The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-22
John Van PetI, New York
Architect, COBtradicts
Newark Man.
PROCURED BY LATTER?
Statement Further Complexities
TangIe Over Technical School
Specifications :. Myers Will
Answer City's Suit by Bring
Hlg Two Actions Himself.

.Sohn ". Van Pelt, a well-known New
Eo.yk architect, with offices at 1873
Fou rth, avenue, declared today that he
drew THE plans for the proposed man
ual II al ming and technical high chool
Of tfisi city, and that they were pro-
cured I rom him by Nathan Myers, who
claims that he drew them.
This statement was made as the re-
suit Of I he suit which viii be instituted
against Mr.. Myers by City Counsel
James r. Nugent on behalf of the city
at the ms Ence of School Commissioner
j. Edward Smith to recover $500 paid
the architt ct on the plans in question
for non-pe rform snce of contract, as
was told e. yclusi' vely yesterday in the
EVENING STAF.
Mr.. Myers MAJ lie the statement last
night that Il lie pl ans were the best he
ever drew, a ad that if suit was begun
ain him | e " 'ould in turn retaliate
by sum the city for $4,000. which he
considers the bali lnce due on his work.
He will also a SIX for $25,0 900 for the re-
lection of his D lar IS in the original COM
petitive contes /.
The suit viii cf the city will bring
shortly in the 81 preme Court of New
Jersey is the OIL j tcome of q resolution
passed in 1906 to build a technical high
school at New nd High streets, for
which $500, 900 WI rs appropriated. After
rejecting all plar h; submitted in a COM
petitive contest, BIr. Myers was chosen
as the architect kor the new building.
When bids on 7 En-. Myers's plans were
received 1t was bound that the school
would cost nearl $3.50, 900. instead of
S400. 900. The arc bitect defended his
plans by saying / hat he had given the
commissioners ex sctly what they had
asked for in a pl Spspectus which they
furnished him, al RI by which he was
guided. He also S; did that he had never
beer notified that the cost of the build
ing should not exc ned $4,000
PREVIOUS to the completion of his
plans he was paid 81 $500 on account by
The city, the total pr 3 per cent. of the
cost to be paid in tinstalments as the
work progressed.
When 1t was foul k3 that the building
would cost nearly d sEble the appropria-
tion, Mi. Myers wat made the object of
consldera BILE criticj nm by the school
house committee of the Board of Edu-
cation, which was in charge of the
work. School Com bnissioners John c.
Eisele, ]. Edward Smith and George
w. Courier were ~putspoken in their
views of the situe zion, and declared
that the architect HI; Id failed to perform
his whole duty.
The matter rookie d along for several
months. Several w eks ago, by request
of the committee, Mr.. Myers appeared
before the commits noners and made
plain his intentions by declining to re-
fund fine 49, 500 or apply it on new
plans to come With n the appropriation, |
although he offered to modify the pres
ent plans to redalce the cost to the low-.l
est possible figure. He reiterated his
defense, and the committee passed the
whole proposition up leaving its solu-
ton to n new board which will be
appointed by tue Mayor January l,
1908.
When told of the statement of Mr..
Van Pelt TODAY AIR. Myers grew angry.
Il am my own office boss. l guess l
can do as | like about plans" declared |
the irate architect. anyway that would
have no bearing Gel the case, but /
might as well deny the statement and
say that the plans were drawn in my
own office"
There haSe been rumors about the
City Hall for severed months to the ef-
feet that the, plans were not draw by
Mr.. Myers. CITY Counsel James r. Nu-
gent has beer cog1lizant of the rumor
for some time, and will refer to these
rumors in the suit against the architect.
When seen last night Commissioners
]. Edward Smith, a member of the
schoolhouse comnpittee which handled
the middle. said in discussing the
matter:
ut was Mr.. Myets's business to in
form himself of the cost of the building.
lie knew full we'll that the magnificent
school he planned could not be erected
within the appropriation of 100000. he
should have told us so. Mr.. Myers told