The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-22
COURT HOUSE BOARD
SAYS THERE'S NO BAR
Attacks Adamson Report
Declares Cost Has Been
cut tO 50. t91.357.
nELAY MEANS MILLIONS

IN a -epor; denying that it provided
M A lawyers club. n buffet or bar or
,,y OF the other ~cxtravagant features
discovered last Juno in the plans for the
,.y county Court House by Tilden
,i,n,son. director OF the bureau of con-
,act super, sion. the Court House Hoard
"a. asked the Board of Estimate 10 APP
,rove the plans. specifications and con-
uacts at once.
The board says that delay since the
.,sns we're submitted on June IS has
,l-ealy eos, the city s5j7,460 in carry
tc charges aud other expenses. 1t calls
his "vastage. which exceeds the cost of
obstruction Of the foundations Of the
sew building
The Estimate Board has all along in
,,,ed that the cost of the building, e:;-
,frivc Of furniture and fixtures. should
no, exceed $4,000, 900. The Court
House Board reports that IL has reduced
ne cnbiral contents IS per cent. since
the original plans were submitted. at
the same time increasing the disable fiooi
.rsa 90 per cent. II says that the high
et estimate of cost has been cut from
$4,000. Coo to ss.tsi.351. divided AS fol-
ioxs: Building proper. s7,s1i.l32 me-
ehanical equipment. Si,l37.225: ele-
ut0Is, S3Ju.uVv.
Loss Of s".OOO.OOO More In STA ht.
II the plans have to be modified. the
hoard says. the wastage will be more
nan s?,00o. 900. and unless there Ia
prompt action the losses will Gun
lite until the cost Of the building Will
h. twice as much ms estimated. The
Cooperation Counsel will send to the ts-
IN ate Board to-day an opinion that
as the state imposes a mandatory duty
70 erect the Court House the project can
70; be abandoned in the absence OF
fii;her legislation by the state"
The findings OF MIR. Adamson and his
suggestion that the SIZE of the proposed
Court House could be reduced one-half
ard stu be- ample are ridiculed In re-
ports made 10 the Court House Board by
rs experts Architect Guy Lowell. Con-
| sli;lng Architect Walter Cook. Consult
tg Engineer l.. Z. Goodrich. and the
ag,hiiects' consulting engineers, Daniel
X Moran. Clark. MacMullen a. Riley and
e. T. Knox. They say that Mr.. Adam
sons report was "a confused mixture Of
missta,ements and erroneous conclusions,
predicated upon misinterpretation Of the
plans, specifications and contracts" They
insist that most o: the figures he cited
we're Incorrect. that his statistics were
-nisapplied' and that he had IAN en-
tire misunderstanding of the subject"
Assertions OF these architects and en-
rlneers In the employ OF the Court House
HOard. as summarized by the board. are:
There il no luxurious club: the IL
brary ~ planned 10 contain 2l6.S6S vol
lines instead OF 1000. 600. The space
for employ ees is about one-half of that
provided In the Municipal Building. No
liNur.eS are provided for thu Judges or
Inc lawyers. There is only one audi
iorium. instead of ten as suggested.
There is no palatial dining room. There
> no bar or buffet. The private robing
rem complained OF is simply an office
Connected with each court. There are
10 luxurious baths or fountains. There
{, no Indication of elaborate decoration.
There are no railroads in the building.
The business OF the courts is increasing
very greatly and not decreasing, a. was
charged"
The Estimate Board will not act on
The report to-day
MutiIntiOn Of Design.
ne plans a. revised by Mr.. Adam
tn show. according to the Court House
Boards experts. "a large number of
roms to De either wholly or mostly in
Inc dark and without natural ventiia-
In They describe his scheme las
az entire mutilation OF the Court louise
des On and find IL quite impossible"
10 consider the scheme seriously, They
say il would mean the worst building
10 the world"
In 4 great many cases. the experts
report says. Director Adamson's re-
pJrt would seem to De that not OF a
Professional critic. but OF a professional
'auit iiHder, and in some cases we can
not avoid the conclusion that ii is one of
Hostility TO the whole scheme. a hostility
quite independent CT any examination
OF the design"
comparing the proposed Court House
WIN EXISTING conditions and other court
.ouses in America and Europe the
court House Board says that the room
tz,s a. planned are very moderate
and that considering the necessary
lumber of court rooms. the accommoda-
"ons' cub"se and cost are very eco
'pmical. The cost Of Al cents a cubic
'oo' 70 said t" be "comparab bic with the
'sl o. Inc larger court houses in this
oountry.'
TIC blk room which Mr.. Adamson said
vas 10 os used as a dining room for
,t lawyers club Is merely an audi
or'NIh or court room for the hearing
=" important cases and meetings, ac-
'''ihs to the Court House Boards ex-
.ettS
rms audlt.rium," the repor, says,
l'S TO C. uHectiou with any club or
~! .',ne OF the sort II has been sug-
ms''d mat this might he used. when
~ -'qui. "a Tor It's special purposes. as
= lunch room for lawyers. :. I,
may Dee found desirable for the LAWYERS
'u'l'Sh these room and care for
'"rm Al their wi expense"
'"s'Illng the suspicion that a bar
'"s '' me plans. the export says: III
incredible that a bureau Of the Boa rd
: estimate should be permitted TO make