The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10

than the private client gets in his house.
Under the comparatively limited operation
or the Tarsney law thus far it has been
hard work to keep politics out of the game;
II everything were put out to private prac-
titioners the chance for politics or other
favoritism to get in would be vastly in
creased, and 1t Is not difficult to see to what
end that sort of thing would lead after a
little. The best programme that could be
devised would not obviate the necessity for
having some architectural ability and ex-
perience at the head of things in Washing
ton because all outside architects called into
federal employ have to be specially coached
as TO what the government needs and wants.
NO study of ordinary office-building, or no.
tel or business architecture of any sort can
take the place Of this particular line of in
Struction.
OF course there would be strong popular
opposition to any plan that went to tie
world heralded as more expensive than the
present one. The money consideration is
the chief obstacle to the popularity of the
Tarsney law. The common line Of reason
ing is on this wise: On a small building,
costing perhaps $4,000, the architects fee
Is $4,000. which is reasonable enough for
task which may last a year; but when
the building costs 100000, and the archi-
tect comes down upon the treasury for
100000 as a fee. he is far exceeding what
the people are willing to pay one man for
one job 1t does no good to answer that
the surplus an architect gains on a large
piece of work only makes up to him for
what he has lost, or failed to gain, on a
number OF small pieces; the critics Of gov
consider the same rules applicable to pub
lie and to private enterprises of this sort
ARCHITECTS EARNINGS.
1t has been represented that the institute
requires its members to charge invariably
per cent. This is not true in the sense in
which a trade union lays down its arbi-
trary and immovable rule of compensation:
per cent. Is simply the nearest approach
the profession has yet made to a salts
factory general rate. Some private archi-
tects who are members of the institute
vary from 1t. One of the leading firms in
New York. for instance. has a sliding scale,
beginning with 10 per cent. on everything
costing 5000 or less; shading to per cent
on everything between that and $4,000: 7
per cent on everything from that up to
$l5Oo0, and so on. A sliding scale was at
tempted with the first buildings erected
under the Tarsney act, starting with per
cent as the maximum rate; but this was
abandoned as impracticable in dealing with
architects or the high class called in for
such work. theory which has gained
wide acceptance in the profession is that
there should be no fixed percentage, but
that the draftsman's work on building
should be taken as the unit; double this for
the other office expenses, such as rent
clerk hire and incidentals; and double this
again as the amount that the architect
should get for the exercise of his profess
sional Skill In other words, the proper
profit for the architect would be four times
| the cost of the draughtsman's work on a
building. Such system of compensation,
| If generally introduced, would .end to dig
| courage alterations of plan by the client,
as that would involve more draftsmen's
work, increase the time of rental, etc, and
| proportionately enlarge the architects net
profit. For government work il would
| probably be of no particular advantage for
| the treasury is not a many-minded client.
| like the average private citizen building a
| dwelling.
The discussion Of any radical change of
| system in the supervising architects Of
| flee just at present is probably fruitless;
| but. If Secretary Shaw approves 1t may be
/ that new departure will be taken this
| season in the matter of extending the com
| petitive feature by inviting outside archi-
| tects to try their hands at some of the
buildings on which Congress has authorized
| an expenditure of $4,000 or $4,000 This
would he a step down the scale. and of
| course, only experimental at the start But
/ If IL were found to work well, we should
| see private architects putting up govern
| ment buildings at both extremes of quail
| ity, and ii would naturally not be SO very
| long before the middle range came in also.
| assuring private competition on a majority
| even IL not all, of the treasury work