Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-08
Senate Commission
Completed 10 Act on
Office Building Plans
Ralph L. BeckS.

Preliminary plans for a new
Senate Office Building, long a
controversial project, soon will
be prepared for consideration by
a newly enlarged Senate Office
Building Commission.
The commission was increased
from five to seven members yes
terday, when two Republicans
were added to the group. BY
direction of the Senate, Vice
President Nixon named to the
commission Republican Senators
Purtell of Connecticut and
Mundt of South Dakota.
Other members of the group
who have been considering the
long-pending project for the new
structure since 1949 are Repub-
lican Senators Bridges of New
Hampshire and Malone of Ne
vada and Democratic Senators
Chavez of New Mexico. former
commission chairman; Green of
Rhode Island and Sparkman of
Alabama.
New Plans Ordered.
Entirely new plans for a differ
ent kind of Senate Office Build
ing are to be prepared by David
Lynn. architect of the Capitol.
This was ordered by Congress in
the legislative appropriation bill.
Earlier plans for an elaborate
structure to be built on the site
already purchased and cleared
had been prepared in 1949, and
bids were about to be opened
when the project was blocked.
The site is on First street be-
tween Constitution avenue and
c street NE, across the street
from the present Office building.
Under revised plans, the new
structure will be smaller and
simpler in design.
Ellender Backs Preparation.
Senator Ellender, Democrat, of
Louisiana, who led the fight to
block the construction of the
building, said today he agreed
to preliminary plans being pre-
pared but that he would object
to any construction until the
Federal Government "gets out
of the red"
1T takes time to plan any big
building" he said. land it is wise
to prepare the general layout of
such a building. But I hope it
will be only a sketch to be sub
mitted to the Senate itself for
a decision as to what we do
about it."
The Louisiana lawmaker said
he hoped the long-pending plan
to extend the east front of the
Capitol building itself could be
realized. This, he said, would
provide extra Office space and
more hearing rooms.
Senator Purtell, one of those
who took a lead in urging re-
vival of the Senate Office Build
ing project, said he is interested
primarily in more Office space
for office workers than in better
private Offices for the Senators"
Cites Crowded Conditions.
Crowded conditions now prev
alent, he said, would not be
tolerated in private business
organizations and are not only
a strain on efficiency of workers
but on their well-being and per-
hapS their health"
The earlier plans, which were
blocked, called for many facil-
tiles. The structure would have
included large rooms for COM
lnittee hearings, a big audito-
rum, a dining room, swimming
pool, quarters for the Senate
pages school, a branch post
Office and central telephone ex-
change for all structures on
Capitol Hill.
| One of the features of the
earlier plans Senator Ellender
said he would heartily approve
in the new plans was a large
parking garage in the basement
which could be used as bomb
proof shelter in case of an enemy
attack.