SOC, 900 is be-
ing paid for three-quarters of an
acre and $4,000 for eight-tenths of
an acre.
Delays in purchasing land neces-
STATED by war, John Nolen, jr., the
commissions director of planning,
testified, has resulted in materially
increased costs, as indicated by an
increase in assessments.