Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-14
U.S.. Urged to Halt
Major Projects Here
Put Off Work
Until Slump,
Luwmuker Asks
BY ALEX r. PRESTON

A member of the House APP
preparations Committee today
was on record as favoring the
holding up of construction on
the new Senate and House Office
buildings, the new State Depart
ment Building and other multi
million dollar projects until such
time as the work may be needed
to ward off or alleviate a depres-
sion.
The view was expressed by
Representative Vursell. Republi-
can of Illinois, in testimony re-
leased this afternoon by the APP
preparations Subcommittee in
charge Of the independent Offices
budget
AT the same time, subcom-
imlttee chairman Thomas, Demo-
crat OF Texas invited the Gen.
Ieral Services Administrations to
come back next year with re-
quests for direct appropriations
to revive the Nationwide con-
lstruction program which has
begged down under a suspension
OF lease-purchase financing.
Exchange With FlOete
Mr.. Vursells views were eX-
pressed in an exchange with GSA
administrator Franklin G .Floete.
a witness in closed hearings last
month.
Mr.. Floete said there ale only
three general purpose buildings
IN the District of Columbia for
which there have been direct
appropriations by Congress with
IN the last year or so.
Those three Mr.. Floete said
include the State Department
Building, for about s57 million I
believe; GA Central Intellj-
gence Agency at about S45 mil
hon and the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition with some S36 million
There is also being considered
by Acc (Atomic Energy Com
mlSsion) a building in nearby
Maryland for its headquarters"
Mr.. Floete said none of these
projects involved lease-purchase
contracts.
Reviews Earlier Testimony
Chairman Thomas. reviewing
the GSA administrators testi-
mony earlier. observed that for
all practical purposes the lease
purchase program was not OBJ
eratlng" because the Budget BIZ
reau had placed a 4 per cent
ceiling on construction loans II
: also had been testified that the
i leaSe-pmchase program had
oeen suspended by the present
, administration to counteract
current intlationary trends in
the Nations economy.
Referring to the State Depart
ment GA and Smithsonian In
Stltution projects. Mr.. Vursell in
CURED If there were any orders
from other departments of Gov
eminent which would affect the
construction of these projects.
We'll, sir, MI, Floete replied.
we DO not have the plans and
specifications completed on any
one OF these three. l think the
flfst one is the State apartment
on which complete plans are due
IN June So the problem really
has not been discussed at all.
We would De ready in June TO
take the bids on the main con-
s9truction for the State eDpart-
ment Building
Sees Time of Need
Shortly afterwards MI vur-
sci lsaid, Il am a rather firm
believer that we ought to cease
constructing a great many Of
these buildings and spending
: millions upon millions OF dollars
at the present time. because We
may run into time when labor
and material will be cheaper
and We will need TO build these
BUILDINGS to ward of alleviate
depression.
Il would be very STRONGLY III
favor OF limiting in any way we
can the continuation Of these
very expensive pubic buildings
that are now being contemplated
and which are now on the
agenda OF the Government for
construction.
Representative Eyins. Repub-
lican OF Tennessee noted that the
construction was proceeding on
the New House Office building.
the New Senate Office building
and other Federal projects here.
y think that SHOULD be dis
continued Mi VurSell replied
1t ought to be stopped at the
present time"