Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-21
new AGRICULTURE
j BUILDING TO Be
RUSHED BY FIRM
Subcontractors Expected to
Be Retained by Starrett
Bros. & Eken.
WASHINGTON WORKMEN
ALSO MAY RECOVER JOBS
Company Which Erected Empire
State Structure to Complete
Project Here.

Construction work on the new De
partment of Agriculture "extensible'
building, which has been at stand
still for more than a month, following
the failure of the contracting firm, viii
be resumed within a few days, 1t was
learned today at the Treasury Depart
ment.
ARRANGEMENTS have been completed
whereby the Metropolitan Casualty IN
surance Co. Of Newark, whlcn was
surety for the Nelson-Pedley Co. OF
Philadelphia. the contractor, will take
over the job.
The surety company has designated
Starrett Brothers g. Eken, Inc, of New
York. builders of the Empire State
Building there, to take up the work on
the Agricultural Building.
May Keep Same Mems
The subcontractors who started with
Eelson-Pedley, in all probability Will De
continued by the Starrett company, as
thev have much of their materials al
ready cut.
Unless the New York firm should take
some unexpected STEP however, by
which they would import a lot OF new
labor from outside the city, 1t was pre-
dicted the big construction job would
be turned back largely into the hands OF
local building tradesmen and laborers.
Complete confirmation of this policy
however. awaits announcement by the
surety company and the new construc-
ton firm.
Nelson-Pedley company, which iSh now
in the hands of a receiver, following
court action in Pennsylvania, has been
entirely removed from the situation. &
The Federal Building here, it was e4
planned. had nothing whatever to &c
with the failure of the firm, the re-
ownership resulting from circumstances
in Pennsylvania.
Emmett A. Steece, United States con-
struction engineer, representing the
Treasury Department in supervision OF
the work, praised the type of construc-
ton which already has gone into the
new Agriculture Building. He predicted
there was no better work going into
any new Federal building in the city
Mr.. Steece continues in supervision for
the Government.
The new contracting firm, which will
start operations on the site within a
few days, has achieved a reputation as
one of the fastest builders of large
structures. The Empire State Build
ing, now the highest in the world. was
raised and mostly completed in ID
months
II the Starrett Co. bears out its repu-
tation for speed, It was predicted, it may
complete the job about the middle Of
next January.
One-third Of Total.
The building is on the square bounded
by B and c streets, Thirteenth and
Thirteen -and-a-half streets southwest.
It is only about one-third of what
eventually will be the completed extern
Sible building Congress authorized SIS :.
100000 and two blocks of land were
obtained, the one on which the new
construction is going up, and the ont
Immediately to the west, facing Four
tenth street. Eventually the Other
square to the east Is TO be purchased.
When work stopped more than O
month ago, about $50 men were en-
ployed on the building. The new con-
tractor probably will start operations
with about the same number within q
few days. AS soon as the job is under
way however, it was intimated the
Starrett Co. may double this number
to speed up the work.