Evening star., 1947-08-05
IntensiiveStudy
OF Courthouse
Needs Started
Jurists and Officials
Asked for Data to Aid
Drafting of PIons
By Harold B. ROGERS

intensive, study OF the needs of
District Court and the United States
Court of Appeals has begun as a step
toward construction of the new Fed
eral courthouse here.
A letter of inquiry is to be mailed
within "a hours to jurists of the two
courts and heads of all Offices func-
tioning in connection with the
courts.
Containing QUESTIONABLE pre-
pared by the Public Buildings Ad-
ministration. the letter is signed by
Harold M. Stephens, Senior Associ-
ate Justice presiding in the Court of
Appeals, and by Bolitha j. Laws,
Chief Justice of District Court. The
letter may go to the District Bar. AS
soclation and some others vitally
interested.
This procedure to gather p-elimi-
nary information as to the needs of
the two courts was determined by
the special committee set up by the
law authorizing the new courthouse
Much Data Required.
The committee at a recent meet
Ing decided that much data will be
required before the Public Buildings
Administration can begin drafting
even preliminary plans for the new
structure. The building is to be
erected on Constitution avenue be-
tween Third street and John Mar
shall place NV, a site now used
for parking lot.
Congress recently appropriated
$370,0o0 for the Public Buildings
Administration of the Federal
Works Agency to proceed with plans
and specifications for the building.
Commissioner of Public Buildings
w. E. Reynolds, who has been desig-
mated as the official to carry out
plans, specifications and construc-
tion of the building, under super
vision of the special committee, said
q mass of accurate data will be re-
quired from all agencies expecting
to use the new building.
Procedure to be followed was
thoroughly discussed by the special
committee at it's recent meeting.
according to both Justice Stephens
and Mr.. Reynolds.
Entire Field Surveyed.
I'VE are canvassing the entire
setup," said Justice Stephens, ito
determine the specific needs of each
court, and each Office operating in
connection with the courts. The
QUESTIONABLE we are inclosing with
our letter is comprehensive, asking
many questions.
This survey is the first step to-
ward the new structure. It will
gather information not only for the /
present but also probable future
needs of the courts"
Procedure now being followed is
being handled by the committee
which Congress provided with wide
authority. Plans for the building,
the law provides, shall "be prepared
under direction of and approved by
the committee" Furthermore, this
group is to make an estimate of the
probable cost of the structure, and
report its findings later to Congress.
Eventual cost of the project, and
the division of that cost between the
Federal and District Governments
is left up to future determination
by Congress. No limit of cost is
fixed in the legislation.
The committee meeting was at
tended by Justice Stephens, Justice
Laws, Mr.. Reynolds and associates,
David Lynn, architect of the Capitol,
and associates; Elmer Whitehurst,
assistant director of the administra-
tive office of United States courts,
and Vernon West, corporation coun-
sci. representing the District Com
Justice James M. Proc
tor of District Court is a member of
the special committee, but is out of
town and could not attend. Chief
Justice D. Lawrence Groner of the
Court of Appeals, head of the COM
mittee, is being represented on the
committee by Justice Stephens, who
also is officially a committee member.
Justice Stephens said he held
lengthy conference yesterday with
of the Public Buildings
Administration discussing prelim-
mary plans for the courthouse.