New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-08
THURSDAY, Nfm Nork Trthlnrt. JULY 1918

stacks, and twice that number with
double stacks. When Mr.. Adamson as
serts that the room would hold 2OOO,-
900 tones he reaches that conclusion
by looking upon IL simply as storage
room. according 20 Mr.. Briggs. Before
the question Of changes is settled an
inquiry will be made as TO the exact
number Of volumes in the better known
law libraries in the country.
Mr.. Adamson will not have his writ
ten report completed before Friday
night, and early next week the special
Committee, consisting OF
Controller Pendergast, President Nc
Aneny and Borough President Pounds,
will meet with the Corporate Stock
Budget and the City Planning commit
tees TO 20 over the entire subject. The
Courthouse Board has engaged the
Quantity Survey Company, Inc, TO pre-
pare n detailed survey Of the quantity
and current price of each of the vari-
Gus kinds of materials and labor re-
quired by the draft specifications.
Other estimates of the equipment, cleo
triCal, plumbing, etc, will be made and
submitted TO the Board of Estimate.
But they will not be ready before the
end of the month. II is doubtful wheth-
er or not the question can be acted
upon at the meeting of the board sched-
uled for July 20. If there are to be any
extensive alterations Of the plans the
construction of the courthouse will be
delayed indefinitely.
Meantime those who are agitating for
the abandonment Of the project at this
time are busy Among them is the Real
Estate Board, of which Laurence VI.
ID. Mcclure is president. He has asked
the Advisory Board of the Real Estate
Interests to join them in a request for
such abandonment. They have made no
definite decision, but Clarence II. Kel-
sey, president Of the Title Guarantee
and Trus Company, and Charles A.
Peabody. president Of the Mutual Life
Insurance Company, Of the board, have
arranged 10 meet the Courthouse Com
mittee Of the Board Of Estimate with
Mr.. Mcclure on Tuesday.
II was decided yesterday that the re-
port Of Mr.. Adamson, which is said 70
be somewhat sensational in parts,
should not be made public, but that the
members of the Board Of Estimate
committees should go over 1t with mem
bers of the Courthouse Board and then
give out their own report. There is
general agreement that the structure
shall under no circumstances cost more
than S10,000,000.
When Mayor Mitchell was asked what
he thought of the plans as analysed by
Mr.. Adamson he replied:
AS result of my own study and
Of the report rendered to me, ! am
convinced that the plans as they now
lie contain certain elements of pro-
posed service which, to my mind, are
wholly unnecessary, and would entail
an excessive cost. So firmly am | con-
WINGED Of this that feel can say that
the plans will not receive my approval
as n member of the Board of Estimate
until they have been thoroughly re-
cast and very substantial economies
effected.
For example, the plans presented to
us contain extraordinary allotments Of
space for lawyers private clubs. in
GLIDING restaurants and lounges. This
is only one of number of instances
OF apparent extravaganza in plan and
design.
"The joint committee Of the Board Of
Estimate will report upon the details
and plans and will undoubtedly recon-
mende radical changes before approval
is given by the Board of Estimate.
The city is committed to the construc-
ton of new courthouse. The site
has been procured at very considerable
cost The necessity for a new court
house is admitted on all sides. The
city government, however, which is
only one of the three agencies re-
sponsible for the planning and con-
struction of this courthouse, has the
duty to see that facilities are provided
at minimum cost necessary to satisfy
the actual present and prospective re-
quirements of the bench and bar"