Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-18

HELD IN ABEYANCE
AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR MU-
NICIPAL BUILDING MATERIAL.
Commissioners Prefer to Await Action
Of Congress Upon Request for
Increased Appropriation.

1t is understood the District building COM
| mission is considering the ACCESSIBILITY OF
purchasing the stone for the base or the
| new municipal building in advance of the
! awarding of the contract for the material
| for the superstructure. The commission has
| decided to defer the award for furnishing
stone for the superstructure until after
| Congress either grants or rejects the re-
quest of the commission that the total cost
| Of the building be increased from 81, 1000
| to 50, 100000. Until Congress decides upon
| this matter the members of the building
| commission will not be certain as to how
| much money they will have at their dis
| posal for the purchase of material, and
| therefore they cannot enter into contract
| for the stone until after the question has
been decided
The members of the commission, and the
| citizens of the District, well. feel con-
fident that Congress will not be willing that
the new and permanent home or the DIS
trict government shall be built of brick.
Nevertheless the commission desires 10 De
on the safe side and will reserve the selec-
ton of stone and the award OF contrac :o
until Congress has authorized the s1Oo,oJo
increase requested in the total cost OF the
new building.
1t has been determined, however, to con-
struct the base of the building out OF gran
lite, and in the call for bids for furnishing
stone for the structure it was speclhed tnat
granite would be used in the base OF the
structure A number of quarries submitted
separate bids on the stone for the base ana
for the superstructure. and it is understood
that the granite quarrieS that ola not Sepd-
rate these two parts of the building IN thelr
former bids, have been asked by the com
mission to indicate the price at which they
will furnish the base stone, in order that
the commission may award this part or the
contract separately if it is deemed advan-
tageouS to do SO.
Suitable for Monumental Building.
When the members of the District build
ing commission were considering the sus-
gestion that the stone contract be awarded
prior to and separate from the construc-
ton contract, the purpose was to get from
the various quarries idea as to the KIND
of stone that could be obtained and the
price of the material. From the samples
of stone submitted the idea was TO select
a stone that the commission deemed suit
able for monumental building, ana theh'
in the event the price submitted d1d not APP
pear satisfactory, effort would be ma de
to strike a bargain with the quarry pro-
ducing the stone desired
While the commission has not offic ally
expressed a preference for any stone. Yet
it is understood, and upon reliable author
ity that all the members of the District
building commission were personally de-
sirous of securing the white granite pro-
duced in the quarries at Bethel and Hard
III the new union station building and the
members of the commission had hoped, so
it is stated, that they would be able TO Sc
cure this stone at satisfactory terms.
Col John Bddle, the executive officer of
the commission, in his report to the COM
mission on the samples of stone, etc.,
roughly estimated that If the total cost of
the building We're increased to 50 600
the commission would have available not
more than about $1,000 coo for the purchase
of stone The bid of the Woodbury. Gran
lite Company of Hardwick, VT on the white
granite SSI2 800. 1t is understood that
the building commission considered that
| they could not pay this amount for the
stone.
Lower Price Intimated.
A representative of the Hardwick quarry
called on Commissioner Macfarland today
and intimated that it might be possible to
obtain a lower price from the quarry for
| the white granite, and the Commissioner in
| formed the representative that the COM
mission would be glad to consider a propo-
sltion to reduce the price of the proposal.
! 1t is believed that if a substantial reduc
ton of from $4,000 to 100000 were made
/ by the Hardwick people in their bid that
the proposition would be likely to receive
! favorable consideration. The award of the
contract. however, would hardly be made
until after Congress consents to increase
! the cost of the project.
Colonel Biddle, while in New York Tues
| day, viewed several buildings constructed
| out of marble samples of which have been
| submitted to the commission. He stated
that he was much pleased with the appear
| ance of the buildings inspected. They were
| built out of South Dover N. Y. and Proc
| tor, Vt, marbles
Capt Chester Harding supervisor of con-
Structon, is now absent an inspection
| of quarries in the SOUTH in connection with
| the selection of stone. In the event it is
decided by the commission to award the
| contract for the base granite prior to the
| ~ mr. hn
| stone the matter will likely be settled
| within a week or two