The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-26
Appointment Of Butler
Has Caused Public to
Lose Confidence.
BECK LAUGHS
AT CHALLENGE
Points Out That He Has Been
Under Examination for Six
Years, but Declares That
Butler Has Twice Failed
in Subordinate
Position.

Fighting desperately 10 divert the
public mind from the fact that the
Administrative Board has appointed An
unframed and nontechnical man to
"a position requiring technical skill.
John p. Butler. the boards appOintee,
has offered to enter % competitive test
~ his qualifications. providing Build
ing Inspector Beck Will stand the same
examination. That Mr.. Butler has lit
TIE conception OF the purpose Of q
slvil service examination is shown b.
his oncr to meet Mr Beck in any
examination. physical. theoretical or
practical" and mis- boast that while
he does not claim 10 know T. all. lie
can DO anything ia the building line
that Mr. Beck can do"
Has stood the Closest scrutiny.
Nj Beck who takes his seat on
tine Administrative Board January J.
was disposed 10 laugh AT the offer.
Their. has Mt been 2 week WITHIN
the past six years" he said last night.
that my work has not been under
critical examination Ny orders
changing baiidiug plans for safety OF
Ere protection have been scrutinized
and approved by some OF the leading
architects Of this country; one board
% engineers after another has been
called ia by property owners contest
Ing ms orders condemnius unsafe
property and not a month has passed
mat 1 have not been summoned before
one court or another TO uphold my
rulings and ny Interpretation Of The
building laws Of the city No Office
in tho civ Hall has been as cOntin-
ually under scrutiny. or has come out
o. every contest as uutarnished- II
Was oh MS record As Building ~
spcctor that [ went before the people
aud was elected 20 the Administrative
Board"
Dodg~s the Issue.
Ia other quarters Nj. Buffers Offer
q. regarded a. lodging the issue Nj
Beck's qualifications are not now the
question We're II admitted fOr the
AXE Of argument that Mr Beck was
totally unfit for tho position. ii would
got follow that when the opportunity
came 20 put 4 new man IA. that
.uother uuat man should b. chosen
As a matter II fact ar. Beck IS civil
engineer OF long and varied eNperi-
once. having at one time served sAts
factoriiy as Assistant City Engineer %
Richmond under Colonel Cutshaw-a
suficieut guarantee IL itself OF ms
professional ability. IL has planned
ana ~fNf. NArtL p a Ava aAl- ~ 80
strtctlon for raiYsads and corpora
tons. and for sefsral cities. Including
gas plants water works. drainase
systems and other engineering prob
lems OF greater or less magnitude
o., vas a strong candidate for city
Er-ine~r OF Richmond against Charles
j. Boiling. following the death OF
Colonel CutshaW. ana since becoming
Building Inspector has declined the po-
sitiOn ~ Chief Eugineer of the Wy
.inia hallway and Power Company
Nr. Buffers Record
Against This record Mr.. Butler pre-
..utS his claim OF having been a
skilled Dricklayer- He makes no claim
OF training a. AL architect or civil
engineer. but saws THAI a. bricklayer
he has learned - read blue prints
While deputy inspector in the Office
under Nh Beck. ne was assigned e.
iha; branch OF the work which in
GUIDED supervision of small houses IN
fhc brick district Of the West End
work OF the character. 20 which no
had been accustomed. and which 50 Ear
rs the records show. he performed
satisfactorily untii his drinking habits
caused his dismissal
Examination by Impartial Experts.
Discussing tn proposition OF sub
hitting the qualifications Of Cdud dates
Tor such positions 70 "a test under civil
service regulations Mr. b ck-said D.
waS fu favor Of q only II Conducted
under proper auspices such IN ~
animation would be- pr no value unless
conducted h1 disinirrestsd and impair
rial outside experts "a tn subject un-
der examination. H suggested as suit
able parties 90 hold such An eXamina-
ton Building Inspector " Her. - New
York. or RrildirE Inspector Hacker
81 Washin Ston. with both % whom a.
has had correspond nee over modern
buildinz regulations
Il read NJ Buffers statement Offer
su- 60 enter into "a tsst with me- said
NJ Beck. II have Leeu under cNanin-
alton bk the % opir of Richmond fei
81. yc-rs. and have hcen approved by
vote ~ she people. To ~eS under 2
ton two. and failed ho&i times II
lIr Butler fcfls that his qualifications
Tor the Office have nor received pro0ci
recognition. OF that D. has been i'm
properly treated. Do should Adde'S 2
.onSu-4frira-ion 10 -. board asking foi
pr impartial '-f-nir,aii'n n} outside
and unbiased frprrfs
R~~k Carries ButIcr-~ Ward
~ g. ~ Futi~rs alleged political
f-nrirfurr o call attention. Co. To- fdc'
F,a-d uriml carried Ciay Ward
Win fne o. ruirffiuu fFef" against
r,. want De- distinctly understood
tr4t am Tor fhr best man " at
~. Tor BUILDING Inspector. Tho ~
fen-e Of afffInc such man 7S ~
r.-r.-Esnf Of the American society 81
-s.4 r-net~carr o. ~ fhr American rs
......tton of Architects Co. come h~r'
~ conduct ~ rvar1i1afipr would b.
,...ni~-r n W ~ouif fhrr~br SECURE ?
hotter man nan has fri been suE
s.sfcd I wogid certainly support who.
-..,- ~-.u sro-rr n BE- The best nan ir
..,.t y contest. I understand that tn
.it~ engineers - number ~ cites
r,-~ hon selected after euch c'vi
-e-vi~o rxarfratiorr as 60 thor quail
. .fI, don't think NJ Batter means
~t.f h. has haer quoted - s7vinz
m - ~ doesn't grasp the scope o.
chat ". is tafking about
,uossrr rsucus Ts-Nerr"w.
NcuberS - the Adminlstrs ~