The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-19

n Phase OF the Controversy that Die Nc
Figure - the Correrpoudence.

n Fhane OF the Controversy that Net
Figure .. the Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, March 1S.-Trsasury oficiais
say there 10 one phase Of the controversy be-
tween Secretary Carlisle and the American
Institute OF Architects that has not figured in
the recent acrid correspondence as made
public.
The controversy arose nominally over the
public building at Buffalo. N. Y. but the Ameri-
can Institute Of Architects aimed to compete In
designs for all public buildings to be built By
the United States. On the Buffalo building
alone. had the plans Of q private architect
been accepted. the commission on the work.
as completed by the Supervising Archl-
tects Office in this Treasury Depart
ment. would have amounted to about
$4,000. II oil public buildings erected
during tho year we're awarded to private archi-
tects. their commissions yearly would aRgre-
gate from s30000 to 100000. Treasury
officials suggest that this nice little plum In
the shape Of commissions can reasonably be
supposed to have quite as much weight with
the architects as their patriotic desire to i'm
prove the character and style Of the public
buildings. One OF these officials says:
Tho scheme Of the institute Is impractica-
Bile Suppose that designs were submitted by
private architects for public buildings In COM
The private architects would combine to, re.
, sSal' aasaidas s.s nfRs hIs
his time would be taken up in settling archl.
Is not competeHt to deal ' with the subject new
material from the best private architects Of the
Architects office. In no event can the Gov
| ernmept agree to shoulder resp9nsibility for
Ssom ne, no aed
aside from extra cost involved. which, with
a IS cent? ahs wSd
| in commissions alone"
rAssisiant secretary Of the Treasury william
the garfield extrasts 81 the sorrsspondsn ss
T. Burnha% do Mr. Carlisle great injustice:
Mr.. Curtis says that when the REPRESENTATIVES
| their ,nrst protest against the plans for the
Buffalo public building; which were pre-.
s s' un9s shs fo As''' eraS
tice, Secretary Carlisle was at that time
in d sps Ta the on SaYs snS
Means ot the house relative to the Wilson
s The % s% the at
| who. in the absence OF MIR. Carlisle. was acting
S ras IL.
for the Buffalo building and also criticised
the department officials for not carrying out
Mr.. Curtis endeavorea to get the committee to
| instead Of doing so they simply criticised the
methods q the Treasury Department in deal
n Mr. y" Curtis says that Mr.. Burnham and his
associates were positively offensive In some OF
their statements. but he submitted to them
with the best grace possible under the circum-
| stances He advised them to consult tho SUI
present a technical statement on the subject.
dealing with tho m after and they went away.
would comply with his suggestion. He after
ward learned that they criticised the
Supervising Architect Of the department
to such an extent that the latter replied to
tho Executive Committee Of the institute and
not as the Supervising Architect OF the Treas
ury. In the mean time Representative Lock-
wood OF buffalo was urging the department to
interest OF the people in Buffalo who were out
OF work. some OF whom hope to obtain employ
ment on the new building.
Washington again and sought an interview
with MIR. Carlisle The latter was still engaged
with tho Committee on Ways and Means and
repeated their criticisms upon tho system Of
doing business In the Supervising Architects
office. and when pressed Tor q specific criticism
Of the plans prepared By the department they
unworthy OF technical criticism.
When these circumstances were reported to
Secretary Carlisle. he said that the institute
properly present their objections to the pro-
posed plans, and. having failed to do SO. the
work might proceed In accordance with the
plans prepared by the Supervising Architect.
contest against the defects in the new law on
some other building rather than further delay
the work OF the Buffalo structure. This. ae-
cording to Assistant Secretary Curtis. is q fair
statement OF the case