New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-14
THE CESTOM HOESE JOE.

II the real purpose of the appropriation NJ
$1,000 600 ostensby TO make beginning OF
new Custom House building in this city, Is to
furnish comfortable places for five commission
ers at a salary of $1,000 each for an indefinite
nerjod with the erection of the building as
moro incident thereto. the bill passed by the
Senate and now under consideration in the House
Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds an
syers that purpose admirably. If, on the other
hand. the main purpose is TO secure the erection
in the commercial metropolis of Government
building sufficiently ornamental 10 satisfy the
demands of correct taste. without sacrlhclhS
al,vthinc Of the requirements of utility ana
adaptab,ii,y 20 the special uses to which II is
10 be devoted; and If the same reasonable regard
Is to be had for economy in expenditure ana Inc
wise avoidance of eXtrav agance and waste as
any business corporation would exercise IN SIM
liar circumstances. then no commission Oh I'VE
men. or even of thren men. is necessary Inc
Government has already salaried ofclals III
whose prescribed duties precisely the functions
of such a commission ore included. Inc super
,isin,- Architect of the Treasury Department is
presumed to be competent for this work. ana 10
have q sufficient force of competent assistants
in hi, department 10 execute II without calling
for outside advice. aid or supervision. If that
II should be either revoluiionizcd or abolished.
If il is competent and iii, let it do the work 1t
is paid for
Mr. White Of Illinois, was quite right IN MS
contention before the committee, on Friday, that
The business Of experimenting the erection OF
the building falls properly within the province
Of the Secretary Of the Treasury and the Super
vlsIng Architect. and that there is no call what
over for the appointment of a saaried commits
sion-leost of all such n commission as is named
&, tho hill. made I'D almost exclusively Of poll
,icians. wholly untitled by experience or training
for the task assigned them. Whatever may
be their business qualifications in other direc-
tions no one who knows them will pretend for
n moment that they have any fitness. special or
General for this service. As experts in archi-
lecture or in the details Of construction there
isn't one of them. with the exception Of Mr..
Post who is professional architect, whom any
noultry-raiser in the possession Of his senses
would ever think of inlrusiing with the super
vision Of the erection Of hencoop. Except for
tbe fact that the public has become somewhat
accustomed to seeing sinecures created for poll
tcians and appointments made to important
pIaces in utter disregard OF qualifications or fit
ness or anything else except partisan activity.
the proposition 10 appoint these five men upon
such n commission would be greeted with gen
eral ders!on.
II the experience we have had in commissions
Of this kind-and especially at Albany, where
Il Is now in contemplation 10 abolish entirely
the Capitol CommissoD-cOunts for anything,
the proposed Custom House would certainly not
be completed under such a plan in less Than
fve-more likely ten-years. AT that rate its
cost would be increased certainly S250000 and
very likely 100000, by the salaries Of these