The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-06-16
PORTLAND TANGLE
TO Be UhRAvELtO
Quarrel Over Postoffice Site
in Indiana City Is Near
ing an End.
palladium SpeciaD

oeGIetdTy tOUeTI ~, bdlley, Oi the
treasury department expects TO settle
the matter OF the Portland postofiice
site before the end of this week. The
indications at present are that this
long drawn out fight will be won by
Representative Adair, who recon-
mended tina. n site offered to the gov
ernment by his brother be taken. Fol-
the department after bids for the site
we're opened. sent an inspector to
look over the three offerings and re-
port on the most desirable one. The
inspector reported that site offered
by the estate OF the late n. B. Hawk
ins and other owners was the most
desirable. This report was made by
Major Bracket. one of the treasury
departments Oldest inspectors. a
man who has been In the service since
the days of President Harrison and
has probably reported on more build
Ing sites than any other inspector
ever sent out by the government. Rep
resentative Adair's brother had Of
fered a site and II was classed as the
second most desirable In the competi-
tion. Besides the price of the Adair
site was higher than that OF the 9TH
ers offered. But Representative Adair
was dissatisfied with the report OF the
inspector and entered his protest de-
ciaring that the Portland citizens
wanted the Adair site. The treasury
department was on. the point of clos
ing with the Adairs for the site Of
fered by them and the papers passing
title were actually drawn up when n
protest was hled with the department
by Morton s. Hawkins. of Indiana
polls. son of N. II. Hawkins. He took
the ground that the department should
follow the recommendations OF it's spe-
cial agent ms a matter of good faith
With bidders.
Too Much Courtesy.
Mr.. Hawkins came to Washington
with other citizens of Portland and
made his protest in person. He was
told that II was courtesy extended
by tho department to allow a member
Of congress to dictate where public
building should be located II the con-
u
Mr.. Hawkins thought this was carry
ing the matter of Official courtesy too
far and said SO. AS the result of his
earnest protest second inspector was
sent to Portland. This man was Col
Low. chief of n division in the super.
vising architects office and one OF the
oldest and most experienced of in
specotrs. He made a personal inves-
tigation OF the sites offered and re-
ported In favor of the Hawkins site
as the most desirable and placed the
Adair site third In the list of those of.
fered, In point of desirability. When
this report was laid before Represent
ative Adair he was very mad and de-
clared that he would wreak several
kinds OF vengeance on the treasury of.
fcers II they did not take his broth
er's site The house of representatives
n Democratic and Mr.. Adair Is Dem.
ocrat and a leading factor in the
house. The treasury officers mani.
festly stood in awe OF him. They tried
to reason with him on the basis of the
two adverse reports OF the inspectors
but he would listen to but one solution
OF the matter and that was to take
the site offered by his brother regard
less Of what the inspectors reported
Then the treasury officials held their
breath. The matter semmed hung ur
Indefinitely. Finally Assistant Secre
tary Bailey. who came into office af
ter the controversy arose decided to
Investigate the matter personally.
Mr.. Bailey has had no experience
In public building matters. In fact he
was an Associated Press reporter
when Secretary Mcveagh appointed
him private secretary and later ad
vanced him to be assistant secretary
to succeed Mr. Hilles. But Mr. Bailey
thinks he knows a, public building site
when he sees one. Mr.. Bailey went tc
Portland incog. and came back with
the conclusion that Representative
Adair's site is far and away the bes,
and he Is unable to understand how
the treasury inspectors found other
wise. But he believes the price high
And he has concluded that If Mr.
Adair will reduce the price of hi.
brothers site to that of the Hawkins
site he will accept the congressman.
brothers lard. Whereat Mr.. Adail
smiles. This NAV not end the matter
for some OF the other bidders are dis
posed to ask the Democratic hous.
which Is investigating SO many mat
ters to give a bearing to the Portland
case and ascertain just how far con
gressman may go in matter OF tha
kind. There Is a long political strug
gle back Of the site controversy and ,
touch OF pathos. n. r. Hawkins. for
merly a senator In the Indiana legis
lature was the Republican nomine,
for congress against Adair in 1905
and was defeated. That has not serv
ed to soften the animosities Of tn,
night. While Mr.. Hawkins was maxim,
the rounds OF Portland gathering sign
ers 10 petition for his site he drop
ped dead. His son then took up tn,
night. The Portland postofiice sit,
may be settled this week so far n,
the treasury department is concern
ed II will probably be many da,
before the Eighth district will hea
the last OF II. 1t Is likely to play
part in the future politics of the dis