The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-28
COSBY PRAISES
fine ARTS WORK
Executive Officer Of Commis-
sion Says Recommends
tons Prove Valuable.
SAVING is EFFECTED
Many Valuable Designs Passed Upon
and Cost Of Work Greatly
Reduced.
SAVING is EFFECTED

Plans and designs numbering more
than a hundred, and valued at approx.
imately $So,ooo.ooo have been acted upon
by the Commission of Fine Arts since
it's creation. in 1911, according to'a state
ment issued yesterday by Col. Spencer
Cosby. secretary and executive oficer
Of the commission. in which the work Of
that body is reviewed.
During the first half OF the fiscal year
1913 twenty-four submissions were re-
ceived, and all but two disposed Of.
THE work of the commission has been
of cooperation rather than Of criticism"
asserts Col Cosby. 1T has aimed to &C.
complish results by advising with COM
missions, architects, or artists individ-
ually whenever notifications or changes
in the matter under consideration seemed
desirable. Its recomme ndations have re-
suited not only in marked Improvement
in the beauty and artistic character Of
the monuments and public buildings
planned in Washington during the last
two years. but also in a saving OF many
thousands Of dollars to the government.
Its advice has almost invariably been in
the direction Of simplicity and against
ornateness. II it's recommendation Is
followed in the proposed armory, the
cost of that building will probably be
reduced several hundred thousand dol
lars.
Expert Advice Unnecessary.
1T has advised against the purchase
of various paintings alone (Which were
inferior works of aro which would have
cost the government $4,000. Prior to
1910, in considering the plans and models
for any monument and during the exc
cution of the work, many hundreds OF
dollars had to be spent in each case
for expert advice. 1t is probable that
the saving in this item Of expense alone
has been more than the sum total OF
the appropriations made for the commis-
sion during the time it has been in ex-
istence. Some Of the most important
cases in which il has rendered such ex-
pert advice are the Lincoln memorial.
the competition for the Perry memorial
at Pu-in-Bay, Ohio, the German me.
mortal at Germantown. Pa, the Fort
Recovery monument, the Guilford Court
House monument, the monuments IN
Washington to John Paul Jones. to Gen.
Grant, to Commodore Barry, &C.
The commission has rendered assist
ance, upon request, to the President, 10
committees OIL the ScHdtc anu thS iAOeDS
of Representatives. to the Secretaries OF
the Treasury, of War, of the Navy, OF
the Interior, and of Commerce and
Labor, to the officer in charge of Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds. to the Dis
trict Commissioners, to the Isthmian
Canal Commission, to various STATE
commissions, and to- other oncers
charged by law with the determination
of cIuestions of art. These matters IN
cluded not only passing on the artistic
qualities of paintings and models Tor
statues, but upon the proper location OF
public buildings and monuments, upon
problems of traffic, and upon unitarian
features in the treatment OF bridges,
thoroughfares. plazas, and parks.
Congress has amplified the duties OF
the commission by authorizing 1t, by act
approved August "a, 1912. to make report
regarding the artistic character OF the
structures of the Panama Canal. The
act approved December s, 1911, providing
q suitable memorial to the memory OF
the North American Indian in New York
Harbor, subjects the design for that me-
mortal to the approval of the Commits
elm of Fine Arts"