Evening star., 1898-11-01
IN ANNUAL SESSION
Thirty-seoona Convention Of Am.ri-
can Institute of Architects.
COMMISSIONER .'YlGHr's ADDRESS
President Posts Criticism of Local
Architectural Designs,
REPORT OF DIRECTORS

The thiry-second annual convention of
the American Institute of Architects was
begun this morning in the banquet hall of
the Arlington Hotel.
The sessions of the convention will cover
a period of three days, with meetings every
evening and about two score delegates ac-
companled by their wives, are in attend
ance. Members of the institute who re-
main in the city after the convention ends
will be shown around by members of the
Washington chapter, the "Cctagon House
serving as headquarters. The cosmos Club
also will be place of social gathering
during the convention.
The members of the institute assembled
at IL o'clock this morning and spent half
an hour in registering their names and in
friendly conversation. They are we'll dress
ed, fine-looking men, and Judging from the
program of papers to be real the topics to
come under discussion wild be of more than
OF dlnary general interest.
AT 1850 o'clock the president of the in
stltute, Mr- Post OF New York called the
delegates TO order, and Mr.. Joseph c. Horn
blower of the local committee of arrange
nents delivered a brief address of welcome
on behalf of the Washington chapter. He
Introduced District Commissioner John b.
Wight, whose welcoming WoIu. were often
plnttuateo Dy the applause OF the au1l-
ence
COnmi ioner Wight's welcome.
Mr.. Wight said that it gave him very
Commissioners and, through them, the peo-
pie of the national capital to welcome the
American Institute of Architects to Wash
ington. He hoped that, having chosen this
beautiful city as the place of their meet
ing, II would afford them as much pleas
ure as it did the Commissioners and citI-
zens to have such a representative gather
ing mere. lie referred to the fact that the
american Socie;y fer Municipal Improve
ments held its convention in Washington
last week and iearnedly discussed questions
of sanitation and health. Mr.. Wight de-
clared that the subjects to como before this
convention are not less important, as they
concern the construction and safety as
well as the architectural character of build
1ngs. He said the meeting is timely, and
that the Commissioners believe, and have
acted upon the belief, that the buildings for
the national government should not AL be
designed by any one person, but that such
designs should conre,- by competition from
men who by experience and Cbility are
capable of designing and constructing edi-
hces that shall be safe as well as end1rnG.
He spoke of the Commissioners action
with regard to- thei maximum height of
buildings, and, upon closing, was rewarded
by prolonged applause.
Ifeslucnts Annual Address,.
President Post then read his annual ad-
dress. He said
"On former OCCASIONS 1 have directed your
attention to the une Kampled rapidity with
which the fine arts have developed in Amer
lea since the first organization of this as
sociation and to the prominent part taken
by the architects in this development; to
the growth of the association itself from a
body weak in numbers and weaker still in
the Influence Of its members individually
ing over The ienh aha breadth of tbi. hSefnq enor
nous country-dn orginiZatl0n which has
become recognized power in all questions
directly or indirectly pertaining to archi-
tecturaI art.
4 have directed your attention to the dan
gers which menace our art and to the fact
that If true to itself, the future of the pro-
fession is clearly in the control Of this in
sttute.
Il now desire to extend to It's members
my most hearty congratulations, for al
though "a period of general depression in
individual business, the past year has been
marked by three events which will form an
era in the history of American architecture.
The wise Secretary of the Treasury the
present honOred head of that department
which is the great builder for the govern
ment, has not only established a most i'm
portant precedent and practically made a
public recognition of the fact that educated
talent is essential to economy and success
in the work of our profession, but, more
important still, that there should be no pol
itics in art by the appointment of a super
visirg architect after a most careful and
exhaustive competitive examination, con-
Quoted by a specially appointed civil service
commission consisting of a board of arch-
tects of recognized position in their pro-
feSSion.
Selected by Competition.
For almost the first time in the last
three decades we have seen architects in
private practice selected by fair competi-
ton, judged by expert jurors, for the de.
signing and erection of governmental
buildings. A practical recognition of the
fact for years asserted by the unanimous
voice of the profession that worthy archi-
lecture cannot possibly be secured. except
by accident, from a government office, no
matter how great the ability of its chief
where the mass of business in the main
terance and repair of existing buildings Is
SO enormous that the work of design is of
necessity largely delegated to assistants
Under thsSe circu Instances excellence must
be at best lottery
In all ages and in all countries employ-
ment for the design and erection of govern
ment WORK has been the maximum reward
OF professional distinction. Consequently
the structures erected by the government
of a country have been generally and prop
erly accepted as the most reliable and de-
cisive proof Of the civilization of the period
and race by which they were produced.
Alas for the verdict of future ages upon
the excellence of the art and civilization of
America In the latter half of the nineteenth
if judged by such monuments as
the pension building and the Washington
city post office, and the great majority of
structures erected from designs prepared in
the offices of Our government.
EXtrayagant Excellence.
Unfortunately these buildings are built
with extravagant excellence and will stand
for ages a travesty upon the art of the
country, a rerros ch to the intelligence of
those in power who have refused to listen
to the urgent and repeated opinions Of
those qualified by education and experience
to give adviced and have persistentiv ne
elected to use the means always at their
hands to procure sdesigns which shouId at
least represents the average skill and econ
omy daily shown by the architects of ths
country In private practice.
Duty Of the Institute,
1T is the clear duty of this body, the
great representative, society of American
q i,r{