Evening star., 1947-02-16
Rozing City's 'lempos'
May Be Long Process
Hopes for Early Start Boosted
By Gen. Fleming's Promise.
By Rudolph Kaufmann II.

Flemlng, FeQeral WOrkS administrator,
raised the hopes Of Washingtonians
that the myriad temporary buildings
| which deface the Capital will really be
torn down this time.
| After the First World War these
"splotches on the grandeur of the worlds
| foremost Capital" to use Gen. Fleming's
own words, lived on to form nucleus
for the many more the next world up
heaval made necessary.
Maybe this time things will be diff
ferent But, if they are, it's going to
take some time some persuading and
some cold hard cash from the Treasury
that an economy minded Congress may
be loath to part with. Here's why.
| There are many kinds of temporary
buildings Roughly they fall into two
classes-where people work and where
they live.
Many, however, have little effect on
the appearance the Capital City makes
in public. These are the barracks,
shops, storehouses and research and
other buildings on military reservations
| and other tracts of special nature
like the Bureau of Standards and uni
versity campuses. They are not the
"splotches" Gen. Fleming was talking
about He's talking about those which
had to be put where they don't be-
long.
| They fall into four categories: Cd
Office buildings, (2) temporary family
dwellings, 90 dormitories for single
persons, a. barracks for military per-
sonnel not on reservations.
OF the four, only the third and fourth
categories have chance of being re-
| moved in the not-too-distant future.
The second must await the end of the
present family housing shortage, while
the first, which ranks highest In
"splotchiness," presents very dark pic
| ture.
There are 100000 net square feet
| Exclusive OF walls, roofs and partitions)
! of temporary Office buildings in the
Washington area. This amount includes
buildings like the Navy and Munitions
Buildings, hangovers from World War I;
nearly 30 "tempoS" built for World
War II (many are on the MalD, and
buildings of permanent construction
which are either obsolete or sit on land
to be used for permanent buildings-for
example the former apartments and
miscellaneous structures behind the
new War Department now State De-
partment) Building at Twenty-drst
street and Virginia avenue NV.
One-flfth of the Governments office
workers in Washington labor in these
buildings But another sixth of the
office force puts its shoulder to the
wheels Of Government in leased build
ings for which Uncle Sam is sent a
whopping big rent bill every year.
Now, it would be simple to say-well,
when the Republicans get through max
ing all the big personnel cuts they've
been talking about, all the leased build
ings and all the temporary Office build
ings can be thrown out the window.
But, unfortunately, it is not likely to
work that way. If the drop in the Gov
ernment payroll in and near Washing
ton that took place the last time post
war Republican Congress took whack
at the problem is projected percentage
wise to 1850, the payroll will then be
10000.
But this cut is expected to cancel only
about 100000 net square feet, leaving
about $500 900 net square feet of leased
and temporary buildings. Most Of this
could be temporary and only small
amount leased, or the other way around.
With economy congressional watch
word, however, it's good bet it will be
mostly temporary and only a little
leased.
To get rid of the "tempos" then, always
supposing the 10000 figure for 1850
comes true, there is only one ansWer-
the construction of many million dollars
worth of permanent Government build
ings.
Last year Gen. Fleming's aides asked
Congress to authorize this construction.
But the last Congress wouldn't go
along. To vote building authorization
bill, even if actual construction work
would not take place for several years,
would have been bad medicine at elec-
ton time. Veterans couldn't get homes.
A threat of Government competition for
men and materials would look bad.
But will the same proposition-and 1t
will be made again-look like economy
to Congress which is aiming at stimuli
taneous budget and tax cuts? The an
swer to that is likely to be-even II 1t
is, it won't.
We can dismiss the 6,OOo-odd family
type of temporary buildings scattered
through the city quickly They will go
only as soon as homes and apartments
are being built again in quantity.
The outlook for dormitories for single
civilians is better In round figures
there are 5000 of them living at Arling-
ton Farms West Potomac Park, Ana
costa Park Oangston and Suitland,
Md About 1000 of them are veterans
here for education under the CT bill Of
rights. The rest are Government
workers.
Room for rent signs are more and
more in evidence and another 5000
workers are expected to leave Govern
ment service by July /. Those whose
housing problem is solved nicely by the
"dorms" will, of course, be loath to
leave. But Gen. Flemings agency al
ready has asked the Federal Public
Housing Authority to make survey Of
the situation which is expected to result
in a gradual clearing of these residence
| halls fhou In0wn