1924 F PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS No. 1 HEARINGS BEFORE U. S Conquess. House THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS 2-19-24 sub. PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS-No. 1. COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., with Hon. John W. Langley (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the committee, I am glad to see our old friends back on the committee, and we welcome new members who have been added to the committee. The meeting was called to-day as a kind of get-together meeting, that we might confer with one another and discuss in a general way the work ahead of us and the policy of the committee as to the matters that may be referred to it. Of course, we do not know how much work we will have, but the question of public buildings is one that is pressing before the committee. I do not know that I can say much about that more than you gentlemen already know, and that is, that the opinion of the President is, as set forth in his message, that the financial condition of the Treasury is such that he does not believe it wise to have a general public buildings bill at this session of Congress. He does think we might adopt a building program for Washington, where the business of the whole people is transacted. Mr. Cooper of Wisconsin is here with us this morning and he has a matter which he wishes to present to the committee. It will take but a few minutes. It is one which is recommended by the Secretary of the Treasury, and which, I think, is wholly outside the rule governing the committee regarding a general public building bill. We will hear him for a few minutes on House Resolution 51. STATEMENT OF HON. HENRY ALLEN COOPER, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. Mr. COOPER. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am very much obliged to you for this opportunity to be heard, as the chairman has said, for only a few minutes. The matter to which I invite your attention is something entirely different from the ordinary run of business before this committee. Indeed, I have never seen anything like it in my experience. To show how unique it is, I can not do better than to read the preamble and the resolution, which are as follows: Whereas the city of Kenosha (forty-two thousand population), in the State of Wisconsin, has duly adopted a comprehensive plan for a civic center, necessitating the widening of streets and the tearing down and removal of many existing structures, including the county courthouse and the United States postoffice building; and Whereas the county of Kenosha is now engaged in erecting on a site located in accordance with said plan a county courthouse at a contract price of more than $800,000; and 83624-24-No. 1 Whereas since the present Federal building was constructed in said city the annual business of the post office has increased to a total of $230,000 a year; and Whereas this increase of approximately 300 per centum in the volume of business renders the building grossly inadequate to meet the urgent needs of the Postal Service; and Whereas in the said plan there is a fine site, near the present building, reserved and set aside as a site for a new and absolutely necessary post-office building: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and requested to ascertain through negotiations with the duly constituted authorities of the city of Kenosha, in the State of Wisconsin, the most favorable terms and conditions on which the Government of the United States can secure the title to the site set aside in the plan for a civic center adopted by said city as a site for a new Federal building, and to make report of such negotiations, at as early a date as possible, to the House of Representatives. This is simply an endeavor to secure information required by the city of Kenosha, if it is to have a post-office building absolutely necessary to meet the needs of the service there, and at the same time carry out the plan adopted by the city for a civic center. I have here a blue-print copy of the plan. This is Market Square from there [indicating] down to here. It is unusually wide. The plan proposes to carry it at the same width next to the tracks of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. This will necessitate the tearing down and the removal of the county courthouse and the post-office building. Mr. LANHAM. Where is the post office? Mr. COOPER. There [indicating] at the head of Market Squarethe very first building. The old courthouse was put up several years ago. They are now building a new one, at a contract price of more than $800,000, exclusive of furniture. It is located in accordance with the new plan for a civic center. When it is completed the old courthouse will be torn down. Mr. LANHAM. How does it happen that they are tearing down the post office? By what authority? Mr. COOPER. They are not tearing it down. Mr. LANHAM. I understood from the reading of the preamble of the resolution here that the post-office building is being torn down. Mr. COOPER. No; but it will be if a greatly needed new building is erected in accordance with the plan for a civic center. Mr. LANHAM. That is what is asked for in the resolution, to authorize the selection of a site? Mr. COOPER. No, sir; but only to ascertain the best terms on which the Government could secure the site reserved for a post office on the plan for a civic center. Mr. LANHAM. I see here that it says in this plan of city beautification that there is reserved a site for the city post office? Mr. COOPER. Yes, sir; a suggested site. Mr. LANHAM. That site has not been selected by the Government as yet? Mr. COOPER. No, sir. Mr. LANHAM. Let me ask you if that would interfere with the policy that the Government has of selecting its own post-office sites? I presume that you intend by the adoption of this resolution that if they select that site it will be in keeping with the Government's policy? Mr. COOPER. Of course. There is nothing that could force the Government to accept that site. But here is the broad street, called Market Square, and here is the post office Mr. LANHAM. It is contemplated to make that street at the west as wide as Market Square is? Mr. COOPER. Yes; right straight through to the railroad tracks. Mr. LANHAM. It will be an extension of Market Square right straight through? Mr. COOPER. Yes; and the proposed new post-office site is located right there [indicating]. Mr. LANHAM. Does the city own that property there-the postoffice site? Mr. COOPER. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. As I understand, one purpose of this is to get permission to select a post-office site? Mr. COOPER. Not to select a site, but merely to negotiate with the city and report to the House the best terms on which the new site can be secured. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, right here let me state that I have a report with reference to this resolution from the department, which I will read and insert in the record. It is as follows: TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 7, 1924. The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, House of Representatives. SIR: Reference is made to your request of December 13, 1923, for a report on House Resolution 51, that the Secretary of the Treasury be authorized and requested to ascertain, through negotiations with the duly constituted authorities of the city of Kenosha, in the State of Wisconsin, the most favorable terms and conditions on which the Government of the United States can secure title to the site set aside in the plan for a civic center adopted by said city as a site for a new Federal building, and to make report of such negotiations at as early a date as possible to the House of Representatives. The department sees no objection to obtaining the information as contemplated by the resolution and making the report thereon. Respectfully, A. W. MELLON, Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. LANHAM. Has not the department authority to select its own property without passing this resolution? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. KERR. How much are they going to spend there-I mean the city on that development? Mr. COOPER. They have voted approximately $2,500,000. They proposee about $1,000,000 for one school building and $600,000 for a vocational school building, and they are putting in this $800,000 for an unfurnished courthouse, etc. Mr. LANHAM. This is going to be a general civic center there? Mr. KERR. You have a Federal building there now, have you not? Mr. KERR. What is the value of the building they propose to remove to build another one? Mr. COOPER. That is for the Secretary of the Treasury to decide in his negotiations with the city authorities. It was put up at a cost |