Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-23
WANT AN ART COMMISSION
Bill to Be Presented to Congress by Artists
for Its Formation.
Secretary Brown of the Public Art
League Conducting n Correspond.
ence Respecting the Movement.

The Public Art League Of the United
States. OF which Mr.. Glenn Brown, the
Well-known architect of this city, is Sec
retary, will soon hold a meeting to ar
range Tor the presentation to Congress Of
It's Dill Tor an art commission, proposed
by its beard of managers. Other matters
will also be disposed of. 1t is probable
tf the meeting will be held in Washing
ton
Secretary Glenn Brown sent forms of the
proposed bill to members of the league
and prominent artists, architects and
others throughout the country More than
hundred letters relating to the bill were
received by Mr.. Brown. All but two or
three of these were favorable. These want
ed to separate architects from the other
forms OF art.
The Mckafg Bill.
The present bill differs materially from
the Mckaig bill, presented by a commit
tee OF architects with the Endorsement of
the directors of the institute directing
that the President of the United States
with the consent of the Senate, shall ap-
point commission on public architecture
to consist of three architects and two engi-
neer officers. the commission to be under
the Treasury.
The commission was to select by ballot
flve architects to compete for all buildings
costing more than s10o.000: all competitors
were to have at east ten years expert
cree. 1t gives in detail what the COM
mission shall furnish each competitor: IL
also fixes rate of payment for each COM
petitor
1t specifies what shall be done with re-.
1ected designs and goes into other details
1t states that the supervising architect
shall be the representative of the govern
ment. and shall perform all the duties per
tanning to the office.
Objections to the McKaig bill are men,
toned by the Public Art League One of
them is the appointment of the whole COM
mission by the President, and through him
the danger of political appointments. The
Secretary of the Treasury and the super
Vls1ng architect are ex-officio president and
secretary OF the commission. The civil en-
glneer ana officer of the engineer corps are
permanent and the architects may be ap-
pointed for each individual building. In
this way the artistic portion of the COM
mission will be transitory and have no per-
sonai knowledge of any scheme of devei-
opment as a whole, and the Secretary of
the Treasury, supervising architect and en-
glneer members, from their previous and
more permanent connection with the COM
mission. will have more than their proper
weight in the management and conduct of
affairs.
Competition Limited.
The limitation of the competition to five
architects selected by ballot; the bill does
not provide how the names for balloting
shall be obtained.
The bill goes minutely into deta..s of
competitions and general management
Such details should be left, the league
thinks, to the jury or commission, as each
case will probably require special treat
ment.
The league has now more than 800 men,
oers' and Is constantly growing. The Off
GERS are: Richard Watson Glider of New
York. president; c. F. McKim of New
YORK, first vice president; Augustus St.
Gaudens, of New York, second vice presi-
dent; John La Fargo of New York, third
vice president; 7. NJ. Clark of Boston
Mass, recording secretary; Glenn Brown of
Washington, corresponding secretary; John
K Carmody of Washington, treasurer