The daily sentinel., 1914-03-07

attained Is due TO the palnStak1ng
care OF each individual employe who
had endeayored to perform his du-
ties faithfully. No man can sue
cessfully conduct business without
faithful and devoted employees, and
1t has been great pleasure to me
to recommend the advancement and
promotion OF each worthy person in
the service.
1t has been my ambition since |
first entered the service to secure
for my home town all the advantages
which the postoffice department
could give its patrons In any part
of the country. We have succeeded
In all that we have undertaken, and
am proud to say that at no distant
day the postoffice at Grand Junction
will be housed in its permanent
quarters, In handsome public
building owned and cared for by our
national government. As early as
1898. solicited Senator f. o. VOL
colt to introduce bill for a public
building here. l furnished the facts
and figures and he introduced the
bill calling for and appropriating
81 3 900 IN the senate. and Congress
man John Bell OF Montrose. Colo,
also introduced one In the house.
w
did lot of systematic work to get
the bill through the house. 1t pass
ed the senate, but Mr.. Bell could not
get 1t through the house. although
the house was democratic. Since
that time have personally solicited
the congressman from this district
and our senator's to Introduce 4 bill
in every session OF congress. Con-
gressman w. A. Haggott did the first
effective work for the building by Sc
curing an appropriation of $4,000
for a building site IN 1909, which
was purchased that year. In 1910
Hon. Edward T. Taylor introduced
bill calling for 900 in the house
and when the bill reached the sem
ate, through the urgent solicitation
of Senator Horace T. De Long. Rep
resentatiye A. B. Hoyt and myself,
Senator Guggenheim secured an ad-
ditional $4,000 making a total of
S11O.O 900 for the site and building.
The site is located at the corner of
Fourth and Rood.
Up to this date three sets of plans
have been drawn by the supervising
architect. and after the usual thirty
days advertising, contractors have
submitted bids for the construction
of the building. The lowest bid on
the first plans, which was for a two
story building. including offices for
the reclamation service and the
weather bureau, postoffice inspectors
and civil service board, was submit
ted by W II. Maxwell. of Phoenix.
Arlz, for the sum of $9S,500. This
was not accepted for the reason that
the architect wanted a bid not ex-
ceeding S92, 900, giving a leeway of
$4,000 for furniture and fixtures
and whatever contingencies that
might arise. The next set of plans
I also called for two-story building
and for the same number of offices,
but was supposed to be cheapened
by the change in the plans for the
use of cheaper material in the con-
struction. Mr.. ]. J. Lumsden was
the lowest bidder for the sum OF
s124.O00. This, of course. could not
be considered for the reason that 1t
last set of plans furnished called for
one-story building for the use of
the postoffice department alone, but
which was drawn SO that one or more
stories could be added at any time.
| Contractor W. c.. Boyer of this city
was the lowest bidder for. lime
/ stone building, the stone to be
brought from Ohio. The bids were
| opened on the 9th of January, and
Mr.. Boyer has been in correspond
ence with the architects office, but
up to this date the letting of the con-
tract is still in allegiance. and 1t is
more than likely that still another
set of plans and new advertising g
for bids may be necessary, before
the contract can be let.
The New Building.
Knowing what We do about the
conditions encountered by the Grand
Valley National Bank in securing a
foundation for their building, it be-
comes a serious problem with the
contractor, when he contemplates the
requirements which he must meet in
order to comply with the building
specifications furnished by the super
vising architect. To this difficulty
largely may We place the cause of the
delay In the letting of the contract
for our public building. Another
thing the supervising srcsitsct is