Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-30

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played upon them in the hope of making the
fish rise; but not one put its nose out Of
the water. Then the fisherman cast magic
net into the river. and soon drew 1t forth
filled with fish He now took up his bag
pipes and played again. and as he played
the fsh leaped up in the net.
"Ah. you dance now when play said
the fisherman.
Yes" replied a veteran fish. when you
are in anothcrs power you must do as he
bids"
In the fisherman we have illustrated the
commanding position of Philip H. Johnson,
hrother-in-law of the late Israel w Dur
ham. and political architect in perpetuty
for the city of Philadelphia. His magic net
represents the astounding contract under
which he operates; its meshes woven for him
in Councils during the administration of the
late Mayor Ashbridge on orders" from THE
Organization" And the fish that must now
dance to the music of his pipes are we tax
payers. we are they
President Judge Mayer Sulzberger, of the
Court of Common Pleas No. 2, has held that
we must continue to dance indefinitely. He
decided:
THE contract Of March go 1903. with Philip
II. johnson was. therefore, a valid, subsist-
ing contract and the City Solicitor was right
in refusing to draw and approve a contract
with another architect in 1918 for a part of
the same work"
Under the contract Of 1908 Johnson secured
absolute monopoly of the architectural work
of the Department of Health and Charities.
He gets 90 on tho cost of the buildings and
fixtures. This contract alone, IL it is allowed
to stand, will directly net him over half a
million dollars, for all the work is sealed"
for him. His commission on State work
amounted to no less than a quarter OF a
million The new Philadelphia General Hos
pital is estimated to cost S6OO0,000 of which
Johnsons slice will be at least 900.
An architect qualified to plan great hos
pital therefore. ought to have the gift OF
Imagination as we'll as technical skill. He
should be intimately acquainted with the
principles of tmbering in it's relation to
excavation and snoring; he should have
scientific knowledge of the various soils; he
should know chemistry as to understand
the effect of gases and acids on the materials
used in a building, and finally, he should be
an expert on plumbing, heating, ventilation
electric and gas lighting, water supply
drainage, glazing and decoration.
Yet no architect possessing all of these
qualities can plan for the municipal charities
of Philadelphia. All men having exceptional
accomplishments are entirely barred, fore
closed and shut out from exercising such
ability in this city.
Why? Because "Phir johnson, an ex-
rodman in the Bureau OF Surveys Cwho Di-
rector Morris L. Cooke Of the Department
of Public Works. is reliably informed was
dropped for incompetency some is years ago.,
has strangle-hold on Philadelphia. He
alone can plan for US.
Here we must explain the remarkable rise
of this ex-rodman Johnson Is of those
men whom the tide of political events sends
TO the surface for a few years, and then en-
gulfs on some stormy night of public awaken
ing He is still riding high on the waves of
influence. After Johnson left the Bureau of
Surveys he became an inspector on the IA
nous uninspected State Capitol at Harris
burg Exit "Phil," the ex-rodman; enter
Philip H. johnson, architect"
Word soon came down from Harrisburg
that the State was going 10 erect some big
institutions. and the architect was a clever
young Philadelphian-a genius discovered by
"Izzy'' Durham. The Boys" along Broad
street-west side, between Chestnut street and
Penn Square in these days-almost burst
out laughing when they spoke OF the great
find Even Tim" O'Leary, then a head
quarters detective. had TO keep uproariously
mum. for Select Councilman Charles seger
the time when Seger's nod was the last word
from the invisible government"
Nobody KNOWS exactly where Phil" John
son, the small place-hoder, left on and where
Philip H. johnson. the big humanitarian
architect, began, but the time is fixed at
around 1901. He had entered the family OF
Boss Durham We began to hear of large
appropriations for institutions planned by
johnson and located at Rttersville and
Spring city. One does not get much details
out OF the daily legislative columns that are
supervised by the contractor overlords But
looking into the Legislative Hand Book We
now learn:
That the Homeopathic Hospital for the In
sane at Rittersvile in buildings alone has
cost 81, l,s73,27O so far; took over 10 years TO
build, and while supposed TO house 5000 In
mates, ends up with a capacity Of less than
1000.
That the Eastern Pennsylvania State In
stitution for the FeebIe-M Minded and Epilep-
tic at Spring City in buildings alone has cost
81. .s23 800 so far; was intended for the recep-
ton OF both sexes. but as yet, after 10 years
no buildings have been erected for the female
patients.
II was during the Ashhridge administration
that Councils authorized the Mayor by or
dinance to employ an architect for all health
and charities buildings that Il was deemed
probable the city might need In the future
Councils knew whom the Mayor was going
10 hire, so aid the Mayor. For the word
had been passed over from the Betz Build
ing 70 sit Brother-in-law Johnson in this
golden saddle and 70 see that his stirrups
held.
The contract follows: