The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-08
SITES
 REDUCED ID FOUR Van Nerta To Report First and
 Second Choice
OTHERS ARE ELIMINATED
and Says It May He Thirty Days Before Formal Announce
 ment Is Made

That total of 21 sites for the proposed leoeral building had been received and 'lat he had already reduced the eligibes 10 four was the announcement of George o Van Nerta Of Washington. superfn- tendent of federal buildings, who has 6een here for two days looking over the postoffice sites. MT. Van Nerta left last night for Atlanta
 lie stated before leaving in talking over the postoffice site selection work tha. nc had been treated with marked con- slderatlon and kindness here and that he iirst wished to thank the citizens of Bir- mingham for this.
 After l announced that other sites would be considered in addition to those previously offered | received four addl- oonal ones,' he said. That ran the total number Of sites 10 21. l have eliminated all but four of the sites and the latter number arc all that will not be consid- cred. The four I have selected will be shaved down to first choice and a sec ond choice. l will report the two to the Secretary of the Treasury. A selection will be made from them. As there will be little difference between them 1t is on- ly matter, perhaps of elevation or some such slight consideration It really mat ters little about the selection between the two sites I shall recommend
 T do not hesitate to say that Con gressman Underwood will be consulted before the final selection is made. He is your local representative in Congress and is entitled to be informed of what is to be done. While do not say that he will have anything to say as to the selection. 1t may be taken as positive that his opin- ion will be given careful consideration He is best informed of every feature of the | sat tt tsr1..s ,1.I pointers of an unselfish kind. MT. Un- derwood and the Secretary of the Treas ury will be the last two men to pass 1 upon the proposed sites
 My experience Is that 1t requires about two or three weeks definitely to select q site I have known it to take longer. However, as MT. Underwood may be en- gagged 1t may be 30 days before we make a public announcement about the final opinion. It may be sooner. l cannot tell.
 "The selection of the lot is the first step In your federal building here. How ever Birmingham. l should judge, will be lucky If a new building Is occupied in three or four years. It requires great deal of time 10 reach these mat ters as we have a number now being constructed about 10 be. We get to them as quickly as possible.
 Mir. Van Nerta would not announce last night which four sites of the q he had selected as the DtSt Suiteh AVi 'hN hDsN office He said this was a matter that would never be known. He would not. as a matter of course, say anything about the two best selections that are to be made.
 He said his report would go to tho Secretary of the Treasury in the next two or three days II Is understood m postoffiee circles, however, that the fol- lowing sites are the four that are In fa- vor:
 Fourth avenue, between Twenty-frst and Twenty-second streets.
 Corner Seventeenth street and FlIeh avenue. facing park. r-,,. avenue
 Block bounded by Sixth and Park ave nues, and Nineteenth and Twentie.h streets.