Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19
Municipal Affairs
ARCHITECTS GIVEN
A WARM CALL DOWN
CARELESS WORK REPORTED
ON SUBSTATl0N
Inspector Humphreys Says 1t Was
Duty of Train g. Williams to
Prevent Mistakes in
Building

The failure of the architects who
are supervising the construction OF
the University substation to note that
the foundation of the building did not
so down as far as it should, and the
plea of the architects that they We're
ignorant of this fact when they issued
certificate to the contractor enabling
him to draw part of the contract
price, probably viii result in change
Of the system Of constructing city
buildings.
1t will also mean that hereafter
when a contractor is given a set OF
plans and specifications ne will be eX-
pected to follow them or he VII have
10 do his work over. The board OF
public works feels that it has been
imposed on by contractors who have
given excuses for their failure To do
proper work, but excuses will go no
longer.
Sharp Letter Written
In a letter to the board of public
works that teens with the sharp sar-
casm of which he is capable but which
he seldom uses, W. NJ. Humphreys,
chief inspector OF public Worns, az
raigns Train & Williams, tne s~per-
Vising architects of the new UniVer-
sity police substation for their failure
10 note that J. A Crook, the contrac-
tor, had not complied with the speci-
tications and plans for erecting the
building. Mr.. Humphreys says:
4 have looked over the Communi-
cation from Messrs. Tran & Williams
of December t relative to their fai ure
to note that the contractor on the
University sub-police station had not
gone down to the proper depth with
his foundation, and from il II is clear
that my conception of the duties of
supervising architect has been erro-
neous. l wish to call your attention
to the following paragraph:
The giving Of a certificate does
not accept the work covered by that
certificate, and should it be found lat
them. If this is not true. would it not
of the quality it appeared TO be at
the time the certificate was issued the
architect or owner can have the error
remeded or the work entirely rebuilt
at the contractors expense.
Duty to Prevent Error
1T has been my impression that it
was the supervising architects duty
10 prevent errors rather than correct
them. If this is not true, would lot not
be well to wait until the building is
completed and then, for a fraction Of
the cost, have some architect inyesti-
safe and deal with the contractor in
accordance with the facts found when
the building is completed? OF course
hidden work could not be inspected,
nor would the depth Of its foundation
have been inspected and the material
around its footings. Again, l find in
their letter:
1--WE believe the error on fore
mans part an inadvertance and
caused by haste, as in other places
the concrete was put in greatly in eX-
cess. He claims he mistook the es-
tablished grade for the floor lines and
worked accordingly
II cannot see what bearing this may
have on the subject. The city should
not pay for haste, inadve tance or ig-
norance. II seems To me the contrac-
tor should have been pena.ized for his
failure to live up TO the specifications
but from information furnished it was
not legal to do this.
New Suggestions Made
There seems to be room for the
suggestion that the contractor should
have been required to tear out the wall
and go down the proper depth, but in
view of the statement of our building
inspector, whom I have invariably
found TO be right on these matters.
that the foundation was all that could
be asked, and that nothing was to be
gained by tearing out the wall ana
going deeper the boards action
seems to have been the only reason
able solution Of the difficulty"
This letter was referred to j. j.
Backus, building inspector, and he
will report to the board that ia order
TO avoid similar mistakes in the future
the method Of constructing city
buildings should be changed He be-
lleves that the best plan would be to
employ an architect to draw the plans
and specifications and then to turn tn.
work of supervising the construction
over to the building department. or.
Mr. Backus says, if the city viii equip
his department for architectural work
he viii be willing to draw the plans
and specifications and supervise the
work
Anybody who would be able TO find an
address in the directory would be able 10