, 1875-03-12

Every discussion Of the building Of tho
now Courthouse which comes up in tho
County Board Develops the Original scheme
Of having m Irish and German nrchitoct,
and Of allowing 1 per cent commission on
the cntiro cost Of the work as the architects
compensation. Until these two points arc
conceded, thero Seems to DO no chance for
reaching any definite time for beginning tho
work. AL other details, 1t is beloved, would
be quickly disposed Of If these two points
were admitted as tho basis Of operations.
Tho appointment Of a1essra. EoAN aud KAa1a
us architects, with IN allowance Of | per cent
on tho entire cost Of tho building ~ tho
commissions to DO divided, would SEQ tho
courtIIouse started Immediately after the
frost ia out Of tho ground without
this ngrcomont, everything is III doubt and
uncertainty. So long as this essential conli-
ton postrones tho undertaking of tho work,
VIC ahall not object to its discussion; but we
cannot help feeling TINT, one Of these fno
days, tic Ring may compass their design, nnd
that EoAN nnd KAn1s, with thoir 1 per cent,
will become stern reality from which the
Taxpayers canuot escape.
Why sllould 1t 10 impossible to build
Courthouse in Chicago without m Irish
architect and q German architect? After oil,
Chicago iB located in the United States Of
America, and is not constituent part of tho
Emerald Isle, nor under the sweeping iuris-
tliction of R1sMAncn. 1t must also bo nd
1nitted that there aro Americans who havo
studied architecture. It may IEewise
hfa htrFffyaufn1 in }1,n
ner, aud with becoming dilldcncc,
that throc-fourtla of tho taxes in Chicago are
paid by those whose miafortune it is 10 havo
been born In America. Wo mean no otfouso
to tho powerful Hlbernico Ger1nanic, or Ger
,nnnico- Hibcrnian, al!ianco which rules lis.
Wo submit with becoming humility. We do
not ask any consideration for MI American on
tho ground Of his nationality. Wo simply
ask that IN American shall not DO excluded
because Of tho accident Of lis BIRTH. Wo do
not need two or three architects for Court
Houso; such n combination will lcad to inf
nito complications, Now, il tho foreign
Know-Notl,iug party cannot agree upon any
ono 1rishman or my ono German, they
might In m extreme caso Of this kind CON-
promise On MI American architect, pro-
yidel, Of course, that TN American
arohitect Gun DO found with anything
like tho genius Of EoAN or tho power
of K.sn1s. sucA m appointment would not,
Of course, be regarded on d precedent; it
would simply be IN exception in which IN
American might bo admitted under protest as
sort OF compromise between Irish and Ger
man, and in ordcr to avoid tho INDUSTRIOUS Oh
jeotion Of having several architects.
There In another circumstance which leads
us to hope that this suggestion OF M Ameri-
can may not be regarded rs IN attack on tho
rights and privileges Of our foreign rulers.
We have IN idea that q first-elass American
architect may be secured for $4,000 to $1o,-
U00 year to superintend tho building OF tho
Courthouse. If tho work lasts four
years, this will DO cost Of $3o, 600
to sa0,0o0, or per cont on tho $3,000,-
900 to Sl,ooo,000 which the Court-1Iouso
is foroortlained to cost. Now, Of course, dis.
tlnguishea foreign architects like Mossrs.
KAnls and EaAN would not lebaso themselves
by accepting work ut 80 s,nall compensu.
tlon- IAo1r mines aro never mentioned un-
less accompanied by tho standard / per cout,
which, at cost Of 81. .O00, 900 for tho Court. |
House, would give them $1G0,o0o; and wo
dare not estimate it ut loss with q per cent /
commission, because tho moro 1t IL malo to |
cost tho larger the commission will be, All |
economy would reduce commissions, aud take |
bread and butter out Of tho hungry mouths of |
the architects, and hunger is something not
il favor Of increased abstinence or starvation.