The evening times., 1895-11-13
ARCHITECT 'sOFnCEKUSs
Congress to Investigate Alleged
Juggling Of Contracts.
GRAVE ALLEGATIONS MADE
1t Is Stated That the Awards Are
Made. With Reference TO the Geo
graphical Location OF bidders in Or
der to Advance he 4 d dminist rafion's
Political Influence.

The fact that advertisements have again
been issued, inviting contractors to SUBJ
NIT bids for the appraisers warehouse uD-
der construction in New York city, has
caused serious charges to he made against
the, Supervising Architects Office of the
Treasury Department.
The flatfooted allegation is made that
the awarding of contracts has been juggied
and manipulated according to the geo
graphical location Of iron manufacturers,
those in the South being given prefer
ence. Behind it all there is said to be
, desire to encourage enterprises estab-
lished in strongly Democratic States ra ther
than those in Republican States pledged
to tue doctrine of protection.
The underlying purpose of discrimination.
Of this character Is said to be an attempt
| TO show that manufacturing industries are
as equally flourishing under the present
tariff law as they were previous to the
repeal OF the Mckinley act. AS an illusira-
tion OF this policy IL is pointed out that
4 firm in Alabama. manufacturing struct-
| ural iron, would stand far better chances
OF being given Il contract than similar
firm owning plants in Pennsylvania.
JUGGLING OF. CONTRACTS.
In the ease OF the New York appraisers
warehouse the bids were for structural IRON
work un eight stories, two having been al
ready completed. The bids were opened
and were az follows: New Jersey Steel and
Iron Company, $463, ,bG4; Eug1nioor Iron
Company, Wilmington, Del. 1853 300; Jack
son Architectural Iron Works, $435, 900;
Mi,haei Gibiin, $3.50 1856, and Post Il
McCord, $4I8,9O0
Michael Gipnn had the contract for the
~ Al.
| by Sl1 900 for the new work.
The contract, however, was not let to
Post Il McCord, much TO their surprise,
but all the BIDDERS received notice that
all the bids had been rejected and new pro-
posals would be invited by public adver-
tisement. 1t Is asserted that because Post
& McCord expressed their Intention or pro
curing their steel in Pittsburg the contract
was not awarded, and their competitors,
having a knowledge of their figures, tan
now come i'll and underbid them.
II is asserted that In the Juggling of con-
tracts for geographical location the method
most employed is to invite bids, and if the
favorie Is not the lowest, then TO reject
the bids and give him another chance.
The new public building at kansas City
and many other large structures Under
construction by the Government and held
up as examples OF the way in which bids
are rejected when those by whom they are
made do not meet the approval OF the Off
cials dominating the supervising archi-
tect's office. Mr.. Aiken, of course, is Not
held responsible for this condition of af.
fairs. While baying the semblance OF some
authority, he in reality possesses none, so
far as the awarding OF contracts is con-
eerned,
ROBBED OF AUTHORITY.
1t is said that the reason given by Jere-
miah O'Rourke for his resignation last
spring was that he had been robbed of any
authority in awarding contracts and had
been made simple figurehead in the
Department.
The same reason is assigned for the diff
fIculty met with in securing his successor.
No first-class architect cared to accept a
position in which he had no voice in the
execution of contracts.
The statement is freely made that Con-
gress will be asked 10 investigate the
supervising architects office. Charges
OF all kinds are openly preferred and names
given, so that the matter cannot well be
ignored.
In connection with the appraisers ware
house bids, IL is positively asserted that
GiblD, for whose benefit the supervising
architects office seems 10 be run, obtains
his steel from the Phoenix Iron Company,
OF Philadelphia, and the charge is made
that former employe OF that company,
named Aus, resigned his lucrative posi-
ton there to accept one at 4 much smaller
SALARY directly under the til. executive
Officers of The supervising architect.
SO long as only The contractors made
compiartt afo,, 'he oiICe. tur runners
as to Its management We're successfully
denied, but now that the hig steel conf
panies have been drawn into the muss
il is understood that an investi CATION
Will be pushed, quietly, but effectively,
until some tangible result is obtained,
and the methods of the office scrutinizcd
by Congressional investigation.