Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-07-18
UNCLE SAM PARTICULAR
Lots of Red Tape in the Selection of Sites and Erection of Public Buildings,

| Washington, July 1S.-Now that the public buildings bill has been passed which provided for the con- struction or enlargement of several hundred public buildings and the ac- quisition of many siteA the office of the supervising architect of the treas ury will be busy place for some time to come. It would seem that in the case where the building is to provide merely for post office, the wishes of the post office department would prevail, but this is not the case. While occasionally the officials of the post office department are | called into consultation, as a gen. eral proposition, the treasury depart 1 ment purchases the site, draws the | plans and erects the building as best l 1t may. Sometimes this leads to strange complications and causes the post office officials much annoyance. 1 AS such large number of sites are to be acquired, it will be of in- terest to take glance at the modus | opSi dhul Ol dCQull lh6 thCm. " hOh the treasury department is ready to take up the question of site where the purchase has been authorized, the supervising architect will notify
 the secretary of the treasury who will cause to be inserted in the va rfous newspapers published in the city selected, an advertisement which will announce that proposals will be
 received for the sale to the United States of a suitable site, centrally and conveniently located, for the fed
 eral building to be located in the said town. The advertisement will
 note that the department prefers
 corner lot, giving the dimensions as
 decided upon by the department. It
 is required that each proposal shall
 be accompanied by diagram of the
 land, showing the widths of adja-
 cent streets and alleys, the grades
 and character of the foundations ob-
 tainable, etc. Any improvements on
 the land must be removed by the ven-
 dor within thirty days after written
 notice and the vendor shall pay all expenses connected with furnishing evidence of title and deeds of con-
 veyance.
 These proposals are received seal ed and the law is very severe in pun
 ishing any one who opens such pro-
 posals until the hour appointed
 when they are opened in the office
 of the supervising architect in the
 presence of duly appointed con-
 mittee. The proposals must be mark
 ed Proposals for federal building
 site at Blankville' and addressed to
 the secretary of the treasury, super
 vising architect, Washington, D. c.
 Many considerations enter into the
 question of selecting a site. Of pri-
 mary importance is the location. The
 post office department prefers sites
 near the depot in large cities and
 near the center of business in the
 smaller ones. Corner lots are pre-
 ferred as the law stipulates that
 there must be a clear space around
 all federal buildings of at least forty
 feet, including streets and alleys.
 The secretary of the treasury, how
 ever, is permitted in his discretion to ,1 waive this requirement. when satis-
 fled that 1t will not interfere with
 ample fire protection. While the mat
 ter of cost is not predominate fac
 tor in that it is by no means the low
 est bidder that carries of the plum,
 the treasury is not disposed to be
 gouged and insists that the lots of-
 fered shall be at price which is
 fair in connection with the price of
 surrounding property, location, char
 acter of foundations. etc, all consid-
 cred. To prevent combination or any other effort to hold up the govern ment, the treasury reserves the right l. to reject any or all proposals. Some , times it happens that a practical site cannot be purchased under the first proposals received, when other pro- i posals are asked for. Tn all cases the purchase price of the site must be within the limit of the appropria. ; tion when specifically made for the requiring of a site. When a bulk appropriation is made for a site and
 a building the treasury department , is expected to set aside enough of the l appropriation to secure the construc, : tion of a practical building and the . remainder is then available for 2 l site. Sometimes the department . makes a mistake and when 1t goes
 to erect a building finds 1t has mol enough money because of the amount
 expended for the site and then 1t 1!
 compelled to ask congress to make uI |. the deficiency which congress doe. I not like to do. Congress prefer! first to appropriate for the site ana [ when that is acquired to make an s other for the building.
 T When the bids are opened ana . properly tabulated, the treasury de - partment sends an inspector to ex ,, anime the sites offered and report S thereon. If there is no active con !. test the supervising architect make' f his report and recommendations tt | the assistant secretary of the treas f ury under whom his division comes S at present. Assistant Secretary J. H | Edwards. The report of the super n vising architect is usually based or
 the report of the inspector and th' T other papers in the case. although fl sometimes the architect personall! fl inspects the various sites offered al l. there often happens to be a bitte d contest. Assistant Secretary Ed n wards will review the papers in th' e case and send them to the secretarI Il of the treasury who will have fna '- say in the matter.
 Q The officials of the 'postoface de e partment are not as well pleased e with this method of selecting site as they would be if their wishe'