Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-20
LOWER PRICE IS
SOUGHT ON SITES
FOR POSTOFF|CE
Agent MacgregOr Returns in
Effort to Have Bids
Reduced.
ROCK BOTTOM FIGURES ARE
DEMANDED BY GOVERNMENT
May Invoke Condemnation Pro-
ceedings-PIan of Sale Be-
ing Prepared.

After several conferences in Wash
ington with the treasury officials and
the supervising architect, A. S. Mac
gregor, site agent of the United
States government, who has been in
vestigating postoffice sites in this
city, returned to Newark today in an
effort to obtain lower prices on the
ten sites offered by local real estate
dealers. He stated that, in his opin-
ion and according to the treasury
officials, the prices asked for the sites
already submitted were greatly In ex-
cess of their actual value.
Those present at the conferences
were Byron r. Newton, assistant sec
retary of the treasury and in charge
of the new public buildings; Otto
Wenderoth, supervising architect;
Congressman Walter I. Mccoy. and
A. s. Macgregor.
Mr.. Macgregor today sent letters
out to the real estate dealers who
have submitted sites asking them to
confer with him further in relation
to the prices asked in the original
offer with view of securing more
reasonable terms. The rock-bottom
figures are to be secured by Mac
gregor, according to his instructions,
and on the changed figures will de-
pend largely the selection of the site.
Mr.. Macgregor gave 1t as the opin-
ion of the conference members that
a new site should be purchased for
not more than 100000, thus allowing
100000 for an emergency fund to
cover repairs or alterations in the
original plans of the building. 1t is
with this idea in view that Mr.. Mac
gregor will ask for better prices on
the sites. If the real estate men dc
not come down enough in their prices,
Mr.. Macgregor says that the property
will be condemned.
The architects Office is now al
work on the terms of sale of tht
present building, and as soon as the
details are completed the sale will bt
advertised and the terms made pub
| lie While the sale lis being adver.
! tised and the bids being received tn,
| treasury department will select thre,
sites and the titles will be thorough,
| investigated One of the three will II
all probability be selected as the new
location of the postoffice, providing
| the figure of its purchase Is made
sufficiently low.
| Mr. Macgregor stated that he hao
received hundreds of letters from va
vious citizens and corporations ir
| Newark pleading for the retention OF
! the postoffice on the present site. He
! declared, however, that this was alb
solutely impossible for two reasons.
| First he said the whole block hao
not enough space to accommodate the
| new building and secondly, the ole
! building must be sold in order to ge,
| the money with which to buy the new
| site and erect the new building.
! "It is because the present site has
| so increased in value as to be Wortf
q million dollars more than the Site
offered that the new postoffice fol
Newark has been made possible sc
| quickly" said Mr.. Macgregor.
| "This peculiar condition should be
taken advantage of by the sale of the
present site and the applying of the
proceeds of the sale toward the pur-
! chase of a site and the erection of Q
| new building In fact this is the
only course that can be taken without
new legislation"
Another point that Mr.. Macgregor
wished to be brought out was the
| fact that the site is to be $4,000 square
! feet at least.
This is almost too small. according
to the opinion of the members of the
conference, and Mr.. Wenderoth In
particular" Mr.. Macgregor declared
"and larger site would be more
suitable"
Secretary McAdoo, of the treasury
department, is keenly interested In
the progress being made on The post
office, and asked Mr. Macgregor how
he was getting along.
"Oh! All right, I guess" he said
'Welll Hurry 1t along" replied the
secretary.