Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-10-16
Myers 10 Fight
Suit|and Census
Building Plan
Senator Supports
Use Of Philadelphia
Structure Instead

Stt 0$t0tS IuStSOO
Senator Myers, Democrat, of
Pennsylvania, has launched a
tight to prevent construction of q
temporary building at Suitland,
Md, for Federal employees working
next year on the 1850 census.
Proposal for such construction
ut a cost of $3,500,000 is carried
In the second supplemental bill
passed last week by the House and
now pending before the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
The House approved the project
instead of request from the
Bureau OF the Census for using
space in a building at Philadel-
phia occupied by the Veterans Ad-
ministration.
Senator Myers announced last
night he has appealed to the Sen
ate committee to strike the House
provision for the Suitland build
ing, and substitute the $4,000
requested by. Census officials for
the Philadelphia project.
Plans Floor Opposition.
Il am still hopeful" he said in
. statement, that Congress will
agree to the Presidents recommen-
dation to locate the temporary
census annex in Philadelphia"
II the committee approves the
Suitland project in reporting the
supply bill to the Senate early this
week, Senator Myers said he would
make a fight on the Senate floor
to substitute the Philadelphia
plan.
Il sincerely believe" he said,"
that 1t would be a mistake to de-
eide now on a new building which
could not possibly be completed by
the time the Census wishes to be-
gin work next January. And fur
Their, OF course, it appears to be
= mistake to undertake new con-
struction, unnecessary construc-
ton, for a temporary facility
when there is adequate space
available in Philadelphia and
real need in that area for addi-
tional employment"
VA Held Opposing Move.
The House Appropriations Com
mittee said it had made a thor,
ough study of the situation and
came to the conclusion that the
Philadelphia project was mot an
economical and practical solution
OF the problem" 1t pointed out
that the Veterans Administration
did not want to move out of its
quarters in Philadelphia to make
room for the Census workers.
Asked by House committee men,
bers about possible temporary
building at Suitland, w. E. Reyn-
olds, Commissioner of PublicI
Buildings, testified contract could
be negotiated In about two weeks
after it was authorized by Law.
and the temporary one-story
building completed in about three
or four months.
The proposed temporary build
ing at Suitland would be con-
structed in the general area now
already housing the entire Gen.
sus Bureau. Two permanent build
lngs there now provide Office space
for about $500 workers. Only al
llaison office of the Census Bur-
eau is maintained in downtown
Washington, in the Commerce
Department building. of which
the bureau is a unit.
Girls Being Trained Here.
The new employees needed for
work either here or at Philadel-
phia, 1t was explained, will be
mostly punch-card operators, prin-
cipally women. About 200 of this
group of about $500 needed al
ready are permanent employees of
the bureau at Suitland. The rest
will be recruited. Many girls in
Washington already are being
trained as punch-card operators
In Washington public schools. and
would be eligible for jobs next
year If they can quality, officials
said.
These operators take informa-
ton from reports of enumerators
made in the field, and punch the
results into cards. The cards
later are run through tabulating
machines which add up various
categories of figures.
Another dispute will be settled
within day or. two by the
Senate Appropriations Committee
when it decides whether to ap-
prove $175,000 asked by the In
terror Department for an inter-
racial swimming pool in Fort
Stanton Park. The item was
denied by the House, on the
ground it was not backed by Con-
gressional authority. But In
terror Department officials have
appealed to the Senate commit
tee to insert the fund in the sup
ply bill. They contended it would
help relieve tension in the area
where the Anacostia Pool had to
be closed last summer because
of racial disturbances.
pI.I.L, DTA - A..