Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-11
FEES OF ARCHITECTS
Contention to Be Taken Up by
Institute.
VIEWS OF OFFICIALS
CASES OF PROPOSED PUBLIC
BUILDINGS.
Why Special Agreement for Compen-
sation is Urged by Representatives
of the Government.
VIEWS OF OFFICIALS

There is In prospect a very animated con-
test between the American Institute OF
Architects and government officials OF this
city over the question as to the compensa-
ton and terms on which architects engaged
in the designing Of public buildings shall
work
Architects are much concerned in this
matter because of the large number OF
buildings projected and soon to be con-
structed. The question is now being con-
sidered in connection with the proposed new
National Museum building. the office build
ing for the House of Representatives and
the new building for the Department Of
Agriculture. In all of these cases the ques-
ton has arisen as to the compensation that
shall be allowed to the architects connected
with the buildings. The other question Of
quite much Importance to the architects
Is the contention they have made to the
effect that they should have the supervision
Of the buildings while under construction in
order to see that their plans are properly
carried out.
The architects association has established
rates under which its members are sup
posed to work. The prescribed rate for the
design and supervision of a building Is
per cent Of the entire cost. In cases in
which plans and Specifications are provided
and the architect does not supervise the
work the commission Is reduced to 81 per
cent. While it is recognized as the right
OF an architect in the institute to provide
plans and specifications without supervising
the construction Of the building, yet archi
tects frown on that plan of procedure and
do all they can to insist upon their right to
supervise the work throughout the con-
struction.
Contention Of the Architects.
Just at this time all the leading men in
the American Institute of Architects are
earnestly interested in having established
policy on the part Of the government for the
employment Of the architect not only to
make plans and specifications, but also to
see that these plans and specifications are
carried out instead of turning them over to
some agent of the government. At the next
meeting of the institute it is expected that
this question will come up for consideration
and that strong effort will be made to
nave the contention Of the architects pre-
vail.
The American Institute of Architects is
said to resemble, in many respects a labor
organization in the method it adopts to
insist upon Its members getting the pre-
scribed scale of charges for work done,
and for their discipline Further than that
1t Is suggested that clannish feeling ex-
lists In the institute, which results in a fight
being made upon any architect not a mem
Der OF that organization who undertakes
to do work.
The tendency at this time for certain
representatives Of the government to re-
sist the rules of the institute is based on
the claim that the charges Of the institute
are excessive and that for special reasons
those regular charges should not prevail
In the cases of the government buildings
projected for this city. 1t is also claimed
that as the government has in its service
ofhcers Of the Engineer Corps of the army
fully capable Of attending to the engineer
Ing features of these buildings and to con-
struct them there is no need for the archt-
tect except In purely architectural features
Of the buildings.
Amount of Fees Involved.
The new building for the National Mu-
scum is to cost s., SOC, COO Five per cent OF
that amount is $175,OO Men who are in
formed on the subject of preparing plans
declare that the cost to the architect of
the work involved In the completion of
set Of plans and specifications is about one
half of this prescribed fee. The executive
committee of the board of managers of the
National Museum, of which John B. Hen
derson Is the chairman, has taken the view
that that fee for the proposed building
would be doubly excessce for the reason
that they claim the building is very SIM
pie one divided into large rooms in which
there is no elaborate plan for ornamental
ton. This fact they say would very great
ly reduce the cost to the architects in the
The executive committee has not yet
come to any conclusion as to what it
thinks would be a fair compensation for
the architects. They have considered the
matter at number of meetings
The supervision of the work on the Ma
tional Museum building, 1t is expected,
will also be under such conditions as to
make 1t unnecessary for the architects to
lend their services, except in exceptional
cases to explain the plans.
The construction of the new building
for the Department of Agriculture will
cost $15cO,OO0, per cent of which would
be $4,000. This building is to be built
by Capt. Sewell of the Engineer Corps of
the army. Capt Sewell constructed the
new government printing office building,
and is now engaged in the construction of
the buildings of the War College in this
city. 1t is claimed that as the govern
ment provides its own engineer to see to
the carrying out of this work it is not
necessary to pay for supervision by an
architect.
The case again arises in connection with
the building of the new office building
for the House of Representatives on
street south of the Capitol. 1t is under
stood that architect will be needed for
this building only for the purpose of pure
ly architectural matters, the entire con-
struction and the details of much of the
plan to be carried out by Mr.. Elliott
Woods, superintendent of the Capitol.
The question of the architects fees is
one that has come up partly because of a
discussion among some members of the
House OF Representatives last winter in
relation to what was regarded as excess
s1ve charges to which the government has
been subjected by architects in the con-
struction OF some buildings outside Of this