Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-13
TO FINIsF3TYE POST OFFICE
Congress to:s Be Asked for sl75,ooo
= More.
Not EnouEh Ns.s to Award Contract
to Lowe1t Rider for Complet-
IF Interior.


1t will be necessary for Secretary Gage
to send RECONCILIATION to Congress in
few days easkins that body to appro-
pirate $175.OOqS adehti onal for the completion
OF the new city post office. The Secretary
Will have to place before Congress the fast
that without thfs amount, or something
very much like it, the new city post office
will be useless.
All this has come out since the opening
OF dds last Friday for the completion Of the
interior finish Of the new post Office. It
will be remembered that the lowest bid was
Tor $S299OO. This was from D. s. Hess
GO. OF New York, and was more than $2O,-
wv lower than the next lowest bid. =
~ -. Not Enough Money.
Wnen treasury officials were asked today
"hen the contract was to be awarded they
SAID 1t would be some time. Following this
statement developed the fact that there is
not money enough available TO award the
contract, and that there is no telling when
the contract can be awarded. 1t will all de-
Pend on how soon Congress makes the ap-
pLoPriatlon That will be called for. Under
tne law, the treasury cannot make con-
tract LOT more money than it has funds ap-
proprlated for in IT'S possession. 1t is not
question, either, Of which one of the bid
oers the contract shall go to. 1t is admit
!eu mat Hess & Co. are responsible con-
tractors, and that they would have been
awarded the contract had it been let within
the time such things are usually done,
Inc total appropriations made by Con-
gress at different periods for the building
nave been $3.O65s49O.77. The total expendi-
lures have been s., 561 6O3, leaving a bal
ance on September 80 of 500, SS6. From
inns must be deducted contract liabilities
o! $luo,tE, leaving an available balance
OF $.os $50. 1t Is readily seen that this
available balance Is less than the bid of
Hess & Co.
Against the available balance, however,
are number Of thugs. The bids opened
the other day did not include the putting
IN OF eievators-a, contract which must be
advertised and let at some future time 1t
Is estimated that the elevators will cost
something like $4,000. In addition to this
are contingent liabilities of at least $4,000.
These two items alone, together with the
diiference between the amount on hand
and the bid of Hess & Co.. would make a
deficit of about $101 900.
The balance of $4,000 necessary is under
stood to come about in this way: The con-
tracts for heating and plumbing were made
some time before Congress, in the sundry
civil bill, approved June t. ordered that
the general Post Office Department be
domiciled in the building. AS soon as Con-
greSs ordered that this be DONE a Suspen-
sion of the work=of putting in heating and
plumbing was ordered. The original con-
tracts called for 100000. Later the Post
master General ordered a rearransement of
the heating and plumbing, necessitating a
large increase on the contracts as originally
made. 1t is for this that large part of
the sum Of the $4,000 is needed.
Oausenof Deficit.
The contractors flor the heating and
plumbing areistfll ae work in the basement.
first and mezzaniri4n Stories but have not
touched the bther stories. There was no
change in th9 plans for the work on the
first three floors The changes made by the
Postmaster General are TO be In the six
stories to be occupied by his department.
Exactly what these changes win be has
not been decftfed OH, but 1t is known that
the present Contractors deFaand large in
crease over their original contracts.
Treasury officials account for the deficit
by the change made BY Supervising Archi-
contract fer The exterior Of the building
called for rock-faced stone. Mr.. O'Rourko
discovered that this would give the build
ing gioolnp and unpleasant look. This
was after the rock-faced stone had been
used to the height of two stories. After
that the stone was dressed, the additional
cost being $500 '.l... .-.-,.
It. is ayerred that no material work has
been done at any time on the building that
was not first advertised and later let by
contract The only exceptions, 1t Is assert
ed, were in minor work Of no particular
Importance ana lnVOfVlnS small amounts OF
money.
Assistant Secretary Spnu1ding's State
ment.
Assistant Secretary Spaulding late this
afternoon admitted to Star reporter that
the Treasury Department would be COM
PEELED to ask for an appropriation Of $175,-
OOO
II have prepared a letter on the sub
ject," said General Spaulding, land Will
submit it to Congress very soon.",
He said that the treasury had not esti-
mated on deficit because the amount for
the changes made by putting the Post Of
been considered. Gen. Spaulding then said
that the change in 1893 from rough stone
to dressed stone, costing $3.50 900, also ex-
planned the deficit He said he did not
think there would have been deficit eX-
cept for the changes made necessary by
the sundry civil act.
The computing division of the Treasury
Department did not estimate that the in
terror work would cost as much as the low
the floors necessary by the breaking up of
the cement is included in the bid of Hess
& Co.
Delay in Work.
1t is not known how long the awarding
Of the contract will be delayed. 1t depends
on congressional action. The contractors
think the building can be completed in
eight months after work is begun, but the
treasury officials think that 1t will take q
year.
HELD FOR THE GRAND JURY.