New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-30
COL. FRERET'S ECONOMY.
is THE GOVERNMENT BENEFITED BY TIP
EFFECT OF THE APPROACHING INVESTIGATION
OF THE SUPERVISING ARCHITECTS
OFFICE ALREADY SEEN.
fry TELEGRAPH TO THE TBIBUsEl

OFFICE ALREADY EEEN.
tnr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsEl
Washington Dec 2o.-The approaching invesosh.
tion of Supervising Architect Freret at the naus -
Congress under tho resolution Of Senator Ieiier VIZ.
II has increased that worthy's feverish anxiety 70 s
everv available public building under contract al 'n'
earliest moment practicable and before any o'nF
barge can be laid upon his further nefarous oP''~
Hons by Congressional Intervention, mas a. NO.
frightened him into offering slightly oet'er-ai."sN
stiu greatly reduced-pnces 10 architects Id 'Hi ""
for drawings. within the last few days frei0 -P
piled to prominent architect OF washington -.
large amount Of work for him, Offering, as uo nsee'
nrioe one and one half per cent upon the cost Oh o
bu,ldnr for the designs and seveneghths OF ono per
cont for the detailed drawings. Jhese pfoe' ~
architect promptly and Indignantly decpheo' AN"
Freret had to sock assistance elsewhere
Apart from the debauching and lowering OF eh'
great architects profession which such petty looper
implies and the proof it affords OF the hei"lou.
efforts as charged in Tribune to get numbers oi
public buildings under contract, In advance oil 'iho
before March 4, next, prominent arch'co'' q
whether Freret, while he jobs out tns W"
sbamefully low figures which ought TO DC uoiio !" ~
own Office does not charge It to the Government snu
the appropriations for the public ouiluinss az m
market rates This, 1t is shown amounts III lar
transoctons of the kind to quite pretty penny uo
nroat for Frcret & Co.. even at the higher PRICES
speched above as Just offered by him, upon e'o0'
600 building alone would be over S4O'oVo' "n'io ~
the lower prices which he is known to have gwen
for similar work, there would Do pm
Of 100000 Quite snug sums these win ~iaon nss' ~
work out the reconcile Democratic proOi0 ~
ton division and silence" ,
As An example Of tho qucer msshods OF Coiohol
Frercts queer administration OF his ONCE Inc ''
of the Galveston, Texas, public building IS Oh n'
This building designed in the ONCE py hrno'.
faub now assistant superintendent OF inc Dio'
public building IS most mentorious e' 80
that excellent designers work. The design was nauo
rder Mr. Roll Colonel Freret's predecessor MT
Roll then selected as superintendent Of CONSTRUCTOR
for the Galveston Building y. j. Clayton "hose
name Is a prominent and bonored one III INC
architectural profession. Mr.. Clayton was in'"s.o'
with the preparation Of the working drawings io'
tbe building These he did in careful ana ID
telIirent manner. This Of course, required nuon
time and expense. The drawings were conipipVou'
however In due time and forwarded 20 MT ben'
Their receipt at the Supervising Architects onoe
was soon after the appointments ol no P
chief engineer y. A. Miller The Ia1ter oloi~. '
annolnted under Mr.. Bell. but was not MS ohoioe'
Mr. Bell was a Republican holdover'' SERVING unu'
a Democratic Administration, and consequently h&i
M choice in the matter. He was oouseu u
onpoint chief engineer the postum
made vacant by the resignation Of Colonei LOW, Gnu
was forced 10 take the Democrat who oould reach '"o
secretary Of the Treasury with the strongest pull
Mller's ability an engineer. Hho ns Aiio" -,
the Kings English. is exceedingly neagre' ma,
ever reputation he ever had as an engineer ro0oeu
a very black eye in the signal failure OF tho ne"
Treasury silver vaults. the construction OF winch ne
superintendent.
When Mr. Claytons working drawings for the Cal
ves,on building were received Miller pronounced Ihe
p.rfect They We're he said excellent drawings done
in workmanliks manner and exhibited Mr. Clayton
practical engineering skill This was "na'
MIR. Miller tried . say. What he really
did say would cquire translation lh'o
the vernscular But doubtless no was honest
in his complimentary reference 20 Mr.. Clayons draw
ings When Mr. Bell was bounced by the Democia'W
Secretary Of the Treasury. Miller and Chief Draushs
man Won Nerta Ohlmann. of Prussia, at once went
favor immediately some sacrifice must be OHereu
Ia proptate the new god The drawings OF Mr lay
ton selected as the sacrifice, ~ ,s n,t,,en
mann of the Prussan Army, an unnaturalzeu cIu1e
of The United states and Chief Draughtsma Susseo'u
To Colonel Errct that ne had better uhdO Sum- "
Polls work The Galveston drawings hai DETER De
done over In this lriet acqWIsutu NI tsss,onaI
IN do otherwise might display lack OF prOiessohdi
iroTIedre Mr. OIaytOn's drawings, wEch "eI0
,rbout defect were butchrrcd They were hlS6 gNcn
10 one John Moscr. who . employed IN the ONCE a.
petrapd an architectural nightmare on me peopIe
of Detroit which the Derolters refused I.e -
accept their public bulldns flY }, Gr,wtnGs
and perhaps months on the 1alNt>toh vi aNl.p'.
They were however but rcpetu0ns OF uoIch> Oh O'no.
drawings he has made, some since ms app p. ,
In the Supervising ArchltectS Office SO pau thaI 'neS
were destroyed a. utterly worthless r.,
Tho Galveston drawings now being done Tor
,he third time by other draughtsmen mus ior the
nurnose ~ featherng their own nests on me pat OF
Miller and OhImann. and for the pressure OF unuoCs
Tbat bad been done under his Republican predecessor
On The mart Of Frerct, hundreds probably thousands
Of dollars Of the public money have been squandered