The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-23
MYERS SAYS
ANOTHER NOT AUTHOR OF
SCHOOL PLANS.
Architects Professional Life Cloudiessi
His Reply-varley on Cost of Build
ing Such as City Needs.

MY life is written in two large, clean
volumes: one my private life and the
other my business life,'' declared Archl-
tect Nathan Myers last night when told
that Architect John V. Van Pelt. of New
York city. claimed that 1t was in his brain
that he plans Of the Technical High
School originated. Mr.. Myers denied en-
phatically the statement of the New York
architect. but added that even II it was
so it would not change the complexion
of the case.
Mr.. Myers said thai a number of plans
were seen by members of the Board OF
Education while they were being drawn at
his office, and when asked about the first
set of plans submitted in the competition,
he stated that they were drawn at his
house. Mr.. Myers said that he was tired
of the publicity given the matter.
The controversy is the result Of an ac-
ton about to be brought in the Supreme
Court by City Counsel James r. Nugent
against Architect Myers for the recov-
cry of $500. paid to Myers on a 2s per
cent basis for plans on a school of an
estimated cost of $500 900. 1t was found
when the bids were received that the cree
ton of the school would cost nearly twice
that sum and the plans were consequently
of no use to the city, and the city Law
Department will ask the courts to order
~ 1CDAilaNiOA VI liit AAOANV /"
performance of contract.
Commissioner George Marley, chairman
of the school house committee of the
Board of Education, who has since the
beginning defended the architect, said to-
day that the plans were all that could be
desired if the money to build the school
according to them was on hand, and,
added: Il am quite sure that the
High School which the city needs cannot
no htti1f for Ql00 000 Mr. Muaretc MIA q
could be modified so that possibly $1,000 0
could be cut off the bids, bringing the cost
down to $3.50, 600, but If we attempt TO
build a school for $4,000 we will not get
the building we need.
II do not think thai we should
put up a building which is not adequate
10 meet the needs of the city. Let us wait
until we can get more funds and then
erect the magnificent building which Mr..
Myers has planned, and which meets the
needs of the city. To put up a smaller
building than we need would be folly, and
we would have to do this If we restrict
ourselves to the appropriation of 100000.
"Dr. Poland has approved the prospectus
and the plans; Mr.. Reeves, the superin-
tendent of buildings, has approved them;
the committee knows that the building is
just what we need; so 1 cannot understand
why there is such a hullaboloo over the
matter.
IL do not believe that Mr.. Myers had
the plans made in New York, but even
If he did, this is a common practise among
architects, and is nothing to his discredit. "
Commissioner J.. Edward Smith. prime
mover In the agitation, was still fiis in
his opinion that the architect should re-
fund the $500 paid him on account or draw
up new plans.
when we were given $780, 900 to build
a commercial high school, the people ex-
pected us to go ahead and build it. They
did not expect us to come back and ask
FOR more money. The statement that we
cannot get what we need for this large
sum of money is preposterous, and / do
not think that we are keeping the faith
IL we pass the muddle over to another
body of men without first showing that
we are trying to build the school within
the appropriation"