The Detroit times., 1915-01-15
SCHOOL BOARD
DECLINES TO
MAKE SAVING
Boosts Fees of Architects NAL
comson & Higginbotham, Ig-
nOring Lower Offers
SCHOOLS WILL NOT BE
USED AS VOTING BOOTHS
Would Be Gathering Place For
Ward Heelers and DRINKS,
Kunz Explains

Although School Inspector Lowrie.
OF the Second ward. tried to show fel.
low members on the Board of Eduoa-
ton. In the regular meeting Thursday
night, how they could save $121S2 in
1915. on architects fees, by taking
the contract from the present school
architects, Malcomson az Higginbo-
than, the board defeated his plan. I'm
mediately after taking this action, the
inspectors adopted a resolution rails
ing the fees of Malcomson & Higgin-
botham from three and one-half per
cent to Ave per cent.
Offers were read from two other
firms OF architects. Joseph e. Mills
q Son proposed to do the school work
for three and one-half per cent. Stahl.
Kinsey q Chapman asked four per
cent
Il don't call II good business judg-
ment To pay the money OF taxpayers
TO one firm OF architects when we can
save thousands Of dollars by giving
the work to Arm which offers low
er fee," said Lowrie "Nor do | be-
lieve what some inspectors say, that
the present architects are more capa-
BILE than all others. Any architect
would have to give us a bond to In
sure proper work and, therefore, we
couldn't lose one way or the other !
don't think all this work should 20 to
one Arm. at specified rate. There
ought to be competitive bidding In ar
chitectural work as well as in any
other Kind"
Inspector Lowrie took the building
OF the Dwyer school as an example to
prove how $12,132 could be saved. The
| contract price OF the school was $67,-
$40. The fee OF five per cent amount
ed to $3,367. At three and one-half
per cent, he said, the fee would have
been $2.356. Just t1,011 less than the
five per cent charge. Lowrie figured
that approximately IL times as much
money as the Dryer school cost would
be spent In 1915 for school buildings.
II the saving In each case were as
| great, he pointed out that the board
J would be at least $12,132 ahead at the
end Of the year.
| The frst resolution. as presented by
Inspector Auch, provided that the con.
tract should continue until April 80
| 1915, but on motion of Inspector Mum
ford, the date was changed TO Dec. 81
| 1915. Most OF the inspectors who op
posed Lowrie's plan explained their
stand by stating that the present ar
chitects are in the midst of work
which should be completed before any
new contract is made. Inspector Con
don. who with Inspectors Small and
Bahorski represented Lowrie's only
support, said he was tired OF hearing
this excuse
IF you look at II that way" he
| said, I'VE will have the same firm for
| ever, because they are always In the
midst OF some kind of work II is an
endless chain proposition, SO far as
can see. and don't care to go before
| the people OF my ward and say that
favor spending more money than Is
necessary for school plans, simply be-
| cause don't want to interrupt the
architect at work"
Inspector "Al" Kunz embalmed the
movement to open the schools as cleo
ton booths. There would be too many
ward heelers. DRINKS and others hang.
ers-on, said the Inspector, and a school
Is no At place for them. After kill
Ing this resolution, the board agreed
to name the new school at Cadillac
and Warren-aves. after the late Aug
ust Marxhausen. sr., founder OF the
Abend Post.