Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-17
SCHOOL ARCHITECT
OAND GROUP CLASH
Long Standing Dispute Over
Completing Buildings Is
Renewed.


buildings ragged afresh in the recent
hearings, Il was disclosed when the
hearings before the committee we're
published today.
This wear there was an exceptionally
bitter tone to the exchanges, Repre-
sentative Simmons violently attacking
one of the statements of Munlclpal
Architect Albert l.. Harris statements
to a reporter on The Evening Star, and
MIR. Harris stubbornly insisting on the
truth of the statement. although ad-
hitting that it might have been based
on bad Judgment.
Powell School Involved.
This particular clash came over the
Powell school, at Fourteenth and Up
shur streets, Mr. Harris was quoted
in The Star as saying that work on
this school was delayed few months
because a residence had to be trans
ferred from the school site to a new
position"
You know that is not true" said
Mr.. Simmons.
TT depends entirely on what you say
about it," was the reply.
Mr.. Simmons-The residence could
have been left there, Mr.. Harris, until
it disintegrated by natural rot, and the
school house could have been built.
Mr.. Harris-I grant you that, but l
have a lump-sum appropriation, and
close one at that. and l wanted to know
whether the cost of the moving OF the
house and the building of the school
would he done within the appropria
tion. I did not consider that it was
wise not to insure all of the work being
done within the appropriation.
Mr.. Simmons-You let the contract
to the same man. and he actually
started the work on the school house
before he started moving the building.
Mr. Harris-I grant you that, but the
contract included considerable grading
which could not be done until the house
had been moved.
Mr., Sjmmons-Why did you tell the
newspapers that kind of a story?
Mr.. HarriS-I told them exactly the
truth.
Mr.. Simmons-Then they did not
Correctly quote you here?
Mr.. Harris-From my standpoint
yes. sir
Mr.. Simmons-They did not correctly
quote YOU here.
Mr.. Harris-Yes. sir: said the build
ing was delayed to let DR.. Peabody stay
in the house until the latter part of
the Summer.
Mr.. Simmons-In order to accommo-
date one man, you disconnected a
whole community school year?
Mr.. Harris-You can censure me for
that. but it is the truth.
Gould Have Been Built"
Mr.. Simmons-The schoolhouse could
have been built You had the money
TO build it. You had the office force
to build it The fact that the resi-
dence was there should not have
STONED that building at all.
What makes it exceedingly difficult
for those of us who have to deal with
District people is the fact that you are
willing to put out to the public state
ments that on the face of them may
be actually true, but the conclusions to
be drawn from them are absolutely
misleading.
Mr.. Harris-was not that true
statement?
Mr.. Simmons you had to move
that building before you could start on
the school house? Absolutely not.
Mr. Harris-But considered it part
of the contract. the moving Of that
house. considered it essential to do
the work in that way.
Mr.. Simmons is a different
proposition.
The dispute began almost as soon as
Mr. Harris appeared. MIR. Harris asked
for the enactment of legislation which
would allow him to allot for archi-
tectural expenses per cent of the en-
tire cost of projected buildings as soon
as the first section of the authorization
is made
Difficulty In Drawing Plans.
Where the bill carries only portion
Of the cost of construction of a large
building, he explained there was diff
Guilty in drawing up the plans on 3
per cent of the expenditure authorized
for that portion. which would not be
met if per cent of the cost of the
entire project could be allocated for
architectural services at once. He eX-
planned that the lack of this legislation
I had had the effect of delaying start on
4 plans for the new Roosevelt High
School
DELAYS in construction of school houses.
There is not any delay in my office, "
Mr. Harris said.
Mr.. Simmons-Let me ask you the
question this way. When you get your
appropriations for schools. you could
build up your force and start right in
on plans and specifications and get out
these contracts much earlier, could you
note
Mr. Harris-No sir
MIR. 'Simmons-Whyn not?
Mrs aHarris-For two reasons. In the
first place. you can not pick up drafts
man every day in the week. The sec
ond- reason is that in the organization
of the Office it is not wise to handle
the work in this manner. Even il
could get craftsmen right off the street
and go, right ahead with it, it would
hastehJthe work-that is true-but
would not be able to hold the force il
theE4knew that I was going to take
them on for a few months and lei
them go. 1 would never get my Office
force m any kind of shape.
Mr. SimmonS-Do you ever get It done
at the time you tell them you will?
Mr. Harris-Yes, 80 per cent of the
time,
N~n Record Is Produced.
Then Mr.. Harris produced a recorc
Of completion of school buildings dur.
ing ls29-30. showing an average of 88.t
Of the buildings completed substantially
Rs promised
Mr. Simmons looked it over and said
My guess is that about 80 per cent o.
he time you do not"
Then followed a long pickering as Il
the dates of completion of a list o
schools
The debate got back to the Roosevelt
High School and ragged around an arti
Gle in. The Star in which Mr.. Harri!
was quoted as saying that he was un'
able to complete work on the schoo
plans because under the 3 per cen
law only SO, 900 was available.
The result was that the change in thu
law sought by Mr.. Harris was turned
down by the committee.