Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-12
Objections to Maintenance Of
Municipal Architect.
MATTER DISCUSSED
PAPER BEFORE AMERICAN INSTI-
TUTE OF ARCHITECTS.
Substitution of Board Suggsted-Meth-
DDS of Financing Building Opera
tions-Other Business.

The delegates to the thirty eighth annual
convention of the American Institute of
Architects were slow in assembling this
morning. There was only a handful of
members hand when Vice President
Frank Miles Day called the assembly to
order, and it was IL o'clock before the dele
gates became sufficiently quiet to admit of
the Introduction of business.
The entire day was given over to the
reading of papers. Mr.. r. Clipston Sturgis
of Boston was to have read the first paper,
on the subject of the relation of architects
with municipal school work. but Mr.. Sturgis
was called away on business and his paper
was read by Mr.. Walter Cook of New York.
In his paper Mr.. Sturgis presented argu-
ments against the maintenance of a munich
pal architect. The pay offered for a man
in such a position, he said, is not usually
sufficient to secure men of the best type.
and politics may prevent the selection OF
the best man. Mr.. SturgiS also took excep-
lions to the erection of school buildings by
school boards. He presented q remedy for
this in the appointment of board of prom
ihent architects to take charge of the erec-
ton of school buildings. Such board
could be formed in the same manner as
the appointment of the school boards.
System in Boston.
Such a system has been tried in Boston,
he said, and as the board has been in exist
ence but short time results as to its sue
cess cannot be accurately given. Thus far
the conditions have been most satisfactory.
Mr. Charles A. Coolidge of Boston read a
paper prepared by Mr.. William B. Mundie
of Chicago on the same subject. Mr. Mum
die was formerly architect of the school
board of the city of Chicago, and the paper
written by him was listened to with atten-
ton. Mr.. Mundie favorS the appointment
of an architect for this work by the mu-
nicipality for term of years in large cities:
Mr.. William H. Russell of New York read
a paper on the methods of financing build
ing operations. He said, among other
things that in New York today very few
private residences are being erected, apart
ment houses having taken the place of resi-
dences almost entirely.
Amendments to Bylaws.
At this juncture Mr.. r. d. Andrews OF
Boston suggested that the question OF
amendments to the bylaws be acted upon
at this time. Mr.. Henry Clay Carrel of
New York objected to this as the time for
action on this matter was definitely fixed
in the program, and Mr.. Hornbfower or
this city sustained the objection. mo-
ton was then made to make this matter
the order of business for the first hour after
lunch, and this motion was sustained. The
change in the bylaws that has been sug-
gested has to do with the selection OF men,
bers.
The present method of sending the name
of an applicant to members IN the United
States from Maine to Manila, for approval,
has frequently been criticised by members
of the institute as not accomplishing the
desired object of showing the standing of
the applicant among his fellow practitioners.
The education. artistic and technical
knowledge of the applicant, is examined
and passed upon by the committee on ex-
amnatons and the board of directors. The
ballot is taken to secure evidence of his
standing and honorable practice in the conf
:munity where he is best known. therefore,
the board feels that the best interests of
the Institute Will be served by combining the
ballot to the chapter, and, where no chap
ter exists, to the state of applicant. :,
The regular order of business was re-
sumed Immediately after the disposal of
this matter.
Office Management.
Mr.. Grosvenor Atterbury of New York
read a paper on Office management. The
paper was illustrated by number of stere-
opticon slides. -
The last papers read during the morning
session was relations of the architects
to specialists, by Messrs C. T. Purdy and
Edgar V Seeler. ->~e.
The afternoon will be devoted to business
matters The question of the amendments
to the bylaws will come up Immediately
after the assembling of the delegates and
the election of officers will take place after
this question has been disposed of.
Mr.. Frank Miles Day of Philadelphia
vice president of the institute, will deliver
an illustrated address on municipal i'm
proVement this evening.