Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-24
ARCHITECTS STUDY
PLAN FOR BUILDING
D. c. HEADQUARTERS
National Administrative Unit
to Be Near 0ctagon House
Property.
QUESTION OF PUBLICITY
ENGAGES CONVENTION
Friendly Spirit Among Themselves,
Employers and Labor Is
Advocated.

| WHICH, WIN Cne OCIaBoH, WILL loIH llIc
national headquarters of the American
Institute Of Architects at Seventeenth
street and New York avenue; the ques-
ton of publicity and the report of the
board of directors engaged the attention
of the second days session today OF
the sixty-second convention Of the
institute, meeting at the Mayfiower
Hotel. With the present officers can
didates for reelection, interest was
directed to the late afternoon session,
when nominations were to be made.
The board sanctioned modernism in
architecture in its report. asserting that
spirit and not form is paramount.
The report advocated organization of
building congresses and Of committees
for the recognition of craftsmanship
throughout the country. 1t said that
"it seems possible that already there
may have been started a great country
wide impulse that may bring back to
us of this commercial age something
of the ancient spirit of craftsmanship
that was the pride and glory of that
age of masterbuilders Of long ago."
Relations of Groups.
Employers must have a friendly
spirit toward their men, the report in
sisted, and architects friendly spirit
toward both.
The committee on education deplored
the growing tendency to develop courses
| for architectural craftsman in trade
and high schools. William Emerson of
Boston, head of the Department of
| Architecture in Massachusetts, Institute
of Technology, is chairman of this COM
mittee, which said in submitting its
report:
| Architects view with some alarm the
tendency to stress unduly the import
ance of the work done in trade and high
schools, welfare organizations and other
| groups, in training architectural drafts
| trained and the unframed architect.
| A clear line Of demarcation should
| be drawn between vocational and pro-
| fessional training"
In its discussion of publicity, the con-
| vention heard Horace w. Peaslee OF
Washington deny the impression which
| he said was conveyed in a local news
paper that architects deplored stingy
policy pursued in Washington in con-
| junction with buildings, insisting on
the other hand, that the institute is
grateful to the President and Congress
for what they have done for the public
buildings program. He pointed out that
| the convention had been advised yes
terday of more economical way in
| which the park system here could be
built up by purchasing needed lanSs
before prices rise.
| Editorial Is Praised.
Frank c. Baldwin, the institutes Sec
| rotary, paid high tribute to the editorial
| in last evenings issue Of The Evening
| Star concerning the architects, char
| acterizing 1t as lone Of the finest bits
| of editorial notice We have ever got
| ten," and recommended to the conven-
ton that every member read it.
G. Herrick Hammond of Chicago, the
president of the organization, following
| the general discussion, said that the
profession is opposed to the practice OF
paid publicity, but urged members to
| cooperate with the press in securing
| public information concerning archi-
| lecture. The convention listened to an
| address by William T. Foster on Long
Range Planning of Public Work" under
auspices of the structural service de-
| partment.
This evening, with Mr.. Emerson pre-
siding, the fine arts medal will be award
| ed to Diego Rivera Of Mexico City, and
| the craftsmanship medal will be award
ed to Cheney Bros. of South Manches-
ter, Conn.
| Default in Dues Cited.
The report laid before the conven-
| ton by Edwin BergStrom of Los An
geles, the Institutes treasurer, called
attention to the point that the large
amount of dues in default indicates
that the situation with respect to In
come in 1929 may become serious"
Stressing the fact that on December
81 last, there were 1863 members IN de-
fault for $11, 5O9.25, Mr.. Bergstrom said
that during the first three months OF
this year. only about SIS per cent had
been paid"
This is the smallest percentage fol
many years, and without doubt reflects
the almost universal slackness OF work
in the Offices of the architects" he in
formed the convention.
The treasurer invited the attention OF
the convention to the value OF life mem
berships and added that in conjunction
| Will cIluOWAlCub AoAiNAo O oONAOVJt "AAA~A'
in less than two years can pay OF more
than $55,000 on an indebtedness OF
nearly 100000 without seriously Grip
pling its activities and during the same
period can increase the capital of Its
endowment funds by $65,800, and Its
net worth by $60,260, surely must be In
a favorable condition financially anc
one in which the members Of the 1nsti-
tute and the donors OF endowment
funds may have confidence" He pre-
dicted that at no far distant day, the
Institutes endowment fund will be
100000.
New Headquarters Data.
Turning to a consideration of the In.
stitute's headquarters at the Octagor
House, 1741 New York avenue, Mr.
Bergstrom said: 1.-THE real estate OF
the Institute was appraised at $279,00C
in 1928 and the estimated cost OF work
at the Octagon House is 100000. Based
on this value and cost, the resources
of the Institute as of December 81
1928 were approximately $675,000."
The treasurer advised the convention
that "the structural service work and
department will be removed from New
York on May and thereafter will be
administered at and from the Octagon.
Concerning the new building, Mr.
Bergstrom said that 1t Is the hope Of
the building committee that the cash
funds for the building will be SUBJ
scribed so that 1t may begin operations
not later than 1890. This building, tc
be designed to meet the administra-
ton and library needs of the Institute
and to house its conventions, is to be
erected near the Octagon House, 50 as
to be an enlargement Of that structure