Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-13
THE NEXT THING IN ORDER.

summarily relieved the Treasury depart
meDt of Powderly and the incubus that
has brought odlum upon the lmmlgra-
ton bureau, the next thing in order
should be a complete %overhauling Of the
supervising architects office.
The methods pursued by the super
vislng architect In the letting Of con-
tracts and construction of public build
lngs justify the belief that radical re-
form is necessary I'm that branch of the
public service. The Chicago Tribune
has recently called attention to the in
e~xcusable delay in the completion of the
public building in Chicago. ''The treas
ury officials" says the Tribune, de
clare that there is no lack of disposition
to expedite the work. Nevertheless the
leisurely pace of architect and con-
tractor is not fastened. 1t Is almost in
credible that an architect Of good stand
Ing In charge of a much-needed public
building should delay work on it in
order to lengthen out his Job and in
crease his W compensation, but what
other construction can be put on the
amazing delays which have made the
Chicago government building so notable
an Illustration of the difference between
individual push and government drag?"
In his blunt way Congressman Can
non, discussing the Chicago building on
the floor Of the house, exclaimed:
The history of the administration Of gov
eminent architects, whether In the super
vising architects office or private archi-
tects, is that when once they have got
their heads into the manger they stay
there as long as there is any fodder to
eat.
Mr.. Cannon has hit the nail on the
head. His assertion is fully confirmed
by the experience of Omaha.
The first appropriation for omaha's
new federal building was made fourteen
years ago. OF the 81, 100000 authorized
100000 was made available for pur-
chase of site and $4,000 for construc-
ton. To this amount another 100000
was added. After dragging along for
eleven years the main building was CON-
pleted and 100000 more was appro-
priated for the erection of the west
wing. Half a million dollars was con-
sidered by expert builders as at least
100000 more than was necessary, but
at the end of two years it was dis
closed that the amount taken out for
architects plans and supervision for the
main building had exceeded $1O0,O 600
and fha o~vnanHifrra FOR orohtkoafs,
plans. supervision of construction and
allowance for disbursing officers would
exceed 100000 by the time the whole
structure is completed.
In explanation of this enorm draft
for the plans, specifications and super
vision the supervising architect of the
treasury declares that 8 per cent Of the
appropriation for public buildings is set
apart to pay the Office force at Wash
ington, which for a period of ten years
while the Omaha building was under
construction would aggregate only
| $1,000 a year, exclusive of salary to
superintendent Of construction and an
allowance of $1,000 for the disbursing
officer. When it is borne in mind that
the standard compensation exacted by
American architects for plans, specifica-
lions and supervision Of the construc-
ton Of buildings Is 8 per cent of the
cost, the extravaganza Of the supervis-
ing architects Office must be apparent.
At the very highest rate, the expendi-
ture for planning and supervising the
construction of the Omaha federal build
ing should not have exceeded $4,000.
And the very best architects in the
country would have jumped at the
chance to do the work for $4,000.
To set apart $4,000 a year for the
Office work at Washington may seem
small, but when ten years are consumed
in erecting a structure that should be
built in three years. the $4,000 a year
grows out Of all proportion to the value
Of the service. The Omaha building is
only one Of sixty or seventy public
buildings in course of construction
under the supervising architect from
year to year.
The unreasonable cost of the archi-
tect's office constitutes only one Of the
grounds for the demand for a general
house cleaning in the bureau. The most
fragrant abuse, as pointed out by Con-
gresham Cannon, is the methodical pro-