Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26
SELECTION OF STONE
THAT FOR MUNICIPAL BUILDING
prz4rnD.
Expected aaetion win Be Favorably
Dispded q at Meeting
Mkt Tuesday.

Notwithstanding the District building
commission, ~ its meeting held In Secre-
tary shaw's of1ce Yesterday, deferred the
selection Of stone for the structure for three
days, yet 1t Is understood that every mem
Der of the commission is anxious to have
the stone question settled as quickly as is
consistent withAll the circumstances. The
question OF the selection Of stone has been
pending since last November. when the
bids for stone were opened, and although
the commission has met with many Difficult
ties, yet some progress has been made to-
ward settling the knotty question.
The members of the commission are of
the opinion that the stone problem will be
definitely disposed Of at the meeting to be
held next Tuesday afternoon. 1t is now be-
Ieved that the commission has secured the
the proprietors of the several quarries
closely competing for the contract. The
proprietors of both. the South Dover and
Cherokee marble quarries and of the Hard
mitted propositions to furnish the stone at
a considerably lower figure than that named
in their respective original bids.
The South Dover marble was originally
offered to the District for $776, 800 the Cher
okee marble for $675 600 and the Hardwick
white granite for ST.. 800. 1t is understood
that the white granite has been offered to
the District recently for about $4,000 less
marble stones have been offered at reduce
tons from the original bids. The commits
sion, however, declines to make public the
supplemental proposals received from the
Quarries for furnishing stone.
Preference for White Granite.
While it was not given out at the close
of the commissions conference at the
Treasury Department yesterday, yet it is
understood that the commission, in the mo-
ton to defer the selection of stone until 1t
had obtained rough estimates as to the cost
of constructing the building, indicated its
preference for white granite. The motion
in part, SO it is understood, was to the eff
feet that in order to ascertain whether or
not the commission might have money
enough to purchase white granite, the
Commission defer action until next Tuesday
afternoon, and in the meantime secure
rough estimates as to the cost of construct
ing the superstructure, the materials in
cluded. 1t is believed that the membe. Of
the commission, or q majority of them still
prefer white granite for the building in the
event 1t can be secured within the amount
available, and if the use of the stone will
not necessitate such notifications as will
materially change the plans of the structure
Immediately following the conference
Colonel Biddle, as executive officer of the
building, consulted with Capt. Chester
Harding, supervisor of construction, pre-
iminary to securing estimates from the
large contractors as to the probable cost
of the superstructure. The commission, so
1t Is stated, has heretofore based its esti-
mate of the cost of construction upon the
figures submitted for the erection of the
War College, 20 cents per cubic foot At
that rate it was estimated that $3.50 OO0
would be required~for the construction
work.
Since the members of the commission
are DESTROYS of getting the stone question
off their handsrit is believed that definite
decision will be reached next Tuesday aft
ernoon and that the award of contract for
few days thereafter. Secretary Shaw, rep
resenting the governments half interest In
the project, Is takingoconsiderable interest
in the new District Hbuilding. and Is as
ers to get theyfnatterBettled in order that
there will be lao delay in completing the
structure. fIT Es