The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-04-10
Ell PASO.
THE LIVELY COMPETITION
FOR BUILDING COURT
HOUSE AND JAIL.
Efforts at JObbery CheclSmated
BY the County Of
ficials.
Correspondence OF the statesman

TaS to have taken place last Monuay
q accordance with advertisements,
he county commissioners considered
he protest made by the citizens of Ell
'aso county against what has been for
long time growing evil, the disre'
ard for the principles which should
,overn the letting of public works by
public officials in the interest of the
public.
The county commissioners upon
he day named met to consider the
Of court house and Jail, as
but it TRANSFERRED that
strong influences had been brought to
pear in the interests of certain parties
20 the exclusion of others, and manip-
llations had been made with the in
tention of placing the county officials
under obligations, and to warp
the judgment of the court
by expensive trips through
the country, and by other indirect
methods wel-known to posted con-
tractors, whose single aim is to secure
a job, virtually without competition
and irrespective of quality or quantity
Of service or value received for cost by
both plans and bids at one
and the same time, and thus destroy
ing the usefulness, and legitimate
practice and professional calling OF
the architect.
In this case it appears that large
number of prominent architects, as
well as builders and contractors, for
the first time had been brought
together, there being some twenty
five or thirty competitors, and at
least forty different sets OF plans, as
the following partial list will show,
the most prominent among the archi-
tects being: E. j. Hodgson, Indian
apolis, Ind: +. e. Edbrooke, Denver,
Col; E. d. Randall, Albuquerque, N.
M; II. Ellis, Morristown, Ia, Wah-
renbeyer & Beckmann, San Antonio;
Alf Giles, San Antonio; j. T. Breed
ing 81 Son, San Antonio; E. w. Dob
son, Nashville, Tenn, Ed Duhamel,
Houston; Bristol & Clark, Temple,
Texas; Sanguinet & Dawson, Fort
Worth; John Andrewartha, Austin;
]. S. Preston s. Son, Austin; E.
Krouse, Ell Paso; Judge Mills, Ell
Paso; 2. j. Genison, Chicago, as well
as others whose names could not be
ascertained,
There were also present well known
firms of contractors and builders, viz:
Britton g. Long, Sherman; Martin,
Bumis & Johnson, Colorado City; p.
j. Stewart, Colorado City; Ed. Laurie,
Ell Paso; Shuster & Hagen, Ell Paso; j.
j. Ligon, Palestine; Thompson 81
johnson, Cotula, Tex; Smith 81 Fuel,
Ell Paso, and many others, principals
and representatives of various inter-
ests In the building and contracting
business.
1t transpired upon the. opening of
the court that strong and influential
delegation of citizens were also pres
ent, and the courthouse was thronged
with interested spectators.
The citizens themselves, it appears,
had scented a strong element which
savored of Job" as well as a raid
upon the county treasury, without a
chance for an equivalent value in the
quality or quantity of the work to be
gained, and they SO made it known to
the court and the commissioners, who
we're instantly on their guard, which is
to be commended, and to their credit,
be it said they quickly responded to
the requests of their constituents.
Commissioner Julian referred to the
minutes of previous meetings calling
for designs from architects, contract
ors and builders, at one and the same
time accompanied with bids. He re-
quested to be relieved of the RESPONSE
bility involved thereby (and the con
sequences of such proceedings) by the
orders of the court made in his abb
sence from those meetings.
Commissioner Julian then offered
resolution, backed by petition
signed by most of the architects pres
emit, viz:
That the court do now proceed to
select plan or plans for the court
house and Jail from professional arch
fleets (only) upon strictly profession
al basis and terms, irrespective of bids
from mechanics, builders and contrac-
tors or other interested and specula-
ting persons or influences, before such
plans have been secured and properly
matured.
After strong and able arguments
upon all sides, it was conclusiyely
shown that any other manner of Sc
lecting plaus in public competition.
both by state, county and other offic-
ials for public works, greatly abused
the public interests and ignored the
true principles of letting contracts.
and virtually placed the public works
in the hands of persons Incapable of
making plans or knowing their mean
ing or intention, and jeopardized the
true advancement and character of
public buildings by the disregard and
virtual abandonment of the services
OF the educated for that Of the igno-
rant in the legitimate practice and
business of the architects in this
state.
That the many various complaints
made at the Instances of architects
from time to time in various parts of
the state have been well grounded
that persons totally unfit for superin,
tending and designing buildings now
control the most expensive public
and the entire system is
conducive to ignorant, demoralizing
and corrupting influences. Heretofore
these matters have been regarded bv
officials as the result of disappoinf-
ment and soreness on the part of the
competitors; but in this case it has
been called forth by citizens Them
selves, as the reaction of previous
Cause and the architects refusal
TO go into competition until their true
standing was secured. This is the
spontaneous ignition of long smoul-
dering embers of dissatisfaction on the
part of the growing interests of me-
chanics, which have been ignored SO
long, and results from the many injus-
ices done in matters of this kind.
Instances cited go TO show that the
greatest ignorance of the art of build
ng abounds in this state, which must
'esult disaste ously sooner or later
md that corrnpting influences prevail
n these matters to an alarming ex-
ent.
The Ell Paso officials were Ioudlv
heered by the assembled citizens and
pectators present when it was an
ounced and resolved to sit dcwn on
UGH doings. VI
The court then a ljourned to meet
gain next week to consider and se-
ct plans from architects, ire spective
the surrounding influences exerS
-Sed by the presence of interested hid
ers and spectators to obtain a .siobn
nd the court ordered that all bids he
elected and all plans be accepted for
ANIMATION and selection"
The names of the court shouId ba.
cid up as good precedent: Countv
Idge, Marshall Rogers; commjssio1.
8, Julian, Garcia, Gen. GoDz les and
TRAVRr