New-York tribune., 1921-04-15
Senate Asked to
Probe Office of
State Architect
Towner Offers Resolution
Charging Contracts Have
Been Given at Excessive
Prices, Violating Law
Action Expected To-day
Pitcher, Who Holds Post,
incumbent Since 1913;
Belonged to Both Parties


ALBANY, April 14.-An Investigation
by legislative committee of the Office
of the State Architect, of which Lewis
F. Pitcher, Of Brooklyn, is the head,
was asked for in a resolution intro
duced in the Senate tonight by Senator
James Towner. of Duchess County.
The resolution charges that contracts
for. public buildings have been let at
excessive prices, and that many of the
buildings have been built in violation
Of law.
Mr.. Pitcher, who was appointed by
Governor Sulzer in 1913 after the Tam.
many machine refused to confirm two
other men that Sulzer wanted appoint
ed, has been under fire before. The
last time was when President f. IL. La
Guardia of the New York City Board
of Aldermen made charges against him.
Fer one year after his appointment
Mr.. Pitcher was enrolled as a Demo
crat. He worked for the election Of
Governor Glynn, Democratic candidate
Mr.. Whitman's election it was given
out by Mr.. Pitchers friends that he
had become a Republican. He was re-
appointed by Governor Whitman. Then,
when his term expired last year, he
was reappointed by Governor Smith, a
Democrat. The term is for five years
at $4,000 a year.
sMr. Pitcher has powerful friends in
both parties. Last summer there was
talk of investigating his relations with
the New York City contracts, but the
proposed investigation never got be-.
yond the stage of discussion. His
predecessor was removed after an in
vestigation conducted by Governor
! Sulzer.
The resolution will not be acted on
until tomorrow.
The resolution reads:
Whereas, 1t is alleged and gener-
ally believed that many contracts for
the erection of public buildings de-
signed by the state architect have been
erected in behalf of the state in viola.
tion of the statutes in relation thereto.
and.
"Whereas, These contracts so lille
gally made may cause large losses to
the state, and,
Whereas, 1t is generally believed
that some of these contracts so ille-
gally executed have been awarded at
{ SUMS ldIScly al cHCcSS Oh Lnc reason
able cost Of the construction of the
buildings provided for in such con-
tracts, and,
Whereas, The interests of the state
should be protected by the securing
and preserving the facts and evidence
in relation to the execution and valid
ity Of the contracts SO alleged to have
been unlawfully made in behalf of
the state, and also the reasonable
value of the work already performed
Hereunder so that the state may be
enabled properly to resist and defend
claims which may hereafter be made
against the state on account of said
contracts or for the v..lue of the work
done and materials furnished by rea-
son thereof;
"Resolved (if the Senate concur),
That Joint committee of the Senate and
Assembly be hereby created, consist
ing of four members of the Senate, to
be appointed by the President of the
Senate, and five members of the AS
sembly, to be appointed by the
Speaker of the Assembly, whose duty
it shall be to investigate the affairs of
the state architects Office, and par
ticularly the letting and execution of
contracts for the construction of public
buildings of the state.
"Resolved, That such committee re-
port to the Legislature of 1922 on or
before February l."