Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-27
THE RETAINED ITEMS
COMMISSIONERS PLEASED WITH
APPROPRIATION BILL.
Discussion Of Preliminaries in Con-
struction of Municipal Building
Proposals for Stone Work.

pressed their qualification over the action
of the Senate and House conferees yester-
day in retaining in the District approprla-
ton bill number of important items In
serted by the Senate. The results of the
conference are considered by each of the
three Commissioners as highly satisfactory.
Commissioner Mcfarland stated that he
is delighted with the action of the con-
ferees in agreeing to the increase In the
cost of the new municipal building from
81, O000 600 to $2,jO0,0O0. He declared his
particular interest in this item, regarding
it as a most important and necessary in
crease, and the necessity for action on the
proposition at this session was considered
as urgent. Other matters of great import.
ance to the District were also considered
as necessary but in the matter of the IN
crease of cost for the new District building
the circumstances demanded immediate de-
cison.
The District building commission has de-
ferred the selection and award of contract
for the stone to be used in the new home
of the District government until Congress
decided on the proposition to increase the
cost of the building 100000. AS soon as
the District bill Is passed, in the event no
accident happens to the District building
item In the meantime. the commission, con-
sisting of the three District Commissioners,
acting jointly, and the Secretary OF the
Treasury, will hold a meeting and lmme-
diately take up the question of--selectng
the stone and awarding the contracts. Inc
members of the commission. 1t Is unoeI-
stood intend to push this matter as rapidiy
as possible, in order that there may be no
greater delay in the, completion of the
building than is absolutely necessary.
Rumors Regarding the Stone.
There has been a report at the District
building within the past few days that the
commission might defer the selection or
stone until bids are received for the con-
struction work on the superstructure. An
other rumor In connection with this matter
is that the commission may readvertise Iot
bids for furnishing both stone ana Tor the
construction work. In view OF the oeslre
of the members of the commission to setect
the stone for the building as soon as pos
sible it is not considered likely that they
will favor the proposition to defer award
ing the contract for the stone Tor sevetat
months. which delay would be necessary II
they deferred their decision until after bids
for the construction work could be OBJ
tanned.
II is understood the commission believes
that the bids they have received on stone
alone are lower than they could obtain by
placing the stone and construction con-
tracts in one contract. Considerable spec
ulation is in evidence to the final action
of the commission in reference to the ma
terial to be used in the superstructure. The
commission has declared its preference Tor
either marble granite, but no indication
is given as to which of the two stones will
be selected.
Alleged Preferences.
q Several months ago it was understood
that Secretary Shaw and Commissioners
mcfarland and Biddle favored white gran
ite similar to the stone to be used in the
new union station, as the stone for the
new District building. The only white
granite submitted was the Hardwick white
granite, quarried by the Woodbury. Gran
lite Company of Hardwick, vt. This COM
pany originally proposed to furnish the
stone for the District building at $SI2OO0.
The commission, when it decided to ask
Congress for a $4,000 increase in the cost
of the building. stated that only S150OOO
could be used for the purchase of stone.
The white granite company then submitted
several modified proposals, one of which
proposed to furnish white granite for the
superstructure and Woodbury. granite for
the base and inner court for $150,0O0.
In a recent letter to Congress the COM
mission lowered its estimates for stone from
$4,000 to $3.50, 600 more or less. So far as
can be ascertained today, the commission
has under favorable consideration the fol-
lowing proposals:
Hardwick white granite, 100000; Cher
okee marble. S675, 0C0: South Dover marble,
S776,9O0. In the bids for the marble
granite base is specified. The commission
is not bound by the bids submitted, but
gain and sale plan, and the commission
may be able to secure a lower price than
any of those submitted by the various stone
companies. 1t is thought that the stone
question will be settled within a few days
or a week at most, but until the commits
sion acts upon the matter no indication
can be secured as to the particular stone to
be used in the new municipal building.