New-York tribune., 1900-12-23
THE CUSTOM HOUSE FAILURE.

1t must be more than ever evident TO Senator
Platt that the new Custom House is going to be
an excrescence on the face of the earth. He
has done his best in the cause of art and high
class workmanship. but cold and unfeeling
Treasury Department has stood in his way.
The thing hoodooed from the beginning.
An architect who was mot familiar with our
ways" here in New-York had the impudence to
submit plans for the work without getting the
approval of Mr.. Platt for his design or provid-
ing for The dome which Mr.. Quigg insisted was
essential to its artistic perfection. These plans
were accepted, but Mr.. Platt declared that they
would not do at all and made trip to Wash
ington TO demand that they be reconsidered and
rejected. But Secretary Gage could not be
moved. His tastes were not educated up to
appreciation Of the Importance of domes, and he
showed a most reprehensible lack of interest in
preserving to the organization the advantages
to be derived from control of the Custom House
architect, a subject about which some private
secretaries could have given him instruction.
So the work was started with the wrong
architect.
Now the contract for the foundations has gone
wrong. a good Republican put in bid. Like
wise a Tammany contractor put in bid. And,
sad to relate, the Republicans bid was much
the higher He was willing, however, to do
the work in a little shorter time Making allow
ance for the large saving of rent TO the Govern
ment from the earlier occupancy Of the build
ing the Republican was still higher, and it was
necessary for Mr. Platt to call in Collector Bid
well. The latter is clever at handling conven-
tons with the club of his official position with
out calling down upon himself the penalty for
violating the Presidents direct order against
offensive partisanship, and it was supposed that
he could figure out way TO set aside the lower
bid in view of the political Importance of keep
ing the contract in the organization. Possibly a
mistake was made There is reason to think
that William ]. Youngs. candidate in ordinary
for any recevership TO be had at the hands of
judge open TO suggestion is a little more deX-
ferrous at that sort of work. But Mr.. Bidwell
did his best. He made ingenious calculations
Of the interest on the cost of the SITE which he
said ought to be added TO the Tammany mans
bid, though he was never able TO show how the
| Government was to get that interest even If
the time was saved. Consequently the hard
| hearted Secretary of the Treasury would not be
convinced. and the organization has lost the
patronage of the Custom House foundations
1t would have been highly convenient to have a
| lot Of laborers' jobs to be filed with men who
| did they were told to at primaries and
vacated by men who had the audacity to forget
| the Collectors power TO take the bread out of
| their children's mouths if they did not vote
right.
Mr.. Bidwell would probably have done better
| IL, instead of trying to make the businesslike
| Treasury Department do unbusinesslike
| thing he had approached Mr. Croker. through
! Mr.. Freedman-the way he well knows-and
| arranged with Tammany to draw off the
| troublesome contractor. Mr. Freedman is al
ways ready TO do little service like choppine
off an official head or giving hints to contrac
tor for Mr.. Bidwel, and the matter might have
been settled that way with comparative ease
| But when Mr.. Bidwell attempts to play polite,
OH the Government az Washington he has 6
| different task. AS result of his failure The
Custom House foundations will not be laid II
good Republican mortar by district delegate,
| who will stand without hitching ready To re
spond to Mr.. Bdwelps word. What a failur,
the whole thing is! AS Mr.. Quigg once remarke,
IN a moment of disgust at its lack of a fulI
bulging spoils dome: Its as ugly as the Posi-
Officer