The Washington times., 1902-04-03
CONGRESS TO AFFORD
7 ARCHITECTS RELIEF
MessrSs Smithmeyer and Pelz
MaySoonGet Their Money,
Application Favorabiy Asked on by SEN
ate Gees to the House-Court of
Claims to Review Case.

The Senate yesterday passed the bill
'for the relief Of John [. Smithmeyer and
Paul J. Felz," the architects of the Con-
gressicnai Library
The bill gives the United States Court
OF Clairls jurisdiction TO rehear and rel
der judgment in the claim OF the two
architects for compensation for their SER
vices in preparing plans for the build
ing 1t Is further provided that mo prior
settlement or adjudication" for their
claim shall be bar to the case. II is
stipulated that the rates of compensation
adJ6dged Shall he those usually paid to
architects for such services.
The bill has passed the Senate before.
but has never gotten through both
houses OF Congress. 1t will now go to
the House. and the friends of the archi-
tects are very hopeful of its success.
Tie report of the Committee on Claims.
which had the bill under consideration
was a very strong one. 1t recites that
in 1873 the architects competed, with
many other architects. in furnishing
drawings for the proposed library build
ing. and were awarded first prize.
During the peNt thirteen years. until
1886. they made ten other plans. at the
request Of various committees and COM
missions appointed by Congress. Their
final plan was the one adopted by Con-
gress and the one on which the building
was erected. The architects make no
claim except for this final plan.
Outline of Case.
The report continues:
THE claimants in 1874 gave up their pri-
vate business as architects and until 1886
devoted themselves almost exclusively to
their work on these plans for the Library
building. In 1882 Mr.. Smithmeyer travel
ed extensively over this country and In
Europe. visiting library buildings in New
York. Boston. Philadelphia Baltimore.
Chicago, Liverpool. London, Paris, Berlin,
Vienna, Dresden, Leipzig. and Hanover. at
the request OF the joint select committee
OF Congress, for the purpose of obtaining
information in respect to the require
ments of the great library buildings of the
world. The act of 1886 adopting the plans
OF the clsinepts created a commission to
carry into execution the construction of
the building. Work was commenced on
the same in 1885.
From the 18th of April. 1886, when the
claimants plans were adopted. until Oc-
tober 16 Of that year, a period OF six
months. the claimants were not employed
as architects Of the building. but, on the
contrary, a portion of the work of con-
struction proceeded under the superin-
tendence of the commission without any
superintendehce by the claimants or
either of them.
This clearly establishes the fact that
the making of the plans and drawings and
their adoption by the Government COM
pleted the service for which they had been
employed by the Government Whatever
subsequent employment they might have
in the superintendent OF the construction
of the building If any. was then unknown
to both parties. The service being COM
pleted and the plans and drawings deliv
cred to the commission created by Con-
gress, il only remained for the Govern
ment to pay suitable compensation for the
work"
The report finds that the architects are
entitled to ". per cent of the cost of the
building for their work. and adds:
THE actual cost of the building Is now
ascertaiped to be little more than
81. 500 900. Two and half per cent OF this
sum would be the fee for the plan under
the rules of architects, and would amount
to Sl62, 500 Deducting from this $1,000 for
the specification, not furnished (for rea-
sons stated, and there would remain
81 50 200 as the measure of this claim under
the rules governing the profession. OF
this amount s4S, 900 has been paid to the
claimants under a judgment of the Court
of Claims. II Is for the remainder GILL;
200l that they now memorialize Con-
gress."