The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-20
A Badly snubbed Institute.

A Badly Snubbed Institute.
An organization calling itself the Amer
lean Institute Of Architects has discOv-
+ cred that Mr. Carlisle, the Secretary Of
the Treasury although a mild hammered
gentleman. can say very sharp and
pointed things when an occasion for them
arises The name Of the president Of the
institute Is u. II. Burnham, and within
the last few days il has become quite gen
orally known
Tn February OF last wear congress aU-
th0rzed the Secretary of the Treasury TO
invite architects in general 10 furnish
competitive designs for public buildings
a good many architect, have long har-
bored the idea that they can
furnish much more acceptable designs
for public buildings than those
cminatinE from the office Of the superyis-
Ing architect of the treasury department.
and they succeeded in getting congress 70
give them a chance % show what they
could DO.
It seems that the law authorizing com
pctitive designs is not as perfect as it
should be. In fact. it is so defective in
the matter of giving proper protection TO
the government that the Secretary of tine
Treasury decided 10 the case Of the new
public building at Buffalo, y, Y, not 10
act under 1t. but 10 proceed with the
erection of the building upon plans made
in the office of the supervising architect.
This decision put the American Iusti-
tute in a very bad humor. although the
Secretary of the Treasury. in a cour-
teous letter to Mr. BUrnham. said his de-
cisiOn must not be construed as being in
opposition to the general purpose of the
act of Feb. 20, 1898. He also said he
would favor any practicable method by
which the department could avail itself
Of competition for the elevation and i'm
provement Of the architecture of public
buildings.
This courteous letter did not bring a
courteous response from Mir Burnham.
The institute, of which he is the presi-
dent, had not got what it wanted, and he
concluded TO give the secretary a piece of
his mind. In his letter TO the secretary.
commenting upon the statement that the
law is defective, he declared that the
country wanted the law obeyed as it is.
and that as far as he could see the only
amendment it needs is a provision taking
from the secretary all discretionary
power and ordering him TO comply with
the law.
To a letter like that a self-respecting
official could make only one reply. and
that one the secretary made He said
"Sir-Your very offensive and ungentle-
manly letter Of the 9th inst is just re-
ceived, and you are informed that this
department will have no further CORE
spondence with you upon the subject to
which it relates. or any other subject"
Mr.. d. H. Burnham. president of the
American Institute of Architects, who re-
sides at Chicago, is squeIched snuffed
out as it We're. He was pulled up with
his Importance, but has shrunk to his
normal size He was under the impress
sion that he spoke for the country, and
that he would give the Secretary OF the
Treasury a sort of dressing down. He
would teach him his place, and make him
understand that he was but a servant to
do the bidding of the people. He is not
so certain now that he speaks for the
people.
The thing for the American Institute of
Architects TO do now IS TO dismiss MIR. /
Burnham as being altogether too smart
for his position. He should be given a
rest, that he may have time to see that he
is not of quite so much Importance as he
imagined. The Secretary of the Treasury
spoke for the people and protected their
interests. MIR. Burnham spoke only for
himself and his little band of architects,
who wanted to get grip Oh the treasury. !