C2D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session. REPORT No. 127. FEDERAL BUILDING SITE, NEWARK, OHIO. AUGUST 7, 1911.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. SHEPPARD, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 13276.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred the bill of the House (H. R. 13276) relating to a new Federal building site at Newark, Ohio, respectfully reports the same with the recommendation that the bill do pass. The omnibus public buildings act of June 30, 1906, authorizes an appropriation of $90,000 for a post-office building and site at Newark, Ohio. Under that authorization a site was acquired on July 6, 1908, at a cost of $18,500. Subsequently it developed that the remaining amount was not sufficient to construct a building of sufficient size to handle the Government business at Newark, and the omnibus buildings act of June 25, 1910, increased the limit of cost to $190,000. The committee finds, after consultation with the Supervising Architect, that the site acquired under the initial authorization is too small for such a building as is contemplated by the act of June 25, 1910, and as is needed to meet the demands of the post-office business at Newark. The receipts of the Newark post office for the fiscal year of 1911 were approximately $64,796, and are growing rapidly, having more than doubled since 1901. The population in 1910 was 25,464, and is also growing rapidly. The committee is therefore of the opinion that, as provided by the bill now under consideration, the present site should be sold at once and the proceeds applied in the purchase of a new and proper site or exchanged in whole or part payment for such new site, the remainder of the purchase price, if any, to be taken from the appropriation here tofore authorized for building and site at Newark. Over five years having elapsed since the first appropriation was made and the necessity of a new building being most urgent, the committee believes that a sufficient emergency exists to justify the immediate passage of the bill under consideration, and so recommends. O 62D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session. FEDERAL BUILDING, CHARLESTON, W. VA. AUGUST 7, 1911.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. SHEPPARD, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 2932.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred the bill of the Senate (S. 2932) making certain changes in existing plans for the new Federal building at Charleston, W. Va., begs leave to report the same with the recommendation that the bill do pass. In the omnibus public buildings act of 1908 the sum of $125,000 was authorized for the enlargement, extension, remodeling, or improvement of the United States post office and courthouse at Charleston, W. Va. In the omnibus public buildings act of 1910 the additional sum of $100,000 was authorized for the same purpose, making the entire amount heretofore authorized $225,000. Under these authorizations the Supervising Architect has awarded a contract for the construction of a new building, the old building to be taken down and the material used in the construction of the new. The old building is constructed of brick and stone laid in cement mortar, and it was found impracticable to enlarge it without practically destroying it. Under the proposed bill (S. 2932) the old building is not to be torn down, but to be sold to the city of Charleston and removed from the present site. The sale is to be controlled by the supervising architect and the proceeds applied to the construction of the new building, the limit of cost heretofore authorized to remain, with only this exception unchanged. No loss to the Government and no additional appropriations are involved. The only difference is that under the existing law the contractor gets the material of the old building for use in the new, while under the proposed bill (S. 2932) he will be allowed the proceeds of the sale of said material. The proposed bill provides that the old building shall be sold at not less than the reasonable value of such of the materials of which the building is composed as would be suitable to be reused in remodeling, enlarging, extending, and improving said building, etc. H R-62-1-vol 1-73 The committee is advised that if the old building is torn down the material will be practically worthless, the brick and stone composing it being laid in cement mortar, which is so much harder than the material itself that it will be almost impossible to remove the mortar from the brick and stone without breaking the latter to pieces. The committee is also advised that the people of Charleston are deeply attached by sentiment and tradition to the old building and are desirous that it be preserved for municipal purposes. In view of these facts, the committee recommends the passage of the bill. Immediate action is needed because the time has already passed for the dismantling of the old building under the existing law to begin, and the contract can not be suspended until a subsequent session. AUGUST 7, 1911.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. SHEPPARD, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 2055.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred the bill of the Senate (S. 2055) to provide for the erection of a public building at Bangor, Me., respectfully reports the same with the recommendation that the bill do pass. In the disastrous fire of April 30 of this year the Federal building at Bangor was destroyed with many other buildings of a large section of the city. So widespread was the disaster that adequate quarters can not be found even for the temporary accommodation of the Federal offices located in that city, which include the post office, the United States courts, the customs and internal-revenue service, the steamboat-inspection service, pension examiner, marine surgeon, and recruiting office. The post office is housed at present in the Y. M. C. A. building and the customs offices are located on the third floor of a dry goods store with no vault protection. The population of Bangor, according to the last census, is 24,803, and of the adjoining city of Brewer, a station of the Bangor post office, 5,667. The postal receipts of Bangor for 1901 were $67,735.16; for 1910, $123,665.93. The customs receipts for 1900 were $207,751.21; for 1910, $328,591.76. The rapid growth of both post office and customs receipts indicates the importance of the city from commercial and Federal revenue standpoints. The committee agrees with the Senate and the Treasury Department that the old site is no longer practicable. It is located on an island in the Kenduskeag River, and is constantly menaced by spring floods and heavy ice floes. The sundry civil bill of June 25, 1910, carried an appropriation of $60,000 for the strengthening of the retaining walls maintained by the Government for the protection of its Bangor property, and we are advised by the Treasury Department that the expenditure will prove useless unless adjoining property owners make similar improvements. These walls were originally built by the Government |