The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-23
SCHOOL
MIDDLE STILL
UNSETTLED
Myers Wants Pay
ment for Plans Which City
May Not Accept.

Members of the schoolhouse commit
tee of the Board of Education last
night took up the question of the pro-
posed technical and manual training
high school, together with the case
of Architect Nathan Myers, who sub
mitted plans for the building, which
would entail an expenditure of nearly
$S0O,O 0 instead of $4OO. 900, the Board of
Estimates figure.
Mr.. Myers was not at the meeting.
and after a pretracted discussion a
resolution was passed requesting him
to attend the next meeting of the COM
mittee on Tuesday night.
Commissioner j. Edward Smith in
troduced the resolution after he told
his fellow members on the committee
that he did not think it would be right
to pass the muddle over as a heritage
to next years committee"
During the discussion preceding the
Introduction of the resolution Com
missioner Simonds told of an informal
discussion of the question between
himself and Mr.. Myers, during which
the latter said that he thought he
city should pay him 21a per cent. of
the estimated cost, $4,000. in case new
plans would have to be submitted. Mr..
Myers later confirmed a statement of
Commissioner Simonds that the archi-
tect had told him that the plans cost
81, 900, and that he would allow the city
to settle with him for the plans on a
2is per cent. basis, which would mean
that the city would pay him $4,000 in
addition to the $500 already received
by him for the plans. Mr.. Slmonds
said that Mr.. Myers had told him
that if this were done the city could
keep the plans.
Some time ago Commissioner ]. Ed
ward Smith instituted suit against the
architect for the recovery of the $500
paid him, on the ground hat he had
not fulfilled his contract, and a short
time afterward it was learned that
the architect was drawing new plans.
Then the suit was dropped.
Commissioner Birdsall doubted the
wisdom of asking the architect to ap-
pear before the committee, saying that
nothing new would be learned, and that
In his opinion the committee would be
able to proceed more expeditiously
without him.
Commissioner Koerber wanted to
know of what benefit plans for a $780,
900 high school would be to the city
if the appropriation we're only $400, 900.
He could not see the necessity for TAX
ing them off Mr.. Myers's hands.
'Mr. Myers a y that they will be-
long to the city, and we can use them
later, maybe" Mr.. Simonds rejoined.
Mr.. Myers said late last night
that the estimate could be reduced
S1OO, 900. possibly $15O,OOO which would
bring the net cost to 5000, 900. He was
not prepared to guarantee this how
ever.
could they be modified to bring the
cost down to $500, DOOR he was asked.
mo; not unless an unprecedented
slump in the price of building materials
were to occur. 10 build a school with
in that figure will necessitate the
drawing of an entirely new set of
plans"
I'm the event that you draw such
plans, would you expect compensation
for the old plans. and additional com
pensation for the new?"
yes; I would expect the city to pay
me 2hs per cent. on the estimated cost
of the building, whose plans they al
ready have. and the new plans would
be on the regular terms. l have spent
a great deal of time on the plans, l fur
nished considerable money, and l gave
them exactly what they wanted. I
never guaranteed the price, and l feel
that l am entitled to a fair compensa-
ton
Plans for the new Warren Street
S~choolhouse addition were brought be-
fore the committee by Henry j. King,
architect, but on account of delay In
submitting the engineers plans the
matter went over until next Tuesday
night.
Bruce p. Bitchell. architect in charge
of the Thirteenth Avenue School, adj
dressed the meeting to ask hat ne
be authorized to direct the contractor
to move the fan machinery from the
basement of the building temporarily
in order that the flooring might be laid
on the first floor. At present the
machinery is in the way. Mr.. Kitchell
said. The request was granted.
A letter from DR.. A. b. Poland, SUI
p%erintendent of schools, was read, re-
questing the committee to rem the
Blum Street Church as an annex to
the South Tenth Street School. DR..
Poland stated that such action would
afford relief not only to that school,
but to the Fifteenth Avenue and Cam
den Street Schools, which now have
four and two halliday classes. re-
spectively.
Another communication bearing on
the subject was read from the Consis-
tory of the German Reformed Church,
The rent asked for the first floor of the
building was $50 monthly. 1t was also
stipulated that the church janitor be
appointed to do this work for the Board
of Education. The matter was referred
to the examiner. with power to act.
A letter from the superintendent
stating that the plumbing and heating
work at the Hamburg Place School ha6
been completed, was read and placed OF
file.