Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-21
ARCHITECT FRERET's OFFICE.
The Charges on Which the Proposed
Congr essional Investigation Is Based.

The Senate committee on public buildings
and grounds viii probably give immediate con-
federation to the resolution offered by Senator
Teller yesterday, which provides for an inves-
tgation of the administration Of affairs in the
Office of Col Freret architect of the Treasury.
Talking Of the matter with STAR reporter,
Senator Teller said he had no personal interest
in calling for an investigation. He had read
in the newspapers, and especially in the New
York Tribune, number Of very serious charges
against Col Freret, and he thought they ought
TO be investigated
THE CHARGES
In the Tribune of yesterday were made at con-
siderable length. Col. Freret is said to have
carried on systematic war against the civil
service rules, and frequent violations of those
rules are repeatedly alleged. In this warfare,
IT Is said. the colonel was assisted by Chief En-
glner Miller, Chief Draughtsman o. Van inertia,
chef Clerk Fister, and n. A. Roberts, of the
draughtsmans room. Money, it is charged,
was peremptorily demanded from employees for
campaign purposes. Illegal leave of absence
was granted all democratic employees, so that
they might go home to vote, while. says the
tribune lat least three clerks. including Fister
and two draughtsmen, who had been partieu-
larry active IN squeezing voluntary contribu-
tons out Of the employees, were rewarded for
states few days before the election on official
business Thus were their travelling expenses
and hotel bills paid by the government for the
votes and assistance rendered the democratic
party"
THE MOST GRAVE OF THE CHARGES
Is the one that Col Freret is, with his princi-
pal assistants, engaged in a conspiracy to en-
rich himself and a few others in a manner
which, it is alleged, if carried out will cost
the Government millions of dollars to undo.
The scheme is to hurriedly complete the letting
of contracts for all public buildings appropri-
ated for before March I. To do this saws the
Tribune, designs. sketch-plans and elevations
are to be given ostensibly TO outside architects,
who are to bind themselves to complete all
SIX weeks-thus allowing sufficient leeway In
which to advertise proposals. as required by
law, before March I. The contracting archl-
tects are also TO bind themselves to employ
draughtsmen of the supervising architects-o
ice, outside their regular official hours to as
sist them in getting out the drawings. This
was necessary. Otherwise there would have
been a unanimous kick" on the part of the Of
nee draughtsmen, and IN consequence an ex-
posture of the whole scheme. All drawing
boards, paper. ink and other requisites were to
be taken from the office at observation-disclosures
violation of law. The outside architect is to be
but fgurehead The inside architect is to Sc
lect his friend outside. The latter is to
be assigned to the building or buildings and
appear on the pay-roils The former is to do
double purpose of evading, first, the law re-
quiring the advertising of all contract work;
second, the evasion of the law relating to sub
letting of contracts Or. S. 3737 July, II, 1852.
This work would exhaust the appropriation
made for the remainder of the year, and every
employee of the office would then have to be
either furlonghed or discharged. The errors
which it is believed would creep into such
hasty plan-drawing would, it is thought, cost
the government great sum Of money TO re-
pair.
LIABLE TO INDICTMENT.
Not less than twenty of the employees of the
architects Office, says the Tribune, are liable to
indictment and to punishment by fine or i'm
prisonment or both, and the Washington cor
respondent of that paper claims to have sufti-
Gent proof in his possession to send several of
the officials 70 the penite atisry.