Evening star., 1951-03-11
New Legislation
For Dispersal
ToBeStudied
Move Due This Week
TO Resubmit Bill to
House Subcommittee

An effort will be made in the
House Public Works Committee
this week to resubmit the dis
persal bill to the subcommittee
which voted it down, for restudy
and development of substitute
measure.
The committee is scheduled to
meet Wednesday. to receive the
report of the subcommittee which
voted Z to against the measure.
The Senate Public Works Com
mittee may meet later in the
week to complete it's examina-
ton of the bill and perhaps to
vote on it. In that committee a
subcommittee has reported favor
ably.
On the House side, Chairman
Trimble of the subcommittee said
that, he hopes a substitute bill
can be worked out which will
meet the requirements of the
situation as well as the objec-
tions of those who oppose the
present measure.
49,, Bill Criticized.
Representative McGregor of
Ohio, the ranking Republican
member of the subcommittee and
an opponent of the present bill,
said yesterday, 1--WE have a situa-
ton here that has to be taken
care of, but this bill has the cart
before the horse"
The bill as amended authorizes
a $145 million program to erect
Office buildings on six sites 20 miles
from downtown Washington.
Agencies with 10000 employees
would be moved to the dispersed
buildings.
Mr.. McGregor said he is going
to insist on a thorough survey to
see how large a number Of Gov
ernment employees can be decen-
tralized-moved to other cities
before additional buildings are
erected here. Put UP new build
ings in this area first, he said, and
there will be no decentralization.
In a radio speech, Mr.. McGre-
gor suggested a 10-year plan for
decentralization. He suggested
that the Interior Department be
placed actually in the interior and
that the Labor and Agriculture
Departments might function just
as well elsewhere.
Changes Suggested.
"Of course" he went on, "the
heads of these departments could
have their Offices in washington
and be available to the President
and the Congress, but the entire
departments do not have to be
located here.
"It would be difficult to move
the Department of State and the
Department of the Treasury away
from Washington, but the depart
ments already mentioned, in ad-
dition to others, might well be
situated in other parts Of the
country. -. BY separating these
great departments of Government
q measure of security to our main
Government organization would
be brought about and it would be
more difficult for an enemy to
destroy it."
Mr.. McGregor said that if the
full committee returns the bill to
the subcommittee he is willing
to go along"
There is a strong feeling on
both sides of Congress that if the
dispersed buildings are erected the
present temporary buildings must
be torn down at the same pace.
Stated mildly, it is felt that any
surplus Office space puts tempta-
ton in the way of executive agen-
cies to fill the space with unneces-
sary employees.
When the Senate Public Works
Committee meets it expects to go
over the plans made for highways
to serve the dispersed buildings.
The Public Roads Bureau, fig
uring on eight sites for the out
lying buildings, estimated the
highway cost at $64 million. When
the number of sites was cut to
six it reduced the highway esti-
mate to $55.5 million. Public
Buildings Commissioner w. E.
Reynolds put the highway cost at
1925 million.
Chairman Chavez of the Senate
Committee said the committee
wants to know just what the pub
lie is going to get for the outlay
on roads.
The Senate committee may
meet Thursday or Friday. Sena-
tor Chavez said it will hear rep
resentatives of the Public Roads
Bureau and also wants some more