El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-10-07
pcrs Co,fPETTTIvE PLANS.

Urges COMPEIllAhE A--A-NSs
~ Oatica5 in The Herald Of October
/ that the Rotary CLUB mas eLooLsee .
firm Of architects. members Ol NJ
club. 10 design the new ~ llliclp ~
building This seems hardly Ialr 70
fbe ofler architects Of the city or 10
the nublic. whose money IS oelnS spent
as il is customary All over nc CLlltS1
States to call for coIupSIIttisS " ~
ings where large public DulIdlnss are
- T W sets Of plans were sub
mitted for the New YORK court mouse,
costing 100000 900. Inc arcnltectr .
Tosro1 man. gets 100000, or percent
On $40 600 200. for his fees The ad-
Visibility of having competitive oraW-
fngs is obvious, as an arcilllSCt W ~
knows he will get the Work without
cor,net{tfon does nOE have TO exert
Lir-ss1f Where there are no compeu-
tive drawings you nave only one
mans ideas, and have to take what
he sees fit to give you. whereas N
cou7Detftive drawings YOU not only get
5ifferaDr ideas but each architect com
petinE will do his best 10 produce me
winning plans and the public gets the
best service the architect is capable
If 2 seems to me. that in justice TO all
narries the county judge and commls-
sioners should call for competitive
plans from the local architects ana
give them all a show TO see WnaL lhes
can do. then select the architect whose
plans are best adapted TO the class Of
An architect may be very successful
IN the manning OF commercial Dullu-
ings such as hotels and office build
ings. and be an utter failure IN puollc
buildings, as shown BY the nuHlpeE o.
beautiful buildings throughout the
United States whose poor usl5Ca
Auditoriums and court rooms used
for speaking. singing OF theatrical pur .
poses. have TO be constructed the same
as rhearers and churches. so far as
their construction applies TO the acous-
tics. heating. Ventilating. lighting ana
lines of vision In planning an office
or hotel building an arcnlIecl ooe7
not have 10 consider acoustics
Very few architects take up the
study Of acoustics, lines Of vision ana
ventilation. as they are rather com
plicated. and when called upon 10 40
fhar class OF work they are not able
to give his customers the class OF
work they expect
II the county Judge and commission
ers or those responsible for the selec-
ton OF plans are in doubt as 10 the
structural features OF the Dul-dllls,
they can easily send them back east
10 some eminent authority on sur
tural enEineering, who could declCe
those nIans show the best evidence OF
a thorough knowledge Of the business
and understanding Of the requirements
OF that class of building
An auditorium seating 1000 for grana
onera and 1000 to 5000 for convention
purposes, with all necessary accessolI
I les. could be built in conjunction Win
the city and county building 1or aoout
! half the money II WouId REQUIRE = 70 70
| could be merged in such manner as
to make one add to the RELIABILITY anu
attractiveness OF the other
FL pasO has been trying 10 secuI .
] huT number OF
years. I came here ten years ago,
upon the receipt OF a letter from one
OF your prominent citizens thal me
citizens here proposed 10 erect a 80
900 convention hall 10 accommodate
I the National Irrigation congress
submitted the plans TO the parties N
! terested and that was the end OF II
I I afterwards prepared plans LOT a .s sst1t-
] porary convention hall that cost SsaOO.
So far as the lines OF vision and acous-
| tics were concerned. II was success
as an object Of beauty II was nope
/ less failure Now, that II IS NOT oIly
| possible, but a very practical PROPOSE
4 ton TO secure a splendid convention
I hall in conjunction with the municlpal
building. would II not be 10 the oSst
/ interests Of all concerned to take
what we can get and stop quarrellls
over the location. as we would then De
I IN a position to take care OF any con-
! vention coming our way, without nav
\ ing to vote any more bonds
When FL Pas0 gets TO be a CITY o.
$50. 600 as she surely will we could
= build an auditorium and locate II IN
what would then be the business cen
/ ter Of the city, and turn the presen-
( auditorium into the municipal pain
I house. without making any changes
in the building other than making a
| couple Of large swimming pools Win
| all necessary dressing rooms ana
I showers. All Of the principal cities
Of the union are building beautlfui
! municipal bath houses and this would
tend to improve the health Of the IN
/ habitants and be an unending source
| OF pleasure to thousands.