Evening star., 1899-03-20
Another Post OHice building Row.

In Saturdays Star appeared an account
of the difficulties which have arisen be-
tween the supervising architect of the
treasury and the contractor for the steam
heating in the new post office building
which indicated clearly the necessity for
concluding the investigation SO -feebly be-
gun by the Senate into the history of that
structure. Ordinarily the public has little
sympathy for a contractor who is being
held strictly 70 account for the performance
Uf his agreement. Were conditions regard
ing the post office building normal the judg-
mcnt would in this case undoubtedly rest
with the supervising architect for striving
To maintain u high standard of work in the
structure. But unfortunately ii appears on
the surface of this controversy that the
contractor has from the start been ham,
pered by what he claims to be the inefficient
in the preparation of plans and specifica-
tions in the management of the various
contracts. in the designation of materials
and in other directions. This story squares
with others which have been told from time
to time and which az yet stand uncontro-
verted. 1t agrees with the popular belief
that the present system of public construc-
tion is inharmonious. unbusiness-like, in
adequate.
One of the chief grounds of complaint in
the case OF this building is that it required
too long in its erection. The Star under
took in the autumn of 1894 to disclose some
of the causes for the delays which were
even then growing painfully apparent. 1t
discovered that contracts We're let without
system: that changes We're ordered in the
work without reference to the public inter-
ests or to the passing Of time; that con-
tractors We're repeatedly in each other
way: that. in short. there was need of one
sufficiently authorized. competent intelli-
gent head to the undertaking. without any
taint of political influence and immune from
the pulls" of contractors and material
men. When the Senate voted tn investigate
the building. on charges preferred by a
former superintendent of construction, it
was hoped that eventually some such sys-
tenn would be provided for all future gov
ernnent construction. Such a hope is vet
to be entertained in view of the fact that
the question is still alive and available for
adjudication by the next Congress or by
its successor If the next should fail in its
duty in this regard.
Meanwhile il is important that the case of
the steam heating contractor should be laid
Dare committee Of disinterested experts
Will soon report upon the situation. If it be
true, as alleged, that the contractor has
been handicapped by improper specifica-
tlons and directions, if the office which is
charged with the protection of the govern
ments interests is found to have resorted
to improper practices to have been in
competent In the preparation of plans or
the choice of materials. then it may be DOS
sible for the head of the department To in
stitute reforms without waiting for con-
gressional admonition or direction If. on
the other hand, the contractor should be
shown to be in the wrong. and the office in
the right, the general case of the latter in
the wider investigation which will doubt
less be resumed in d few months will stand
shade better