Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28

In the form Of an appropriation bill, TO
the Senate, 1t again is defended. Final
ly, the bill becomes an act and goes TO
the White House for the Presidents
signature.
So that while school authorities asked
for funds to buy the new school site in
May Of 1880, the money does not be-
come available until July 1, 1881. In
some rare cases, Congress, at its dis
erection, may make the money available
Immediately after the act is signed by
the President, but this Is not usual
procedure.
Price Minimum Stipulated.
Then, in July, 1881, the Commits
sioners would begin negotiations to buy
the wanted land. The first limitation
they meet is that the price be within
125 per cent Of the assessed value Of
the property. In some cases 1t Is pos
sible to make an almost immediate
transaction, but this Is rare. FIRE.
quently, the land Is divided into many
small parcels, each with . different
owner. Separate transactions then are
necessary. In order to buy the land
with the limitation, the District En-
commissioner OIUS1 IlC-
gotiateS through straw" purchaser, a
procedure which may require several
months. Thus, the purchase Of the
site, even If its price is within the 125
per cent limitation, may take from one
month to year or more.
But there Is q more common pro-
cedure which takes even longer. That
is followed when the price exceeds the
limitation. Such contingency, ad-
mitted by the purchasing Office only
after all efforts to buy within the al
lowed price have failed (and these eff
forts may occupy half a year or more) +,
condemnation proceedings are begun.
Through these proceedings, the District
goes into court to seize land by having
q jury set prices on the required site.
If the jury's price Is within 1875 per
cent of the assessed value, the purchase
might be completed in comparatively
short time. However, the owner has
the right Of appeal and the case may
be further tmpeded.
Securing Money Takes Year.
But, as is very often the case, the
jury may return a verdict beyond the
allowed purchasing price. Then the
District must go back to Congress for
authorization to spend more than the
demnation Jury verdict is returned at a
fortunate time, it may be possible to
include the next step in . deficiency
bill being prepared at that time. Other
wise, the matter will have to wait until
the next regular session of Congress.
In any case, however, condemnation
proceedings may delay the purchase Of
q site from q year to two years, or even
longer.
Under the present practice, request
for funds with which to construct the
building Is made by the school author
tiles year after their original land
petition. II purchase of the site is APP
parently near. the building fund item
may be transmitted over the same
route-Commissioners, Bureau of the
Budget and CongresS-for inclusion in
the next fiscal year appropriation. So
that in this theoretical case, the very
earliest by which money for a build
ing whose site was sought first in May,
1880, may become available Is July /,
1882.
Too often, however. the involved
transactions of the land purchase result
in elimination Of the building item
from the first subsequent years ap-
money for the building would not be-
come available until July, 1888.
Bidder Probe Causes Delay.
Plans for Q school building are not
made until the initial appropriation
becomes available because the funds for
the municipal architects once are
taken from the building money itself
Thus, plans for this theoretical school
are commenced not earlier than the
Summer of 1882, and possibly one or
he
of plans, under normal progress, re-
quires anywhere from three to four
months, so that it is September, Oc-
tober or November of 1892 at the earli
est that bids are advertised for the
construction of the school, the acquisi-
ton of which was begun in May, 1880.
Bids are returned to the District Com
missioners within three weeks to q
month of the time they are advertised.
In a normal project, where a contractor
known to the District authorities is
successful, the contract may be award
ed a week or 10 days after opening Of
bids. Then, however, bond must be
arranged before the contract is signed,
so that construction cannot be launched
earlier than two or three weeks after
the contract is awarded.
In the event a new builder is the low
bidder, delay comes In the investigation
which must be made of the concern to
determine whether it Is capable Of
handling the work. Other delays may
be occasioned by very close bids of
competing concerns, or by bidding on
alternate plans for the same job, both
of which require close analysis by the
District Engineer Commissioner Of
flee.
Three Years Is Normal Delay.
Once construction is begun, approx
mately six months will be required to
complete the job If 1t is an eight-room
elementary school. A Junior high school
requires generally q year and senior
high school would require 20 months
for completion. Completion" means
the finishing of all structural work and
not the installation Of the pupil and
teacher desks, which requires another
month.
Thus, in an absolutely normal tran
saction, without delays due TO site pur-
chases or contract difficulties, q new
school launched with the request for
its site in May, 1880, cannot be occupied
before September, 1888.
A years delay in the acquisition Of the
site permits the building to be occupied
in September, 1884, while contract DIFF
flculties may add still another year,
bringing the occupancy to September,
1885. Experience with most of the re-
Gently erected school buildings has
shown that most Of the schools require
between four years for the completion
Of the transaction, while many take i've
years and some even six years. It has
been rare that q building has been &C.