Evening star., 1925-07-22
NODELAY |SSEEN
IN SCHOOL BUILDING
Four Projects to Be Com
pIeted by September, 1926,
Is Belief of Architect.

Although ii has become necessary
for the Commissioners to walt untll
December to seek bids on four of the
projects in this years school building
program, the buildings in question
should be ready for occupancy by the
children in September, 1926, Munich
pal Architect A. l.. Harris said today.
The District allows from eight to
ten months for the erection of a
school building. so that even If il had
been possible to let the contracts at
this time the structures would not
have been completed in time to be of
any use during the school year end
ing next June, Mr.. Harris pointed out.
The four buildings which the city
heads have laid aside until December
are: The Manor Park School, the new
wing at Macfarland Junior High
School, the new Brightwood Park
School and the school to be erected
at Fifth and Crittenden streets.
Bids Too High.
Decision to postpone bidding on
these jobs was reached at a confer
ence yesterday afternoon between En-
gineer Commissioner Bell, Architect
Harris, Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner Holcombe and a group of con-
tractors who bid on school work.
The conference was called because
pluS opened last week on the Mac
farland wing, the Manor Park School
ana the proposed auditorium at Mac
farland Junior High were all in ex-
cess of the appropriations made avail
able by Congress. While bids had not
been opened on the Brightwood Park
and the Fifth and Crittenden schools.
Mr.. Harris felt satisfied no contractor
would seek those two jobs at the fig
ures allowed by Congress. 1t was de-
clded, therefore, to withdraw the bids
on those buildings. The Commi ssion ers
expect TO let contract for the Mac
farland auditorium, because that was
one of the school items to be paid out
OF the surplus revenues and was part
OF lump sum appropriation.
When Col. Bell called the contrac-
tors to his office he thought they
might be able to suggest some way in
which the specifications could be re-
Vised to make possible immediate
erection of the four other buildings on
which all bids exceeded the appropria-
tions.
Will Ask Congress Aid. =
The builders declared, however. that
1t would be useless, to seek new bids
at this time. pointing out that con-
tractors would not go to the expense
or preparing estimates when there was
so slight prospect of contracts be-
ing awarded.
The reason for deciding to seek
new bids in December was that
Congress will be in session at that
time, and should the bids received
at that time be in excess of the ap-
preparations, the legislators can be
asked for supplemental allotments to
proceed with the work.
Col. Bell stated he felt the people
OF Washington wanted substantial,
up-to-date school buildings and are
willing to pay for such structures
rather than see the standards lowered.
The contractors expressed the view
that the plans for the proposed new
projects call for a much more modern
school building than the District has
been building in the past, but that
the appropriations were not increased
sufficiently to cover them.
Architect Harris stated that an
eight-room school formerly required
an appropriation of $4,000, but that
the type of eight-room building de-
signed for the future will require
approximately S159,0O0 Col. Bell de-
missioners would be justified in cut
ting down the specifications in order
to begin work Immediately and then
have buildings that would not be
complete or serviceable. Mr.. Harris
cited unit cost figures to show that
in general it does not cost more TO
build schools here than in other
places.