Evening star., 1899-02-09
Attack on the Measure in the Senate
This Afternoon.
OFFICE OF SUPERVISING ARCHITECT
Complaint Over Delay in Public
Buildings.
MATTERS IN THE HOUSE


following bills were passed:
Authorizing the Sioux City and Omaha
Railway Company to construct and opera te
Il railway through the Omaha and Winnie
bago reservation in Thurston county. Neb.
To restore to their original status %
promotion officers of the navy and marine
corps who lost numbers by reason of the
advancement of other officers for excep-
tional and merttorious service during the
war with Spain.
Authorizing the Arkansas Harbor Terrni-
nal Railway Company to construct a bridge
across the Corpus Christi channel, in Texas.
For a light vessel off Tail of Horseshoe,
Chesapeake bay
For the purchase or construction Of a
launch for the customs service at Astoria,
Oregon, to cost not more than $500.
The Legislative Bin.
The legislative, executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill was taken up and consldera-
ton of it resumed. The paragraph relat-
ing to the deposit of copyright works in
the national library was stricken out with
the intention of revising it in conference.
The Supervising Architects Office.
A brief but lively civil service debate was
precipitated by an inquiry of Mr.. Cockrell
(AIoJ concerning the expenditure of money
for the office of the supervising architect.
He maintained that the work of the super
visng architects office was done slowly, if
not badly. The construction of public
buildings dragged through year after year.
Were the same buildings being erected by
private individuals they would be COM
Pieted in one season.
MIR. Gallinger IN. HI pointed out in this
connection that the Treasury Department
was authorized to invite competition of
private architects in the construction of
public buildings.
We have q bureau aud a very expensive
bureau. SAID he, yet we are daWdiing
along with the public buildings of the coun-
try in shameful manner
He told Of one of the most distinguished
architects in the country, who came to
Washington to take the civil service ex-
animation for supervising architect. He
DID not pass the examination, yet" said
Mr.. GallinSer, after we have secured such
an architect as now occupies the office we
proceed to discredit him by letting out the
jobs TO architects who could not pass the
departments eXamina ton"
Mr. Cuilom SAID the people did not trust
the supervising architect and insisted upon
special men That was the case in Chica-
go, where a special architect was employed
TO construct the government building there
he hoped some pan might be agreed upon
by which the government might secure an
archltect capable of constructing public
Mr.. Cockrell placed the blame for the
SITUATION of affairs upon the executive who
ne ne SAID, had ample authority to remedy it.
Inc clVil service law. he said. had been car
rleu 10 most deleterious extent, and had
proved most ignominious and disgraceefuI
failure.
Mr.. Gallinger explained that his objection
was that thousands of places had hsan i'm
cluded under the civil service law which
mad never been intended as civil service po-
sltions by the promoters of the law.
MI CockreH expressed surprise that the
supervising architect should be under the
clVh service He regarded that as ridicu-
lous He held that the choice of s1Der-
HlslhS architect ought not to be left to a
iheTeF technical examination. He prom
ised to press later some other plan for the
administration of the Office
IN speech opposing the civil service Law
MI. stewart of Nevada declared the law
would be an injury TO the government so
long as 1t remained on the statute hooks
Mr. Perkins (Cal.) told of the serious time
the people of San Francisco had had in Sc
curing such a government bufldipr 1c tba,.
needed and desired
The senator was indignant that an at
tempt Should be made to force them TO ac-
cept building that did not ccmport with
oLher structures in the city He then show
senators. ~
II looks like cotton factory" comment
ed Mr.. Tillman.
Why" said Mr.. Perkins. 'our iail in San
franc!sGo is pleasing picture compared
to that"
Mr.. German CAId) regarded it as a wise
ana proper thing to increase the compensa-
tioh OF the supervising architect in order
to enable the President to obtain q man for
the office who was competent to filI it.
II the course of his remarks Mr. German
crlucised the tendency, as shown in the
pending bill, to increase the expenses of the
government He referred particularly to
charging to the people Of The United States
f"r the auditing of the accounts of affairs
IN Cuba and Porto Rico instead of cha rg-
ing them against the revenues of the isI-
ands. He thought this tendency would
grow until the government should have a
special departm ant to lcok after our island
possessions
marks on the San Francisco building that
1t Is to accommodate the post office. the
land office, the subtreaSury the different
courts of California and the circuit court OF
that city. He said the plan of the super
vising architect had been submitted TO rhe
Judges who composed that circuit and iu-
dicial district. and which embraces some
four states and three territories.
They had criticised the plans. and re-
Sarded the provisions made in 1t for a coprt
room. library room, office of the marshal
and the general arrangements as unsrIif-
able. They had submitted these plans to
architects in San Francisco. and they had
SAID that he kI cw more about what the
judges wanted than they did themselves
our people" said Mr.. Perkins "feel 50
wrought up and indignant at the action of
the supervising architect that they have
proposed to raise a fund themselves and to
donate to the government plans for build
ing with pleasing exterior. so that il will
compare favorably with private buildings,
While the interior arrangements will he
suitable for the purposes for which 1t is
intended
HOUSE OF REpREsiNTs sTvyES