New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-06-07
8SSfSSS FOE THE YEW- YORK POST OFFICE.

the Government to decide upon the merits of these
designs has placed them view in the room of the
Beard of Underwriters, No. 1876 Broadway and has
issued limited number of invitations to the public 10
examine them during the last three days of the present
week Mr. Postmaster Kelly the Secretary of the Com
Sson has taken great pans to have all the designs
wei placed for being seen. The room is convenient
of access well lighted, and large enough to permit
elevation and one plan out of each set OF designs
TO be hung ON the walls at a convenient hight. No
one can have anything to complain OF AT this stage
of the proceedings who has complied Win the
printed directions published by the COMMISSION.
Those only have been rejected whose VANITY mas lea
them u insist upon publicity. trusting 10 force thtH
work upon the public notice at the poh' Oh name
One case of this kind. of which the IudlcrOus eXag
oerstion of selfloye ignorance and concet afforded
no little amusement 10 those who were reluctantly
allowed q furtive glance, quietly but decidedly
removed from all participation III the cOmpet
tion aud thus. by the individuals act.
Are assured that at least incompetent has been
prevented from inflicting his work upon public
that has been no light sufferer at his hands. Inone
other instance. good-natured tolerance allowed an
iniractOn of the rule not serious that to which
we have just aluded, To pass without other notice
than refusing any of the drawings place OF the
wall hut they permitted to lie upon the table
while the amiable author the versatile and accom-
upon their merits to constantly renewed circle of
amused if not instructed listeners
On the whole che response to the invitation OF the
Committee has produced pretty much such result
~ Iuight have been looked for In common. we he
loye. with every intelligent citizen. who had given
the matter any serious thought, lifted mp our
voice against the action of these gentlemen in resort
ing in the face OF hundred failures to the old yS-
tenn of competition. We warned them that The re-
suit must be disastrous, if for no other reason than
because our best architects had become convinced
that the system is equally against their own inter-
est, and those of the public and had deter
mined. officially, to have nothing 10 do with the
matter. The American Institute of Architects, a
body including every Of talent in the profession
of architecture in New-York, and rapidly drawing
into communion with its broad progressive. and
scholarly spirit the young of ability IN alt our
chief cities-this body, several OF whose menbeIS
are men whose talents would be respected any
where in the world, made suggestions 10 the
Committee of terms which, in their Judgment.
would bring ont all the architectural skill III
the community TO assist them IN securing q
good building. These suggestions were the
result of much discussion and embodied the best
wisdom that the Institute Individually andcollec-
lively had TO offer Nothing could have been more
,dgnifed more modest. more respectful than the
hneries of the Commission. Ii was written in good
faith and with large hope that the Committee
Wonld pay some Difference TO the opinions of those
whose position in the community made them, al
least worthy of consideration But 80 little weight
did those opinions carry that believe no reply Of
any kind was ever returned TO the letter of the
Institute.
This contempt on the part Of the Committee for
the Institute of Architects was the less reasonable
inaslnuch as that Committee includes not single
name identified in any way with knowledge OF love
of Architecture There is scholar among them no
artist among them. Yet nothing but profound igno-
rance OF their duties could have made II possible Tor
these gentlemen to have quietly laid on the table OF
thrown under IT, series Of suggestions for securing
a practical and wendeSigned public building OF the
inst Importance made by an association OF pfacuc'
and accomplished architects. But they did reject A.
and their own plan has resulted just rs might have
been expected. 1t has done nothing to develop me
talent of the community to bring out the Desi "ork
that can be produced in the present stage OF oui c"-
furs. but it has succeeded brayely IN encouraging
the weakest members of the profession 10 AID their
weakness and in givingt secondrate and thiidIate
men chance TO obtain distinctions. and perhaps en-
ployment, that they could never have obtained III
any rivalry with their superiors.
Here. then are ffty-tgO designs or, at least II
designs be too strong word htty-tWo dIawinss "ol
of which one is pretty sure TO be chosen ana carried
into execution by contractor, who Is even now
perhaps bordering the price OF building ma'eilas'
and rneditating sadly upon the eighthOur Law. one
we shall have; and il may not be surprise 10
our readers 10 hear that the pet design a,
II il adectionatelv termed is already pointed
ont with an assurance that does credit To
the uassisted human reason. Already does
the lucky architect serenely radiant, with large
bouauet in his buttOn-h0e snatched from the fpdg"f
I'm the room where "the, spread continually le-
freshes the weary examiners OF so much talent ana
ingenuity IS arc displayed on these walls-aie''dl
does this lucky gentleman, with ian III MS hahu
like the little Jap at the Academy, walk, not 10 say
strut about the room, ami seem TO cry All Idgh''
Perhaps we may be. We are not sue. Thank heaven
public taste changes; il grows pmer ana larger ana
corects its past errors. This Committee may cary
ont the design 20 which the finger Of expectation
already points or any other of these ifyodd de
plorable inventions But Art is long and what man
has built the hand of man can destroy. We, who
. have seen Broadway change three times IN the
course of half life time will not despair because
another bad building is 10 be added 10 those that
already rdcule our boosted culture. Let 1t 20 mp.
ul-plaeed. Implanted designed not in accordance
with the laws Of beauty OF fitness but 10 please
forness ignorant public taste IL will remain OBJ
iect of indifference 10 tile Of our citizens pleas
ure 70 smaller number and an cyesore to all cult
waited and right-feelng people until the general pub
lie shall have reached that stage, reach it it will
when with common consent il shall be- tumbled down
and carted away.
This time viii come. AVE, but il cannot but grleve
the iudcious 10 know as they do most surely know,
that there was mo- need Of trying 81 costly and pam
fi,i a, eyneriucuf We have a few men here whose