The evening times., 1899-06-10
SCHOOL BIDS TOO HIGH.
Commissioner Decide to Reject the
Three PROPOSALS.

Three Proposals.
Within an hour after bids were opened
at the District Building at noon today for
the construction of the proposed eight
room school building on Fifteenth Street,
between Rosedale and Gales Streets north
east. the District Commissioners practical
ly made up their minds to reject all offers.
This was because all the bids were uni
formly too high and much in excess of the
amount available for the erection OF the
building The lowest bid, that of Gleeson
& Humphrey, was almost $4,000 higher
than the available sum stated in the spec
ifications for the school.
Only three bids were received, they be-
ing as follows: w. E. Speir, $37, $50;
Gleeson G Humphrey, $4,000, with
$500 extra for cement. and $500 extra for
floors with steel girders in schoolrooms.
Only the last named bid was formal. the
first two being unaccompanied by the re-
quisite deposit check Of s., 1000. H. l. Gre
CORY submitted a bid for g. 450 for the
heating apparatus for the building and
there were no rival bidders for this part
Of the work.
The Commissioners are surprised that
there were not more than three bidders.
interest IN the matter, because it was
noted that almost score Of contractors
and their representatives were present
when the envelopes containing the propo-
sails were ripped open.
The original appropriation by Congress
for the Fifteenth Street school contained
in the District Appropriation act Of June
20, 1898. was s37.5O0. The Commissioners
have expended sS,924.95 in purchasing a
Cd md - thn h,l,
of $500 will have to be devoted to the
purchase of heating apparatus the exact
amount available for the building is S23,-
600. or 81. 700 less than the bid of Gleeson
6 Humphrey
Three school buildings were authorized
by the act of June 80, 1885, namely, the
one in question, one at the corner of Sec
ond Street and South Carolina Avenue
southeast. for which 800 was appropri-
ated, and the Lovejoy building, which was
to be rebuilt. Bids have been requested
three times and rejected twice for the
construction of the Lovejoy School. but
were uniformly high each time. Bids have
not yet been asked for the building to be
erected in Southeast Washington, as stated
above.
1t is understood that the outcome of the
whole matter will be lengthy communi-
cation to Congress from the Commission
ers early next winter laying the entire
question before that body. The Commits
sioners have labored ardously in the hope
of having the three authorized schools built
at the earliest possible time. but their ef-
forts have been attended with no success
and 1t now looks as though the city will
get no more schools this year
Building material is advancing. having
gone up 25 per cent during the past few
months. and every time bids are rejected
and readvertised the proposals received are
higher than the previous ones.
Although the bids received today will be
rejected it is not certain that new speci-
fications will be prepared and other bids
sought.
In view of the failure of the Commis-
sioners to secure bids within the limit OF
the Congressional appropriation for the
Lovejoy School after three advertisements,
it is not believed that any better results
could be obtained by readvertising again
at the present. Bids will next be sought
for the proposed school to be erected in
southeast Washington. the one mentioned
last in the appropriation.
The results of that call cannot be an
ticipated. but II no better than those re-
Gently obtained it is understood the Com
clear to lay the whole question before
Congress.
When that is done attention will also be
brought to the report of the Board OF
School Trustees on the dilapidated condi-
tion of a number of new schools. and
strong stress laid upon the fact that rea-
sonably large appropriations must be made
by Congress before the District can have
good schools