Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-21
Preparing to Assail Architect Olark's
Intrenched Position.
he WILL NOT RESIGN
Chairman ScheII Thinks Him Re-
sponsible for Bad Ventilation.
FUTURE PROBABILITIES

The congressional barometer Indicates the
approach Of a very heavy storm. A cyclone
is gathering, of which Architect Clark Of
| the Capitol and the members of the House
committee on acoustics and ventilation are
/ the center. The resignation of Mr.. Clark as
the Capitol architect, which was requested
yesterday by Congressman Schcll and Dur
| borrow of the committee, had not been ten
dered at a late hour this afternoon. and
! there is no prospect whatever that Mr..
Clark will resign the Office which he has so
long held at the instance of any. committee
of either house Of Congress. Mr.. Clark said
| to Star reporter today that the whole case
| was in statu quo and that he was proceed
! ing to perform the duties of his Office with
! equanimity. II have not resigned" he said,
land shall not resign till il is SO desired
/ by the President 1t is the President who
appoints me. and not tine committee on
acoustics and ventilation.
| Il have nothing further TO say. i was po-
| litely informed by the committee yesterday
| that they thought l was too old man for
| the position. and that my resignation should
| be Forthcoming. / don't wish to talk about
| the matter any more. but l shall continue
at my work and await developments
| There was considerable gossip throughout
the Capitol today about this case and. as a
rule, those who spoke OF IT were Of the opin-
/
| common, though expressive colloquilisIn.
! bitten off more than they could chew. Par
\ ticularly at the Senate side of the Capitol is
this opinion held, for II is at the Senate end
| that Mr.. Clark is most popular. 1t was
| intin ated by those in authority around the
| House that IL the architect should make a
| fight he would be sustained by the Senate.
| and that q resolution intended to oust Mr..
| Clark from office. depending for its success
| upon the concurrence Of both houses would
surely fail of passage. Great Indignation
was expressed In some quarters that
minor committee of the House should pre-
sumo to request the resignation OF a presi-
| Dental appointee, whose nomination had
| been sent to and confirmed by the Senate.
| One of Mr.. Clarks friends expressed IL
| that the committee might well ask the
! President himself for his resignation.
On the House side. however. there was
not this sentiment so broadly evidenced,
ana it really begins to look as though the
| matter might terminate before its climax
| into genuine old-fashioned row between
| the two houses. Chairman Schell of the
House committee gave The Star reporter
| "a very interesting view of the situation this
| afternoon. He said:
Chairman Schclrs Views.
II am very sorry for this matter. for
dislike the idea of any friction between
| our committee and Mr. Clark. But the
COMMITTEES has. as perhaps yon know. been
| conducting for some time an exhaustive
| inquiry into the matter of the ventilation
OF tne mouse ana mas nireQ experts to make
| scientific examination OF the House and
| OF the best way to provide IL with fresh
| air. AT one of the meetings Of the commit
| tee during this Investigation Mr.. Clark APP,
very much confused in his testimony and
at times badly ratified. 1t was evident to
me. ard think to majority of the comit-
tee, that Mr.. Clark has really grown too
l old TO efficiently exercise the functions OF
his office. He is seventy-one years of age
ana mas been in the service of the govern
ment for over forty years He is no longer
an active man. and do not think he is at
all progressive. In fact. l was convinced
by his testimony that he was not an ar
chitect such as should have the care of
this great building and the property sur
rounding 1t.
1T impressed the committee that he was
not only antiQuated In his m methods but too
old to give that strict attention to details
that the office demands. Personally, i have
the kindest feelings for MIR. Clark and So l
think. has every other member of the COM
mittee. 1 do not believe that there is any
animus on the part of MIR. Walker who is
reported as having a personal spite against
the architect about some screens IN the hall
OF the House. The action which we took
yesterday was the result OF considerable
mature deliberation. This thing has been
coming on ever since the midwinter, when
our attention was first directed to the bad
ventilation OF the House. 1t has taken some
time for the committee to reach the point
where. In their opinion. they could see that
Mr.. Clark stood in the way of the introduc-
tion Of modern methods.
THE committee does not intend to allow
the matter to drop with Mr.. Clark's refusal
to resign. OF course we recognize that as
the holder of a presidential commission Mr..
Clark Is beyond our jurisdiction, but We
believe that the House should have some
voice in the preservation of its own health,
and this committee. specially appointed
! for this purpose, has concluded that Il has
| found why the House has long suffered
from these old-fashioned ventilations.
Within very few hours. perhaps today.
perhaps not until tomorrow, a resolution
will be introduced in the House having for
its ultimate object change in the archi-
tect's office. / cannot tell at this time just
what form this resolution will take
whether 1t will be in the nature of q gen.
eral expression on the subject or of an inti-
| nation to the President that a change is
desired. 1t will however. be House
olution, and there will be no ned of its
going to the Senate for action.
AS to our plans for the future? Why, l
can say this. that a majority Of the COM
| mittee, l believe, are in favor of the en-
tire aboishment of the architects Office.
II believe that the Capitol should be placed
unoer the supervising control OF the super
yising architect of the treasury, whose
duty 1t should be to appoint a superin-
tendent, a man of practical knowledge and
ability, to take entire charge of the build
ing and the grounds. 1 think that We
would thus obtain high grade of talent
and minimum of expenditure. ! do not
believe We are getting that row. / believe
that the office is provided for annually in
the legislative appropriation bill
Personally l know nothing more about
entilation and acoustics than a horse
does about the Fourth of July. But / do
know that the committee had the benefit of
the advice of two of the most expert men
IT has ever been my pleasure to meet, Dr.
Tinyoun of The marine hospital service. a
most accomplished scientist, and Mr.. Adams
of the supervising architects office, who Is
an expert in ventilating. plumbing and ar
chitecture. These gentlemen thoroughly ex-
amined the House and all of the machinery
for its ventilation, and they have assured
us that not only are the methods in vogue
bad and antiquated, but there are available
much better methods that could easily be
put in at small expense.
1T doesn't require much scientific knowI-
edge to convince anybody that the method
is bad one. The ventilating ducts through
which all the air breathed by the members
is driven choked with tobacco parti-
cles cigar butts and other refuse material
which necessarily comes out again into the
atmosphere in the form of dust. 1t is only
a matter of common sense, not architec-
ture."
MIR. Walker of Massachusetts, who, 1t is
said. had a personal anmus against Archi-
tect Clark. said today that he had no feel
ings Whatever concerning Mr.. Clark except
those of the kindliest nature.
Has Resigned