Evening star., 1948-04-28
Senate Will Act Soon
On Courthouse, GAO
Construction Bills

for construction of the new Federal
Courthouse and a new General Ac-
counting Office building here.
Both measures were to be reported
favorably today by the Senate Public
works Committee and be put on the
calendar. They were approved by
the committee In formal session
yesterday.
The Senate courthouse bill is
identical with the Dondero bill,
passed yesterday by the House and
sent to the Senate for action. 1t
passed the House unanimously by
voice vote.
The General Accounting Office bill
passed the House last July and was
sent to the Senate, where it had
been under study by the Senate
Public Works Committee. 1t was
approved yesterday without change.
Urgency of Need Told.
Both Republican and Democratic
leaders took the House floor yester-
day to describe the urgency of the
need for a new Federal courthouse
here. They told how the old Wash
ington City Hall, built in 1923. had
been converted into courthouse in
1916, to become "intolerably' made
quate and overcrowded in later years
as the work of the court mounted.
Speakers recited how there was
lack of rooms for jurors and many
agencies of the court and how eX-
aminers in domestic relations affairs
mad to discuss intimacies of cases
in room within earshot of numer-
GUS other persons.
Warnings also were given of the
possibility Of escape by dangerous
criminals being escorted from one
court building to another. Court
business now is handled in eight
other buildings, in addition to the
old courthouse.
Speak for Project.
Taking leading parts in outlining
the need of the new $18,665 900 prof.
ect were Chairman Allen of the
House Rules Committee, Represent
ative SABBATH, Democrat, of Illinois
ranking minority member of that
committee; Chairman Dondero OF
the House Public Works Commit
tee, Chairman Dirksen of the House
District Committee, Representative
McGregor, Republican, of Ohio
Public Buildings Subcommittee
chairman; Representative Keefe
Republican, of Wisconsin, speaking
as member of the Appropriations
Committee, and Representative
Wilmington, Democrat, of Missis-
sippi.
The courthouse would be erected
on the north side of Constitution
avenue, between Third street and
John Marshall place NV. The cost
would be divided evenly between the
Federal and District governments
with the District getting credit fol
So, 100000 for the site which it owns
The District would be given 25
years to repay the remaining share
of the cost.
The need for a new courthouse
here has been stressed for years ano
recently has been the center of q
movement in which the public has
joined with lawyers and jurists.
Laws Praised for Work.
Chief Justice Bolitha j. Laws oi
District Court, who has been lead
er IN the movement for new build
ing, was praised on the House f1ool
for having clearly outlined the
handicaps now facing the court.
Tie House was told by spokes-
men for the bill that members OF
the Public Works Committee haC
seen the overcroWded conditions ir
a personal tour of inspection of the
old court facilities.
The General Accounting Office
bill would authorize construction o.
a project started before World Wal
II on G street, between Fourth anc
Fifth streets NV, where foun.
dation hole already has been dug
More tnan $5,000,000 remains from
earlier appropriations to begin i'm.
mediate work, if the bill become!
law. Limit of cost of the project
would be S22,850,0OO.
The GAO, now scattered through
many buildings, would be centeree
in the new structure. already re.
designed to fill virtually the entire
block.
The Senate Public Works Com.
mittee yesterday also approved
with amendments. a House e-passec
bill to continue emergency wartim,
powers of arrest for special polio,
officers of the Federal Work
Agency. Their war powers ar,
scheduled to expire June 30.