The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-14
THOSE PLANS.
High School Competition
Didn't Amount to Much.
Architects Complain Of Methods Of
City Property Committee.
One Firm Has Had the Good Fortune
to Get Most Everything.
The following innocent paragraph APP
peared in The News of Monday:

The following innocent paragraph APP
peared in The News of Monday:
"HIoH sHcooL PLANS.
"Fifteen plans were submitted by as many
architects for the proposed new High School
Tor the East Side this ar rnoon and the COM
mittee on public proper ty Will have TO choose
between them. The lot is situated on the cor
ner of Hope street and Alumni avenue. Al
though not authoritatively stated IL Is under
stood that Martin a. Hall win be the success
full competitors they having presented not
only an artistic plan, pleasing 90 the eye. but
one which utilizes space so as 20 allow tor
recreation and Fairgrounds well. Until
the City Council has passed upon these plans
nothing in the nature OF cuts can be given
out"
When the local architects read that they
smiled. They did not question the cor
rectness of the information conveyed ex-
cept TO mildly observe that two, and not
10, plans had been submitted, although
10 firms had asked for the conditions of
the competition with the original 1nten-
tion OF competing. After they had read the
conditions they decided not TO enter the
competition-all but TWO of them, that is.
What they smiled at was the ingenious
ness of the information that sit is under
stood that Martin and Hall will be the
successful competitors The other archi-
tects were pretty unanimously OF the
opinion that that information was reli-
able. In fact they intimated that they
had not expected the city property COM
mittee to decide otherwise. 1t appears
that after the competition for the plans
of the new West Side High School was
concluded, most of the architects decided
not to respond to any further request OF
the committee on city property TO enter
competition unless something different in
the way of conditions was offered than
marked that contest. Accordingly when
the conditions drawn up TO govern the
competition for the East Side High School
were sent out the Rhode Island Branch
of the American Institute of Architects,
through its secretary, sent the following
communication to the city property COM
mittee.
Providence. July 25, 1896
| Mr.. David Burton. Chairman Of Committee
on City Property, Provldepce:
Dear Sir-1he members OF the Rhode Island
Chapter of the American Institute OF Archi-
tects earnestly request that your committee
| will name a date tor hearing at the earliest
| possible moment on the terms of the competi'
| tion for plans for the East side High school.
Yours respectfully, f. j. sAwrELis,
Secretary.
No answer being vouchsafed to this the
following letter was sent TO the commit
tee:
Providence, August 10.
Mr.. David Burton, Chairman of Committee
on City Property, Providence:
Dear Sir-At a meeting Of the Rhode Island
Chapter OF the American Institute OF Archi,
tecets, held July %. which had for its object
the consideration of the program which had
been Issued for the competition for tho plans
for the East Side High School building. IL
Was the unanimous sentiment that a modi-
| hcation of the terms was desirable, and that
| upon proper and respectful presentation OF
the case such modification would be made by
your committee.
To our disappointment and regret no reply
| has been received 70 our request OF July 70
for hearing, and thus we have been de-
| prived OF an opportunity TO present any plans
| of the building. as We have been in daily ex-
| pectation that you would appoint meeting
| with US. Yours truly. r. j. SAwrELLE
Secretary, r. /. Chapter A. l. A.
The name OF Martin and Hall has be-
| come very familiar recently in connection
| with public work. Ii is a comparatively
| young firm, having been in existence only
about year and half, and their brother
! architects regard them highly as bright
| young members OF the profession. Moth
ing prejudicial TO their standing or capa-
city to do the work they secure is uttered
against them. They are all right and
their professional brethren don't begrudge
them their good fortune in securing so
many fat jobs. Mr.. Joseph Banigan has
| always been good patron OF the young
firm and so has the city OF Providence,
and as to that the architects object only
to the methods employed by the city and
/
hands. And so far as the architects are
concerned no real objection is made to
| the selection OF Martin and Hall for any
| work the city or State has on hand, II
| that selection is not made under the guise
| OF competition that fails TO furnish what
the architects consider just and proper
| conditions under which they can all come
in. III the State wants to give such jobs,
as the State Normal School which Is to
cost $3.50, 0O0,. or the new addition TO the
| Jail which is TO cost about s10O, 000 to any
one firm, without competition, that is a
matter for public concern rather than the
architects The firm OF Martin and Hall
were given both these contracts without
competition. Besides they have planned
perhaps 20 schoolhouses and the compe-
| tition for the West Side High School was
declared by the architects TO be open TO
the charge of preference, inasmuch as
they say that, although the city property
committee had eight or 10 plans su omitted
TO II, the plans adopted were chosen by
the committee at the behest OF the COM
mittee on education and not from their
| own study and choice.
The whole matter OF competitions in
securing plans for buildings has its obiec-
tions. but i'm public work, at least the
public interests are believed 10 be best
conserved by securing designs by some
system OF competition. The basis OF a
| system that will secure the best work OF
the best architects Is that something may
be offered at least sufficient to pay the
cost OF labor in preparing plans, even
| though they may not be acceptable
Nowadays few architects OF standing
will enter a competition, planned as was
that OF the high schools, where not only
were no prizes or compensation offered,
but the committee reserved the right to
reject any and all plans. The provision
| that the architect fortunate enough to
| q h. f.l aH a ha q
age usually asked for such work was fair
enough, but otherwise under the condl-
tions the committee would have the ad-
vantage OF the ideas OF all the competing
architects and would pay nothing for
them, and, perhaps, not even accept the