The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-08-01
INSPECTOR FIELD HERE.
Arrived Yesterday and Has Examined
Sites and Heard Arguments Of Cit
liens in Favor of Each.

w
has been awaited with great deal of
interest reached the city yesterday. He
at once began his work of listening to
the advocates of the different proposed
sites for the post Office building and the
personal inspection of the same 1t is
safe to say that at no time since the agi-
tation for the public building began sew
eral years ago has the interest taken in
the matter reached anything near the
same degree of intensity as it has during
the last few days, and the majority of
the business men of the city have per-
sonally interviewed Mr.. Field and given
him their reasons for their preference.
Four sites have been offered and these
are the only ones which Mr.. Field has
under consideration. AS the bill max
ing the appropriation for the Owosso
building contained the specification that
the site should not cost the government
more than the nominal sum of one dol
lar, the matter of price does not enter
|
question to any great extent. Several
other things do enter in, however such
as the condition of the land offered
amount of filing or excavating, grad
ing, ETC., and the suitability of the bot
tom for furnishing suitable foundations
The business interests of the entire city
affected by the convenience Of the loca-
tion are also taken into account. Quite
aside from these considerations more
over the preferences Of the citizens
themselves are given careful considera-
tion.
In speaking of the probable size Of the
building which the government would
erect il Owosso Mr.. Field said that in
his opinion it would probably be about
50xS5 or 80 feet so planned that thirty
foot addition could be built on the rear
if the needs Of the government should
| demand it in years to come. In addi-
tion to the postoffice department the
pension board would nave rooms in the
building. The amount of the appropri-
alton is moreover to be used exclusively
| for the building, vault and heating
plant, and not for the building and
| furnishings. The furnishings are pur.
chased by the postofice department from
other funds. The building itself in all
probability will be built of stone, prob
ably entirly so.
Mr.. Field being the agent Of the treas
ury department does not of course make
any announcement of what his report
to that department is to be. His recon-
mendation is not moreover final of ne
cessity, but the history of several hun
dred cases which he and other special
agents have Investigated and reported
on to the department shows that il
might about as well be considered So
After his report is made to the treasury
department the matter is referred to the
attorney generals department and the
legal phases of the matter, validity OF
title, etc, are taken up. When the To-
cation and shape of site are determined
the architects work begins and after
the plans are approved reasonabl!
length of time must be allowed to con
tractors in which to make their esti
mates and submit their bids 1t is more
than likely that nearly year will elapst
before ground for the building is broken
The sites, as has been said before
are, the Stewart site, corner Of Mason
and Washington street, price "a, 800
the land from the Ladies Library site
| where the offices of Drs. Perkins &
Hume stand west to the offices of Lyon
& Hadsall, on East Exchange street and
Park, cost about $S, 900; the Dudley site
at the end of Exchange street by the
river, costing $4,000 to $1,000 according
to the amount of land taken; and the
| Woodland site, the most extensively
| advertised of all, at the corner of Water
and Main streets with two or three lots
between it and the river, costing 81, O00
Mr.. Field has been doing little besides
| listening to the advocates of the differ.
ent sites since coming here. Yesterday
afternoon he met the committee which
had been appointed to consider the mat
| ter and had consultation with the
gentlemen composing it in the parlors
of the Owosso Savings Bank. During
the afternoon and evening he was driv.
en- about the city and given views of the
sites from every possible vantage point.
He has proved most agreeable gentle.
man to meet and has shown himself not
only willing to hear every possible argu.
ment and statement of preference but
anxious to give all a chance to state
their case. He left this noon going
from here to Battle Creek. 1t will
probably be several weeks before any
definite information can be had from
the report