New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-25
UAUPERED BY POLITICS.
MIR O'RoURKEs DIFFICULTIES AS SUPER
vIsING ARCHITECT.
UNABLE TO run HIS BUREAU on BUSINESS
PRINCIPLES Gould HAVE SAVED THE GOV
ERNMENT MONEY IF HE HAD
BEEN LET AiONl

BEEN LET ALONE.
Jeremiah ORourke. late Supervising Archiiect o'
the Treasury Department AZ Washington. VINO r.
signed al the request - Secretary Carlisle was a.
his house 40 g. Burnett-st.. Newark yosieTdiy
He said he Vas g.ad he was OF the Federal ser
vice and back again IN private practice. In IN"
course Of conversation with a reporter Mr.. Kourke
said that prior to his incumbcncy only two regularly
cIucated and trained architects had he'd The pace
Of Supervising Architect and each resigned "ithih
two years They Mr. Potter OF Ncw-fork
and Mr. Wlndrm. of Philadelphia. and the latter
is now chief OF Public Works In Philadelphia. at u
salary OF $1,000 year, whereas the SUPERVISING
Architect Of the Treasury gets only $500 Mt
Potter and Mr. Winirlm retired presumably. be-
cause they were hampcrci in their work by political
and other influences. Mr ORourk" was graduated
from the Government School OF Design in Dublin
ireland admitted TO be Of the best schools OF
art and architecture in Europe. He practiscd his
profession ihirty-ive years In Newark. II" Is
fellow ~ the American Institute OF Architects ana
a member OF the board Of directors Of that body
when / took charge at Washington said Mr..
ORourke. II entered upon my duties with ardor
| I'D not ask to be allowed TO max" appointments
and removals but | dld suggest that as ! would be
held responsible for the bureau | should be con
suited about appointments In the technical al
visions. where questions OF design and construction
were concerned mistakes In which might result IN
loss of life Knowing that there had been trouble
in the bureau under other supervising architects
| suggested that in any suspicion ws'rc raised
against the bureau | should be at once Informed
This was agreed to, but when trouble was caused
by men without technical or artistic knowledge
* parte statements were accepted without inves-
tgaticn. ! am satisfied. however. that Secretary
Carlisle will yet learn the truth about affairs in the
bureau"
There are ten divisions in the Supervising Archi-
tects office. man named Fleming. II Kentuckian
is chief OF the Law Division. salary Of t2oo II
~ gt.I IN
isle in writing that this office be abolished I'm the
interest OF economy. because 1t was unnecessary.
Tor when a question Of law came up II was 10 the
Solicitor Of the Treasury that the bureau went for
Information Fleming ana Logan Carlisle. the sec
rctarys son, are friends. Charles r. Kempcr, chief
clerk To- Mr. ORonrke. also Is Sad to be c.ose
friend Of the Carlisle family for he and Logan car
lise were college chums Mr. O'Kourke discovered
claims Of Intimacy with The Carisles proposed 10
y1on h lie 1s2@n M 2 Know he s the IN ns
he'd of ihc bureau These E t%o ,ron men Mr. r.
the bureau. Logan Carlisle as chief clerk
TO his father has charge Of appointments and dis
with complaints. Kcmper. as first assistant to the
Supervising Architect. is lawyer and is totally ig
that the assistant should be capable Of hllng the
Si1D" Hrchec d during I'M % that oclas absence % super ''
The trouble came to a head oyer "A bid for con
voved expenditure OF between 10000 and SOOco
There nineteen bids and one Of the bids was
dummy" bid but the bidder was friend Of the
chief clerk. and the latter said the bid should be
scheduled. Mr. O'Rourke refused TO schedule II
In other ways. Mr.. ORourke said. he was hampered
In the performance Of his duties. He had eight ex-
cellent practical inspectors. but only one OF them
AdOlph Kluss who had been seventeen years In
the business. n scientific Kluss die
missed without cause. Then the chief OF the engi-
neering division thoroughly competent man in a a
most important place. was disposed OF. and nobody
has yet been appointed In the place OF either
Mr. ORourke says he saved the Government
$500 600 by getting contracts at low market rates
for labor and material ana asserted that he could
have saved 10000 II not hampered The
bureau had every requisite for becoming one OF the
best academies OF art and architecture In the world
and II his ambition 10 elevate II to the highest
possible standard In reply to "A remark that Secre
tary Carlisle has proposed himself 10 reorganze
the Bureau OF Architecture that the work OF
the supervising architect shall be confined TO the
purely scientific part OF II. Mr.. O'Rourke said that
he could as well reorganze Mr.. Carlsle's law Office
not being lawyer as for Mr.. Carlisle TO reorgan-
ize successfully the Supervising Architects office
not being an architect. "Dd you ever. hear Of n
college OF medicine that was successful without
respon shlbe headT' Mr.. o Rourke asked I'm every
branch OF business there must be chief Would
any man In Newark employ lawyer architect
to design and constructh a buildingf Well the
Government employs lawyer a. chief assistant
to the Supervising Architect"