Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-17
DESERVING OF REFORM.
Suggestion as to the Governments
ROof-Bui.iinG Bureau.

FIcu the Government Advertiser.
We ere piad to see that congressional
atte-t ton has finally been attracted to
the supervising architects office Perhaps
under the guise Of inqurinS why a pine
roof tops the ''lireproof'' Washington post
Office structure. some insight may be gain
ed into the methods, capacities and results
CT the supervising architects office. There
is bureau which is more deserving
CT reform than that office; there is 40 sys-
TEN which is more entitled TO revision than
that which has grown up under the official
designer OF public buildings
The complaint male, in brief and d.
vested OF technical feature, is that the
specifications governing the contractors OF
the Washington post office building call for
a slate covering i pine roof, although
Congress provided for hreprOof structure.
The reply, Enthusiastically uoG-committal
and somewhat remarkable, made Icy the
Treasury department, intimul@s that Con-
Gress should have appropriated more
money il it wanted an all fireproof str,ict-
uTt, and assistant Secretary Curtis, who
Is quoted on the subject. and who. of
course, knows nothing of the techn;cd |
merits of the situation says Congress must
formally require a change in the Spect1Ica-
tons, provide for additional funds and
take the responsibility" He speaks as
though some dire calamity rested on any
alteration of the specifications.
1t is remarkable that the supervising
architects office would solicit bids and
max contracts on specifications which do
not meet the requirements of Congress
1t world seem to be not without the
bounds of reason to have planned a fire
proof structure within the fund available
Could the architect not have economical
In other particulars in order to have built
an ed,nCe which came within the demands
OF the legislature; If not, why should not
that official have reported the inadauuacy
OF the appropriation and suspended work
ADDITIONAL a
been made?
Numerous experts have been quoted drr-
ing the week, and they agree as to me mis-
take OF the architect in SI acifying such Il
roof as IS being placed on the Washington
structure. Among those interviewed was
Mr.. SnHthmeyer, one of the DESIGNERS of
the Congressional Library one of the few
pubic buildings which are an ornam mt To
the city, and d credit to American aTChi-
lecture He said there was no reason for
pu.hdIHS such a roof. Mr.. Hill, formerly
supervising architect, and good Gre
told of his practice while in Office. lie
never constructed such roof, and evil
IDENTIFY would not think of putting such a
10G1 on an ediiice of any pratensions.
We should like to see the views nf orcbi
tects ard builders accumulated Inv Ccn-
gress and an inquiry made into the practice
OF the architects office AMI action taken
accordingly. 1t would not be n difficult
matter to secure all the technical Informal
tion necessary 10 forming a lust opioinn
OF the W dsninStOn post office roof speci-
hcatlohS- The inquiry might be fruitful. IN
cldentaIy. in exhibiting the wsaknesses
OF the architects Office and to what eytcrt
work in that bureau is impedcd or render
sd inadequate or made involved aud CHM
berSone by Congress.
Iheie vas perhaps more humor than