Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-06-29
C|TY'S BUSINESS
| ANDLABOR JOIN IN
AWARD PROTEST
central Trades and Labor Coun-
Gil to Consider War Memo
rial Contract.
Bull DERS' EXCHANGE WILL
MEET THIS AFTERNOON
Storm of Criticism Result of
Noncompetitive Letting of
$2,oo0,00o Structure.
rs TERMED "SNAP CAUCUS"
'Sorots Representations Planned
To BE Made to Next Session
OF Joint Commission.
BUILDERS EXCHANGE WILL
MEET THIS AFTERNOON
TERMED "SNAp CAUCUS"
' iSorous Representations Planned
To he Made to Next Session
Of Joint Commission.

Trade unionists. architects and
business men alike. expressed them
selves yesterday az being nothing
mort Of 'astounded' after having
earned OF the manner In which the
war Memorial Commission and the
s'at" Library Board, Jointly charged
ith the duty OF awarding the con-
rae; for the erection Of the Memorial
Library In honor Of Virg.nians who
served in the SpanIsh-Amcrican and
l"orld wars, had virtually awarded
vac contract 20 the John r Wilson
ompany without giving other con-
tractors an opportunity to submit
BIDS and without giving public no
'icc that such "a meeting OF their
lbodies was TO have been he'd.
The Central Trades and Labor
Council OF Richmond. whose members
are vitality Interested In the projcc,
on which the taxpayers OF the State
are TO expend at least $4,000. 600. an
nounced last night, through one OF
It's officials. that a meeting OF tina
pody would be called Friday evening
AZ o'clock 10 consider the proposi-
uon In all its details and TO take an.
lrropr!ate action as a body. The
builders Exchange of, Richmond also
aroused by what some Of i,s members
term the atmosphere OF secrecy which
y ncystcd the conduct Of the ioint com
omission In naming the Wilson Com
pany as the builders OF the memorial
library. viii meet this afternoon TO
consider the Nholc tier
Architect Cri,icixcs POLICY.
Marceiiua Il. Wright. the we'll
known architect, was outspokcn in
declaring himself against the policy
'1uu fnr pursued by the joint com
mission In dealing with the War Me
mortal. He said:
The whole procedure is most as
founding. To say the least On public
work OF this magnitude and character.
| u would be proper. first OF all, TO
engage an architect by holding n
competition under the rules Of the
American Institute OF Architects.
whereby the design would be selected
by an impartial jury OF award. The
architect would then prepare detailed
working drawings and specifications
|, FOR competitive bids which would
'bc secured by tho boards advertising.
land the contract would then be
awarded 10 the lowest responsible
bidder
I The Legislature. in creating the
joint commission and giving IL au-
thority to award the contract for
the building OF the war memorial.
appropriated s500.Oo0 outright for the
purpose and authorized il 10 issue
bonds for an additional $500. 600
Whether the s2:O00.O0o thus obtained
Will be sufficient TO cover the entire
tts;s of the structure is not known
at this time and cannot, in the very
nature of things. be definitely known
for some time to come. but there is
M undercurrent OF feeling that an
ether appeal will have to he made TO
the Legislature before the building is
ready for occupancy.
would Have fLnown Cost.
Interested citizens call attention to
the fact that IL the Joint commission
instead OF naming the Wilson Com
IS,any as the building contractors and
|EivinG the work TO that corporation
yhu noncompctitive basis. had first
|rngaged an architect TO draw up the
working plans and specifications and
had then given all contractors an op-
lportunity to bid on them. the people
would have pretty accurate informa-
fion as to what the structure was
going to cost them. If the plan out
|lined had been followed, it has been
(stated. the usual thing would have
'bcen the awarding Of the contract to
the lowest bidder. and the figure he
named would come pretty near being
tho figure at which the building would
be completed and turned over to the
state.
But the joint commission. in hold
ing what one builder denominatcd
yesterday as "a snap caucus" and
in virtually giving the contract to a
company before any other had oppor-
tunity to bid, on cost-Dlus basis
and before an architect had been
designated To draw up plans and
Continued on page col. %