The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-10-02
FEDERAL
BUILDING

(Mnil Special TO tine AuNertH'r.l
WASHINGTON, u. C., Sept. IL
Tho opening of bids today at the
Treasury Department for the selling OF
a site to the government for post
Office will be followed by the sending
of special agent to Honolulu. The
department. however, is in no haste IN
selecting an agent for this work, as
there is no appropriation for the strue-
ture and can be none till Congress
passes another public buildings bill,
which probably will not be for two
years.
Thus far there is nothing to indicate
what one of the bids will be most at
tractive to the Treasury Department.
There were six different propositions
made. the number of bidders being but
four. The Union Feed Company sub
mitted two propositions-one to sell
6O.157 square feet of land at Queen,
Edinboro and Halekauwila streets for
$9O.226. and another to sell the block
bounded by Queen. Edinburgh. Halekau-
villa and Alakea streets, containing IL
500 square feet for $116,S06. William
G.. Irwin also submitted two PROPOSE
tions. One of these was to sell lot
containing 56,305 square feet on Rich
ards, King and Militant streets for sl4s.-
900. The other of Mr.. Irwin s PROPOSE
tions is to sell $4,000 square feet at
the corner of Richards and King
streets for $4,000.
j. o. Carter. 8. M. Damon, w. o.
Smith and E. F. Bishop offer to sell
for $91,410 property at the corner OF
King and Bishop streets for $33,24o
The Henry Waterhouse Trust Company
submits an offer to sell for s14S,50O its
property on King, Merchant and Bishop
streets containing 4l,65O square feet:
1t is noticeable that all the offers
made are within the price of $l5O,OOC
which the government is authorized to
pay by the act of Congress. The gov
ernment will not necessarily take the
lot which is offered at the lowest price
1t will taken into consideration the
availability of the various sites offered
and then proceed to "dicker" for the
one that seems best. The purchase will
not necessarily be confined to the lots
offered. If none of those seem to NEE,
the requirements the government car
90 into the open market like any in
dividual and try to purchase what n
wants. In the transactions during the
summer for the purchase of sites fol
public buildings, it has occasionally
happened that offers of land have beer
received and considered after the
formal opening of bids
Who the Treasury Department Z
I agent for the selection Of the site vii
be has not been determined. 1t ha'
been suggested that ex-Assistant Sec
retary OF the Treasury, Horace A. Tay
lor, might be picked for this work. Mr.
Taylor recently resigned after many
years service in the department ant
has already started on a two years
trip around the world. He has not lef
the mainland and, in fact, one of thu
treasury officials talked with him las
week, about undertaking to look ovel
the offers of ground at Honolulu. Mr.
Taylor is going to California in few
days to remain for about two months
and does not expect to reach Homo
lulu till about December !.
During much of the time he was il
the Treasury Mr.. Taylor had supervi
sion of the public building work ant
therefore is specially well qualified fol
recommending to the department which
site at Honolulu should be selected.
ERNEST G.. WALKER.