Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-14

DRAU9HTsMAN Won NfRTA ExAMINED-THE FOR
MER FAvoRs REORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICE,
TO BRING IT UNDER CIVIL SERVICE RULES.
The investigation by subcommittee of the
Senate committee on public buildings and
grounds of the conduct of the Office of super
vising architect of the Treasury was continued
this morning. Senators Morrill, spooner, STAN
ford and Daniels were present and examined
Assistant Secretary Maynard and George o.
Won inertia, chief draughtsman of the Office. They
united in recommending a reorganization of
the force Of the Office and change of some of
the methods which have been made by former
supervising architects.
FAILURE OF THE EFFORT TO PUT THE OFFICE
UNDER cIvTL-sERvICE RULES.
Judge Maynard stated that under the present
system the effort to put the Office under the
civil-service rules was failure. Recently,
when there was great demand for draughts
men, the civil-service commission certified
three men who had passed the examination.
but on inspection of their papers proved that
only one OF them was qualified to enter upon
even subordinate position in the Office Sec
rotary Fairchild, Judge Maynard said. was anx-
lous to put the Office so far as practicable, I'M
der the civil-service rules, but it would be
necessary to exempt architects and draughts-
men from the rules.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY JUDGE May
NARD
were that the selection of sites for public
buildings be left to a commission Of federal
officers of the district and civil engineer.
whose decision shall be final; that the superin-
tendence of the erection of public build
ings be entrusted to permanent force
attached to the Office of the super
vising architect, and that the office be made a
bureau of the department instead of a mere
division, as it is now. The law clerk of
the Office, he also said, ought to have
a larger salary, so that a better class of
service may be obtained As to the present
conduct of the office, Judge Maynard said that
it is being conducted strictly within the terms
of the appropriation act as construed by the
Secretary of the Treasury, which permitted the
employment of outside architects to draft plans
for buildings, and that for the first time in
many years there would be
NO DEFICIENCY APPROPRIATION BILL NECESSARY
for uncompleted buildings. He strongly
favored the practice of contracting for the en-
tire building at the outset of its erection as
measure of economy estimating that it results
in saving of at least Is per cent in the cost of
building. The Secretary of the Treasury was
IN receipt OF an opinion of the Attorney-Gen-
eral that it was not necessary to advertise for
proposals for doing the work on plans that had
been let under contract, as such work came
within the exception OF personal services for
which advertising is not required.
MR.. Won NERTA TESTIFIED
that the employees of the architects Office were
in the habit of working out of Office hours for
private architects, and that their employment
on plans for government buildings given to
these outside architects for preparation was
nothing new or unusual These plans had
been given with others to two former employees
OF the government, Messrs. Phelps and Palmer.
THE RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION,
it is believed, will be a report in favor of reor-
ganizing the force and methods of the Office
along the lines contained in Judge Maynard's
suggestions.