The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-20
COMMISSION TO CONSIDER NEW PROJECT
Chamber of Commerce Asks For Recheck of Auditorium Plans and Possible Max ing Another Start on
 Structure

urday morning will consider pro- posal of the Chamber of Commerce that the entire auditorium project be reopened and an outside expert employed at expense of the cham Der to check the plans and investi- gate the contract awarded D. E. Manasco for the building en- closed" Delay of at least 60 days in beginning construction of the structure will be caused by such action, it is believed.
 Reply to the proposal of the chamber, embodied in a letter re- ceived by Commissioner w. E. Dick son Friday afternoon, will likely hold over until Monday, it was in timated at the city hall, to give the commissioners time to consider the matter fully. One fact ap- peared certain, that no contract would be signed with D. E. Manasco or any one else until the chamber matter was finally disposed of.
 At meeting held at the Cham Der of Commerce Friday morning, President D. E. McLendon and Mrs Mary Echols declared themselves willing to assent to the chamber proposition. Commissioners Dick son, Cloe and Harrison said they favored it, but were opposed to further delay in beginning con struction. Spirit of the conference wassdeclared by both sides to be harmonious, friendly and co-opera- tive.
 Yancey Speaks for Chamber George Yancev presented the propo- sition of the Chamber of Commerce. Directors of the Chamber of Com merce realize what a tremendous re- sponsibility and what a tremendous undertaking Is upon you commission CTS" he said Tn the first place, you are undertaking to build an audi torium to seat between 7,500 and 1o,-
 
 enough cloth to cover it. You really have not enough money to build an auditorium of that size.
 .'We realize the complications that were presented when you assumed of- flee. in rejection of the plans of the old architects and starting the whole proposition over again, We realize that since that time you have been besieged with demands that some 1. .i..1r h. T. l;,t te1,. ize also that you cannot please all the people regardless of what you do, and that by attempting to please all of them the result will probably be that you will please none of them.
 However, we want this auditorium to be a monument to Birmingham. We want it to be pleasing architecturally and we want it to be safe from an en- gineering standpoint. One of the most important problems is the awarding of the contract for it's construction if you were letting contract for some building of your own, you would be free to do as you please but in this instance you are, as l know you realize. trustees for the people of Bir- mingham.
 There have been certain rumors circulated regarding the bidding on this contract. These rumors have been so persistent, and some of them have been evidently substantated that we believe if the contract Is let now there will be trouble ahead for Birmingham and for you.
 You have so much money with which to build the auditorium and we believe that every bit of the building should be covered before any contract is let. I understand from talking with your attorney and from my own legal knowledge that the commission is not bound to let the contract to Mir. Manasco. We now ask You to take proper action to wipe the slate clean so far as awarding the contract is concerned. and start all over again.
 "The next thing we ask Is that an outside auditorium architect who Is an expert in his line be employed to check all the plans so as to assure the public of Birmingham that they are all right, or, if necessary to point out defects that should be remeded before it is too late. The Chamber of Commerce is willing to pay for this expert, and we are asking the com mission to hold up the matter and al- low us to do thi's'
 Dickson Asks For Evidence
 Commissioner Dickson asked upon what evidence the conclusions of the chamber directors that there were irregularities were based.
 Mr Yancey replied: We are not asserting that there are any irrega- larities; we merely say that there have been rumors, and we ask this concession of the commission in or der that the public mind of Brming- ham may be set right, on this ques- tion.
 We are certain. however, that 1t would not be best to let the contract to Mr. Manasco. He is not known as contractor in the first place; has built no large buildings; the matter of his bond has not been settled; there is general dissatisfaction, and there are hundreds of other details that should be gone into. I should prefer, however. not to go into these details or into personalities here, but if the commission is not willing to accept the generalities that we have enumerated we can do so."
 Commissioner Dickson said: T am sure you want to know our side of the matter as well. I want to make
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