Evening star., 1950-06-09

For New FSA Offices
May Be Up TO Agency
Choice of a site for a building
to house Federal Security Agency
Offces now in Baltimore may be
up to agencies directly affected
by the proposed move to the
Washington area.
The House Public Works Com
mittee yesterday voted to report
out the $11.5 million construction
measure. after receiving five
offers of free land in nearby Vir-
ginia. Silver Spring. Md. and
the vicinity of Baltimore.
But it directed the Federal
Security Administrator. Social
Security Commissioner and Public
Buildings Commissioner to select
a location for the structure that
will accommodate some 5000 en-
ployes of the FSA's Old Age and
Survivors Insurance Bureau and
the Division of Account Opera
| tions.
Provisions of Bill.
The bill, as ready for reporting
to the House. provides that the
building be in or near the Dis
trict. Committee Spokesmen said
that does not necessarily mean
Baltimore is out of the running.
Nor does it mean, they said,
that any of the suggested sites
near Alexandria and in Silver
Spring is certain to be picked by
the agency officials. Moreover,
the agency heads could desig-
nate land already owned by the
Government, members added.
FSA authorities have indicated
they want to bring the social Sc
curity offices closer to Washing
ton than Baltimore where they
have been for IA years.
A closed committee session yes
terday afternoon repeatedly ran
into several deadlocks, as mem
bers failed to agree on any of the
sites proposed at a public hearing
earlier in the day. One member,
Representative Fallon, Democrat,
of Maryland, advocated keeping
the Offices in Baltimore and erect
ing the new building there. An
other member, Representative
Beall. Republican, of Maryland.
urged the committee to approve
either Of two sites in Silver
Spring.
Sites Offered Free.
Those sites, offered free by their
owner, Sam Fig, were at Georgia
avenue and Forest Glen road, and
on East-West highway between
Silver Spring and Bethesda. Einar
B. Christensen, president of the
Silver Spring Board of Trade,
presented the case for those Of
fers.
The Virginia site, owned by
Mark Winkler and urged by Rep
resentative Smith, Democrat. of
Virginia, and James Duncan. a
member of the Alexandria City
Council and Chamber of Com
merce. is at Shirley Highway and
Seminary road.
All three sites are about 7 miles
from downtown Washington. Each
covers about Is acres.
Baltimore business interests also
made offers Of free sites for the
building. Mac Gardiner, owner
of property between Baltimore and
Annapolis, said he would give the
Government 27 acres on the Gov.
Ritchie highway. about a mile
south of Glen Burnie.
Jacob H. Bodinger, a Baltimore
contractor, told the committee he
could give 40 acres about mile
west of the Baltimore city line.
Stresses "Human Element"
Representative Bolton, Demo-
crat, of Maryland. urged the COM
mittee to consider particularly
the human element" in the pro-
posed transfer of the offices from
Baltimore to Washington. He de-
clared that such a move would
have a terrific impact on 5000
employees, if suddenly uprooted."
w. E. Reynolds, Federal COM
missioner of public buildings, esti-
mated that about rs acres would
be needed for the new building
and adjacent facilities for park
ing, housing and utilities. He did
not recommend a particular site.
The $11.S million listed in the
bill would cover only the cost of
the building and certain installa-
tions. Committee members said
that figure was approved on the
assumption that the building
would be constructed on land al
ready owned or given free to the
Government.