Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-20
FOR PROPOSED RULE
Barring Unlicensed Architects
and Builders.
CREATION OF TRUST DENIED
F. W. Fitzpatrick Pleads for Raising
Standard of Observation-Disclosures
Appearance of Streets.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
Why is it that every bit of real prog
ress every movement for the safeguard
ing. the benefit of the community, the
welfare of the people, especially or the
poor people, stirs up a lot of hystericai
opposition and horde of self-appointed
defenders of things as they are or WERE
reactionaries who pose as champions Oh
til aforesaid downtrOdden poor man!
Take for instance, the two letters IN
YOUR Sunday issue, written by Messrs
Harbaugh and Riggles. protesting against
the very mild rule proposed by the pulid-
ing department that all buildings erect
cd hereafter shall be from plans by
licensed architects and built by licensed
builders The measure will not create an
architects trust, but 1t will raise the stand
ard Of construction a bit. and: heaven
knows. it needs raising. Spite of the ex-
celIence and activity of our building de-
partment and by reason of too lax laws
in the past our city is already hlied WIKI
fire traps and i'll built apartments ana
homes structures erected by speculative
builders and wood butchers. contraptions
literally held together by the paper on
the walls until they can be gotten RID OF
TO the too confiding poor man at tat
price The victim may then, undefend-
ed" gnash his teeth over his bad bargain
and begin forking out for the excessive
,and ought to be unnecessary repair bills
and coal bills.
Not Creation of Trust.
If we insisted upon the employment OF
architects belonging to the American In
stHute or of builders and workmen be-
longing to certain associations or trade
unions. then there might be tendency
toward a trust. a combination In restraint
of competition, but We simply demand
h. Nln of
posed building pass an examination py the
city and be licensed by Ii as competent TO
do such work. So with the builder sure
ly the cheap craftsman. so dear TO the
heart of Mr.. Harbaugh. who is competent
enough to plan a house. ought to be Will
ing to prove that competence by exami-
nation and take out license, and there
ought to still be competition enough to
insure Mr.. Harbaugh or any one else
wanting that sort of service getting plans
for a house at cut-thrOat rates.
And the city should make its licensed
architects and builders put UP bonds sur
ficient to assure their building according
to the ordinances, and If one is caught
trying to dodge these regulations his IL
cense should Immediately be revoked SO
that he could not again build or plan in
Washington. The poor man. really does
need protection and mostly against his
own ill-directed notions of liberty. His life
and his property have too long been at
the tender mercy of shysters. but the silll-
ness of the situation is that you have to
knock him down and sit on him while do
ing it, for he'll bitterly resent every sane
movement toward that protection, and
there'll always ne horde of valiant
champions scurrying to the defense of the
privilege that has existed to exploit and
to fleece him. Just such opposition has
been offered to every wise move made
and protesting howls have been heard at
every step of progress. Why. forsooth,
shouldn't liquor be sold the poor man"
at every door by any one wanting to sell
it and of any quality: why shouldn't
every quack In the land be permitted to
practice and cure the poor man" with
out let or hindrance: and why not open
our courts to the pleadings of every wild
eyed orator who feels inclined to spout?
Indeed. why license and control anything
or any one? Is this not the land Of the
free and the brave?