Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-13

congress has many times had its atten-
ton directed to the fatuously deliberate
fashion in which public buildings are
erected in this country, and there have
been more than few uncompllmentary
references to the manner in which the
Supervising Architect of the Treasury-no
matter what his political belief or what
the administration under which he served
permitted many things nexcuSably
wrong to be done by those who hal a srf-
ficiency of political influence. But not un-
til now has Congress as body had a fair
chance to study the dilatory methods COM
mon to government construction. The
present opportunity Is the beginning of the
building In which, at some distant day, the
Washington city post-oflice will find
home. 1t is an object lesson commended
to the careful study of those who are care
less as to VIII 1t may result from the mix
ing of politics and business. Nearly three
years have gone by since the work was
first begun, and although in that period
structures larger, more elaborate, and
more expensive have been planned and
completed by private enterprise, the iron
and stone skeleton of the second story is
still unfinished: the date of final compile
ton is obscure and not even to be guessed
at.
But when governmental methods are fully
considered there is really nothing to be
astonished at in the more than deliberate
progress of the building The whole sys-
TEN of control is wrong throughout. The
supervising architect-who is nominally in
CONTROLS invariably selected not because
of professional fitness but because the po-
Htical influences which he set in motion in
his own behalf arc stronger than the COM
bined influences of any of the other men
who are candidates for the same position.
Himself political appointee, it is not at
all remarkable that the supervising archi-
tect should insist upon having as subordi-
mates men whose political ideas or per
sonal procliyities are in accord with his
own: should they also chance to have
some architectural skill the country is
that much better off, but at all times the
political consideration is supreme.
The latest architect secured the position
because leading New Jersey politicians
were practically unanimous in demanding
II for him. and he might have been in the
department yet had he not disagreed with
the Secretary of the Treasury as to APP
pointments in the architects Office. The
vacancy consequent upon the difference of
opinion between the secretary and the
appointments has not yet been filled, but
IL doubtless will be as soon as the bids
have been scheduled and the political in
iuence of the respective candidates fully
weighed. When Congress purchased the
post-office site the last administration was
in power. and the preliminary work of
clearing and most of the foundation work
was done under the supervision of an emf
nently capable superintendent, who, 1t Is
said, was not a politician. Then the pow
ers that now be assumed control of ma
tional affairs, and, in accordance with the
precepts and practices of practical poll
ticians the highly-efficient superintendent
was removed to make room for a politi-
cian-a good-natured Buckeye farmer,
whose training for such a responsible place
was doubtless secured while he performed
for awhile the onerous duty Of county su-
pervisor of taxes. 1t may be that in the
course Of time the purely political ap-
pointee will acquire skill sufficient to do
properly that for which he draws COM
peEsation, but the chances are all the other
way. Any system based otherwise than
on proved merit must necessarily be I'M
satisfactory. Public business will never be
properly attended to until all political con-
siderations have been eliminated.