Evening star., 1909-05-18
SUGGESTS TWO NAMES
Committee to Select Municipal
Architect Reports.
DETAILS ARE WITHHELD
Commissioner Judson Goes Away
Without Acting.
SECOND CHOICE UNANIMOUS
First Choice Is by Majority Vote.
snowden Ashford and George Q.
Van Nerta Named.
SECOND CHOICE UNANIMOUS

| For municipal architect Snowden Ash
ford. inspector of buildings. first choice by
a majority vote; George 0. Van Nerta of
the supervising architects office Treasury
Department, second choice by unani-
nous vote.
| From an authoritative source it was
learned today that the report of the spe-
cial commission appointed by Engineer
Commissioner Judson to select q munich
pal architect is as given above. The men,
bers OF the commission are not COM
municative, and Engineer Commissioner
Judson departed last night for an extend
ed trip through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois
to visit penal institutions.
After he received the report of the COM
| mittee late yesterday afternoon the En-
| best not to give out the report at least
| until he has made his recommendation to
thes Commissioners as to the aDpointee.
Expected Definite Recommendation
| Maj. Judson had expected that the COM
mission would make a definite and con-
elusive recommendation to him and that
| before he left for the west he would rec
| ommend the man selected by the commits
appointment. The peculiar character of
the report-the fact that one selection
was made by a majority of the members
| of the committee and that the other.
while a second choice, was the unanimous
selection Of the committee-made that
| course impossible, and he found 1t nee
essary to postpone action until his return.
On account of the reticence of the men,
bers of the committee 1t is not known
why the committee made first and sec
nnd rhnica instead 'Nf Sinfp1v I'M,
one name.
Reasoning Of the Committee.
| 1t is believed, however that the COM
| mittee found that 1t could not agree
unanimously on one man, and. desiring
to name to the Engineer Commissioner
a unanimous selection, decided to give a
first and a second choice. The unani-
nous choice was given second place be-
cause q majority of the commission pre-
ferred another candidate.
The commission was composed of
James Knox Taylor, supervising archi-
tect Of the Treasury Department; James
Rush Marshall, president Of the Wash
ington Chapter. American Institute OF
Architects; James F. Oyster. president OF
the board Of education, and Capt VIII
liam Kelly, assistant to the Engineer
Commissioner.
George 0. Van Nerta, on whom the
| ond choice, is an emplOye of the super
viSing architects Office, Treasury De-
partment, and has been doing govern
ment work for score Of years.
Many Years in Service.
| Mr.. Van Nerta Is regarded as one of
the most valuable employees In that di-
vision Of the government service, and
has had charge Of very important work
| Although not native of this country
he has been a resident of the United
| States for many years, and has made his
headquarters in Washington for more
| than twenty years. Recently he has been
sent to different parts of the country to
oversee. as an architect, the construction
! Of federal buildings.
Building Inspector Ashford was born in
the District. January 1, 1866. He entered
the District service in 1895. as assistant
inspector of buildings. He was promoted
to the position of Inspector of buildings
| December 3. 1901, succeeding the late John
B. Brady.
| Department Under Fire.
| During the last two years the District s
building department under Mr. Asford s
supervision has been under fire in investi-
| cations resulting from; the collapse of two
structures-one an d. -;rtment house at
10th and p streets and the other a ware
| house near North Capitol and NJ streets.
Following the investigation Of the last
| fatal conapse by q coroner's jury, the
President of the United States was asked
| to name a commission to thoroughly in
vestigate the building inspectors office.
| Charles P. Neill was named by President
| Roosevelt as the investigator. After he
| had been at work for several weeks he
reported to the President that he had col
lected a large amount of evidence about
| the building department of the District
government, but could not reach a conclu-
sion because hn NrithnIIf To