Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-10
BIDS NOT SATISFACTORY
Commissioners Need More Money for Con
struction of School Houses.
Three Proposals Received Today
Appropriation-An Rejected.

The District Commissioners today again
failed to receive, in answer to their adVer-
tised invitation. satisfactory proposals for
building a public school house, and it is
not improba BILE that the three school build
ings provided for in the District appro-
priation bill approved June 30, 1898, will
not be erected until the Commissioners are
provided by Congress with additional funds
for the purpose. Today bids were opened
for erecting cight-rOom school on 1oth
street between Rosedale and Gale for
which Congress appropriated the sum OF
s3T.5m. including the site. The sum OF
$S,924.95 was paid for the site. which left
the Commissioners s2s575.O5 with which
to erect the building and place therein the
heating apparatus In their advertisement
the Commissioners explained that only
about $4,000 would be available for the
construction of the building, exclusive of
the heating apparatus. and those desiring
to bid, who found they could not erect
the building for the amount stated, were
asked by them to state the sum for which
they would he able to construct it.
But three bids We're received by the Com
missioners today. and all of them far eX-
ceeded the amount available. w. +. Speir
agreed to construct the building for S3I ,JJO,
Richardson & Burgess for S31.214 and Glee-
son & Humphrey for $32.30o. with 81 400
extra for cement and steel girGerS for the
school rooms. The Comm .ss.oners had
hoped to receive many more bids, 1t being
their desire, in the expected event OF no bid
being within the amount available. to sub
nit them to Congress at the next session
as an argument in support of increased ap-
prOpriations for school buildings. There
fore. they We're much disappointed when
acquainted with the fact that but three
bids We're received
1t is needless to say that the bids will be
rejected. as will that. in all probability of
Mr.. II. l. Gregory, who offered to supply
the heating apparatus for the school for
81 40.
Other Bids Rejected.
II will be recalled that several weeks ago.
as was stated in The Star at the time, bids
received for rebuilding the Lovejoy School
We're rejected because none of them We're
within the amount available. 1t was the
second time bids were rejected for con-
structing that building, and the Commits
siOners now feel that 1t will be impossible
to erect either of the schools with the
funds in their hands.
Bids for constructing an eight-rOOm
school in the southeast section of the city
will be opened in few days. The amount
appropriated was S455Op. out of which the
Comm 'sSIOnerS expended Sl2.1!iI for The site,
% street and South Carolina avenue, lcaV-
ing them S;s33nj with which to erect the
building. In view of their recent expert
ence in the matter. the Comm! !ssiOnerS now
seriously doubt their ability to obtain sat
isfactOry bids within the amount left for
this building.
The Only Buildings Authorized.
These three schools were the only ones
authorized by the current appropriation
bill In the District appropriation bill,
which takes effect the first of the month,
there is provision for three new school
buildings, not including the two manual
training schOOls-One in Columbia Heights,
one in Hillsdale and one at Takonl Park.
The one in TahOma Park is 10 be four
room building, the others eight ROOMS, and
the amounts appropriated for their con-
structiOn and sites were, respectively. ST.
5OJ $4,000 and Sls.p'D The sites for these
three buildings have already been contract
ed for, and at such prices that the Com
missiOnerS feel they viii. be enabled with
the funds remaining to erect the three
schools. But, as stated above. they fear
that for the construction of ,he three
schools named in the current bill they
viii be obliged to ask for additional fItntS
of Congress. If they find this TO b. neccs-
sary, II will mean of course. a delay of
about year in commencing their erection.