The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-06
SEVENTEEN SITES FORMALLY OFFERED
 FOR POSTOFF|CE Inspector Von Nerta Is Here to Look Them Over
 Carefully HOLDS CONFERENCES WITH REAL ESTATE MEN Will Bc at the PostoHce Building To- day and VIII Re Glad to Have
 Other Available Sites
 Offered

Offered
 For the purpose of inspecting sites for the federal building which will be erected here, George O. Von Nerta, superintend- ent of construction United States public buildings, arrived in Birmingham yester- day morning.
 Immediately upon arriving he called upon Postmaster J. H. Montgomery and the two started out to see the sites that have been offered the government. The federal representative studied carefully map of Greater Birmingham and seemed to be interested in getting an exact idea of the central point of Birmingham.
 After looking over the sites Mr. Won Nelta was in conference with several real estate men regarding the sites that had been offered. He was closeted with T. H. Motion, Wilson Brown, M. P. Mes ser, W. B. Leedy and other prominent real estate men, who gave him informa- tion on various sites He will be here to- day and last night requested that 1t be made known that any one who now has site which the owner considers desirable which has not been offered to the govern ment can be offered now.
 Will Consider New Offers
 q will consider at any site, it matters not whether 1t has been offered before" said MT. Von Nerta. We always try to get the best possible location fo rthe busi- ness interests and for the government, and even though a time limit has been set and passed for bids, I will receive any fi,af Ia I xxrfll ters office all Tuesday morning and would be glad to see any one that can offer the government a site for the new building"
 This statement was heartily approved by Postmaster Montgomery, whose hopes for a large number of sites to be oHereu i. It is probable that the government will select the site before the end of this month. MT von Nerta said yesterday that his province was to look at all sites offered, eliminate those which were inn possible on their face and then recom- mend those remainining. He said that the final decision would be made by the Secretary of the Treasury.
 In this connection it is generally under stood that Congressman Underwood will scrutjnize the sites recommended and resist any offer which he considers un- favorable to the best interests of the city. He has been specially interested Tn the location or the federal building. Inat interest has not ceased, and he will con fer with Secretary MacNeigh peloIe lhe final sale is made.
 Looks Over Seventeen Sites
 The government agent yesterday looked over IT sites which have been formally or fere1 There are a few of them that will not do for the federal building. MT. Won Nerta said that no sites except corners xvould he considered and that the corners must be removed 40 feet from any otner building This condition imposed by the government regulation will disbar a num- Der of the 1T offered
 Tine sites that MT. Von Nerta announces as having been offered officially follow:
 First avenue, between Twenty-second and Twenty-third streets
 First avenue. between Twenty-fifth and ,rwenty-sixth streets.
 Fourth avenue, between Twenty-trst and Twenty-second streets.
 Fourth avenue. between Iwenty-Iourlh and Twenty-ffth streets.
 Seventeenth street, between Fourtn ana Fifth avenues.
 Fifth avenue, northwest corner or Iwen- ty-second street.
 Fifth avenue, northeast corner or lweh- ty-third street.
 Sixth avenue, northwest corner twenty first street. ,r,,,or+, : SlXL0 dNtIlucs HUI th "N'S SS- third street.
 Tn the foregoing list of locations there are sites offered which enumerated make the total of r made to the government
 The Government Conditions
 MT yon Nerta was requested yester- day to detail the conditions upon which sites are accepted by the government. He said the principal one to the sellers was that the lot must not exceed Ill cost s0OO. 900. He said positively that no ste but a corner would be considered ana the site must be 40 feet from any other building All sites must be 5o rect oy s,o feet in the clear. Or if divided other than by the foregoing measurement must embrace the same area as the apoVe He said that of course central slte to the most important railroad depot was more valuable.
 However that is not exactly con difion placed by the government, said MT. Ven Nerta. Where we locate d postal building within 80 rods or lS1V rect nf the principal depot then the rail-' ua.ds must deliver all the malls free. rrrat of course, Is a. consideration to be considered"
 MT Von Nerta after looking over the rar,aining sites today will confer further with local people about the sites. He was in consultation last night Witn soitie property holders and agents Who are irving to give him all the information nossible regarding the sites that nave been offered He was etngaged III con- sultinE T. H. Molton, w. B. lIeeoy' Ell met Collins and others last night al tne Hotel Hlllman He will be taken around in an automobile this morning TOT the purpose of continuing his invesugatiols
 Congress Provides s2Oo,o0o
 The last session of Congress just be- fore adjourning provided for an appro- priation of $2OO,00 for postoffice or neo- eral building site for Birmingham Ihls is to be formally approved at the present session. The supervising architect was authorized to advertise for bids which he did last summer. In all the last ses- sion of Congress authorized 2O new postal buildings. The site agents nave heen looking all this number over ana Birmingham has not been visited TOT that reason until yesterday.
 The money for the structure will prob ably be carried in the appropriation Dill of the next regular Congress. Congress- man Underwood is working for a. large annrouriation which will be In keeping with the strides of Birmingham in the mast and the conservative outlook for the future On this account his work VIII probably result in large sum being snent here on a federal building.
 MT. Won Nerta said the government was erecting the new postal buildings only one story high now as this afford ed more light for the employees and ex- pedited the work in other ways.
 The nresent federal building will prob ably he retained as offices for the vari-