The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-28

BY SCHOOL
PROBLEM
Architect Roasted When Com
mittee Meets Will Modify
Plans, Not Draw New Ones.

training nlSn Scnool within the S400, 600
appropriated for the work by the Board
of Estimate was reached by the school
house committee of the Board of Edu-
cation last night, and the knotty
problem of cutting off the 1870, 900 more
than the sum on hand for the erection
of the building is as far from settle
ment as When the committee took
it up.
Architect Nathan Myers came in for
a grilling at the meeting of the COM
mittee last night, especially by COM
missioner j. Edward Smith, who de-
clared that it was up to the architect
to draw a new set of plans for the
building. Commissioner Smith accused
Myers with having toll the committee
that a building in accordance with the
present plans, for which the aggregate
bids amount to nearly $500, 900. could
easily be built within the amount
granted by the Board of Estimate.
Mr.. Myers fatty denied the state
ment and further stated that in regard
to drawing new plans he would not do
so unless he received further compen-
sation for the work, stating tina the
present plans cost about $11. 900 and
ten months work.
OVAAAt - 1<lsNAC WAS ap-
sent, blu the other members of the
committee remained in conference I'M
til l O'Clock this morning, and then
adjourned without having solved the
question thai has worried the commit
tee and the Board of Education for
some time past.
h gist of the argument in COM
mittee was that the architect
should draw new plans for a.
building to come within the S400, 900
appropriation, without further cost
to the city, and this Myers could
not see his way clear to do. He was
ready, he said, to retrace his present
drawings, reducing and cutting off here
and there, but when it came Il throw
ing away the work already done and
beginning again, the thought. of the
$11 900 which he said they cdst him,
rose up in protest.
Chairman George Marley, when
Architect Myers appeared, opened up
on him with a statement to the
effect that he had been called to see
what could be done about getting a
technical high school for S400, 900. The
board had turned down the present
bids and the committee had decided
to ask for a new set of plans.
In reply Myers went to great length to
define his position, beginning with the
statement of his belief hat the board
and the committee had always found
him honorable and conscientious in his
dealings and a request for fair treat
ment. The school that had been called
for in the prospectus of two years ago,
he said, was too expensive for the COM
mlttee of today. Designs of other
echoola coetipC npa-half &c much 40 his
he said. had appeared in the papers in
comparison with his proposed school,
and, while he did not want 20 criticize,
they were only about a third as good.
But If the city wanted a school for
$500, 900 1t was not his place to point
out that it would be sorry three years
from now. The committee had seemed
to like his plans, anyway, he said.
The chairman interrupted to- tell Mr..
Myers that the committee new what
vas wanted in spite Of the criticism
which had been directed against it.
"And anyone who says they don't
does not know what he's talking
about he added sharply, as a motion
of dissent from Commissioner George
II. Simmonds caught his attention.
1.-The plans were based on the opinion
of the experts who drew up the pros
pectus," he concluded.
The architect then went on with his
review of the circumstances that led
up to mis- appointment as architect for
the work, stating that he had been
old to go ahead without n specifca-
ton as to the cost. Since hat time
the cost of building construction had
increased from 35 to 60 per cent.
Other cities had been putting up
e-0n nn0 co,no1c IN cnita. nf fhiC He
added:
st fancy no one feels so sorry that
things have not gone ahead as they
should as I am. 1 ave given youth
and energy to make these plans good,
and they nave cost me ten months
work Ii S11, 900 in money. l have
offered to revise them and get new
lids, although it would cost me s., 900
10 do it, but I am sure the board will
not ask me to get up a set for a
smaller school and throw these out.
We have done everything to avoid mis-
takes and that means q little more
cost. l admit that / have increased
the cost about Z 5000, but always for
the good Of the building. If you build
the smaller school 1t will be out Of
date at the end of three years"
But you told us, Mr.. Myers said
Commissioner Smith, after the appro-
priation was made. that the school
could be built within the appropria-
ton"
The architect said he had qualified
this statement by saying that it
could b. done as far as he could judge
from the work on the South Eighth
Street School.
"You said before you received any
payment tina it would cost $685., 000,'
insisted the commissioner
"As an architect you must have
known you could not do it for $500, 900.
You are an expert myers bowed)
and you mean to say that you could
not tell even within 500, 900 what tho
ultimate cost would be? You knew we
had $780, 900 to spend for a technical
high school, | don't want to c~riticise
you, but your ignorance on this subject
borders almost on imbecility. You must
have known that his building would
cost between S700, 900 and $500, DOC
you stated, when we were in your
office one day. that the school could be
built inside the appropriation" on
tinued Mr., Smith. You must have
known. and it was your duty to us
.-.-aTE a. toll 49, 90 0f tIa|