The Washington times., 1894-06-22
BITTER AGAINST Mr.. CLARK
House Committee. .Angered by the Arch
itect's Refusal to Resign.
WOULD ABOLISH THE OFFICE
Official Action to Be Taken Calling the Presi-
dents Attention-Animus Of the Attack
Said to Be His Failure to Give Places to
Congressmen's Constituents.

The warfare began by the House Commit
tee on Ventilation and Acoustics. OF which
Mr.. Shell is chairman, against Architect
Clark. of the Capitol building, is rapidly de-
yeloping into a sensation. But the fight
promises to be a vigorous one on both sides.
Mr.. Clark has already refused to resign, and
he reiterated that refusal yesterday when
questioned as to his plans in the matter.
The difficulty is stated by Mr.. Shell to be
that Mr. Clark is insisting upon pursuing old
fashioned methods in the performance OF the
duties Of his office, and that he had opposed
vigorously and unnecessarily the proposed
plan of ventilation suggested by the commit
tee in their report to the House, which bears
date of May last.
1t was further charged against Architect
Clark that he had an unnecessarily large iorce
OF men upon the rolls of his office; that GER
tain necessary and proper Improvements
about the Capitol building were delayed be-
cause. according to Mr.. Clark's idea. they
were not indispensable. and that when he ap-
peared before the committee at the recent
meetings he showed little OF the technical
knowledge which a man In his position
should exhibit.
The committee committed the rather un-
usual act OF calling upon Mr.. Clark to resign.
As he is Presidential appointee and not a
mere servant of the House, he very naturally
refused to comply. The result was that Mr..
Shell has prepared and intends to introduce
today, after it has been seen by all the mem
bers of the committee, a resolution declaring
the Office of architect OF the Capitol abol-
ished. lido
CALLING THE PRESIDENTS ATTENTION.
BE claims that such resolution does not
require concurrence by the Senate, as it is
sufficient to call the attention of the President
to the matter. On the other side matters
stand as follows: Mr.. Clark has been the
architect Of the Capitol since 1865, having
been appointed to that position by President
johnson. His administration OF the office. it
is claimed by his friends, has been satisfac-
tory during the twenty mine years he has held
Off CO. The present difficulty is declared to
be a mere attempt to get him out OF his Office
because he is not altogether yielding enough
to certain Congressman.
With regard to his alleged opposition 10 the
plan for ventilation recommended by Mr..
Shells committee, it is said that all that Mr.
Clark did was to oppose the plan suggested
by certain Chicago parties. friends OF Con-
gressman Durborrow from that city, who Is
member of the committee and active against
Mr.. Clark. He has never endeavored to pre-
vent the House adopting whatever plan
of ventilation seemed TO it proper. but sim
ply made recommendations in his official
capacity.
With regard to the charges that Mr.. Clark
has been slow and old-fashioned in his cor
duct of the architects office. it is anwered
Mat there is perfect stream of people with
new plans for ventilation, sanitation, etc.,
whose suggested improvements are costly
and needless, and that it is the proper busl-
pess of the architect of the Capitol TO treat
these as they deserve.
ANSWER TO ONE OF THE CHARGES.
The charge that there have been an un-
necessary number of femployes upon the rolls
of the office are answered by the statement
that each one was for a few days only, in
order to divide work equitably. and that a
large number of these were given work be-
cause Congressional pressure necessitated it.
The present outlook is that Mr.. Clark will
retain his office. He has many friends, both
in the House and in the Senate, who out
spoken IN his favor. and the names of several
Senators are mentioned who will see that he
IS treated fairly.
This is not the first effort that has been
made to get him out of office. In 1885. dur
ing President Clevelands first administra-
tion, the stonecutters' union preferred
charges against Mr.. Clark because it was
said ne insisted on having certain work done
by contract rather than days work. The re-
suit was the preparation of a volume of over
200 pages of testimony, which was presented
to the President. He refused to remove Mr..
Clark
1t is generally believed at the Capitol that
there is a personal animus in this attack on
Mr. Clark and that as he withstood a similar
attack before he will do it again.