The Washington herald., 1912-06-23
ARCHITECTS OPPOSE
REPEALOF MEASURE
If Tarsnsy Act Is Taken Of the
Statute Books It Win
Prove Expensive.

Architects OF Washington are much
concerned over the impending repeal Of
the Tsrsney Act. which authorizes the
Secretary Of the Treasury Department
to invite competition OF architects out
side the Department for designing Fed
eral buildings. In the Sundry Civil Bill.
which has passed the House and Is now
before. Congress, there is provision
which. II adopted. will repeal the act
A repeal OF the act viii mean q re-
turn to conditions which produced. Il is
asserted, some very ugly and extrava-
CANT structures for use of the Federal
Government.
James Knox Taylor, Supervising Ar
chitect Of the Treasury Department.
said last night he was opposed TO re-
peal OF the Tarsney Act
The government cannot afford to pay
for such architects as design most Of
the larger buildings" he stated. The
only way for the government to secure
the knowledge possessed by such archi-
tects Is TO employ them, selecting them
OF course, by competition"
Architects Oppose Change.
Architects outside the Treasury De-
partment are opposed to the repeal Of
the act. and in Washington and other
cities q campaign against the repeating
provision in the sundry civil bill is
being waged.
Grant La Fargo, president Of the New
York Chapter OF the American Institute
OF Architects. has issued a statement in
which, after calling attention to the ere
alton OF the ONCE OF supervising archi-
tect in Washington, soon after the close
or the civil war, he says that for about
thirty years, In spite Of the constant
protest Of the architectural profession,
the greater part Of the building work
or the government was intrusted to his
charge Vast amounts OF money were
expended. and the resulting buildings
were lad in plan. bad in design. often
defective in construction, and always ex-
travagRnt in cost"
At the Worlds Columbia Exposition in
Chicago" La Fargo proceeds. the best
monumental work which could be done
by the supervising architects ofice stood
side by side with that OF architects in
private practice. The contrast was Ia
mentable. The Secretary OF the Treas
ury then and there decided to avail him
self Of the provisions Of the Tarsney act
which permitted him TO select architects
by competition from men in private
practice who had given proof Of their
ability, for the more important OF the
governments work.
WouId BE Costly.
The effect has been to work a vast
improvement in the designs made in
the supervising architects ONCE, but II
Is the work of mere craftsmen, and
It necessarily lacks individuality. The
repeal OF the act would lead TO additional
expenditure, not 10 economy. Indeed
economy might be gained II architects
in private practice were selected or ap-
pointed for all work requiring original
designs.
This is no academic question for the
people Of New York. We must soon have
a new downtown pOst-office and probably
a new Federal Court Building. Whether
these shall be the best that the independ-
ent, trained talent Of this country Is ca
pable Of producing, or whether they shall
be Of some inferior. and, perhaps. un-
worthy character, means much to the
city Of New York. Its determination
hangs upon the action soon to be taken
in Congress. The Tarsney act should not
be repealed. and the people Of New York
should advise their Representatives in
Congress in no uncertain tones OF their
vital interest in this matter"
The Tarsney act was approved Febru-
airy 20. 1898, and provided that the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury might employ archi-
tects outside the Department for Federal
Buildings, It being required that the
SuOlCe Oh lne dICulJeCl snOulQ De mace
after competition IN which at least five
architects competed. The architects
commission. the Tarsney act provides.
will be paid in the discretion Of the Sec
retary.
Secretary Of the Treasury Gage first
invited outside architects to compete un-
der the Tarsney act in 1897 The Fed
eral Building at Norfolk. the Immigra-
ton Stations on Ellis Island, and the
office building at Camden. n. J.,
were among the buildings designed under
its provisions. More recently numerous
important Federal buildings have been
an.-.naa h. n-t..La ar-.Elta.ta