Evening star., 1932-10-19
VIOLATION OF LAW
CHARGED IN FIGHT
TO RETAIN CUPOLA
Northeast Citizens Attack
Commissioners in Row Over
Fine Arts Group.
MAI. GOTWALS DEFENDS
SPECIFICATION CHANGE
DR.. Reichelderfer Reveals $7,000,-
900 Has Been Cut From
D. C. Budget.

Charges that they violated the prin-
ciple and spirit of the law by which
the Fine Arts Commission was created
were leveled at the District CommiS-
sioners by delegates from five North
eaSt-suburban civic groups. who late
yesterday sought to have the cupola
restored to the plans for the Taft
Junior High School, now under con-
struction at Eighteenth and Randolph
streets northeast.
The Commissioners replied, through
Engineer Commissioner John c. Got
walls that the cupola was removed in
accordance with a stricter law
agreements made during the hearings
on the 1882 appropriation bill. DR..
Luther Reichelderfer said that while
the cupola itself represented a saving
of only $4,000, it was one OF many
such insignificant items" that make
up larger savings.
S7,OO0,0O Topped Off.
DR.. Reichelderfer revealed that a
tota! of S7000,000 had been clipped
from the s47,000,00 estimates submit
ted by departmental heads for the
1934 appropriation bill, and declared
legitimate desires of the District" and
includes many dozens of lust such
insignificant items as this cupola sum. "
The citizens fight for the cupola was
presented under the direction OF Ray
mond L. Gilbert chairman OF the
Cupola Committee of the Burroughs
Citizens Association. Gilbert first pre-
sented Kenneth P Armstrong, chair
man of the School Committee OF the
Burroughs Citizens Association.
Armstrong reviewed the processes by
which the plans were prepared for the
Taft School, pointing out that once the
design was approved by the Fine Art,
Commission it was assumed the struc-
ture would be built according to those
plans Then it was revealed, he said
| that through notifications in line END
| substance, a structure Is being erected
| that differs so materially from the ap-
proved design that mot only we, the
Representatives of the civic bodies and
| taxpayers who are here today, but alsC
! the Fine Arts Commission itself, all
seriously object to the resultant design.
Calls Decision Vital.
Armstrong pointed out that Congress
| originally authorized S500,000 for the
| Taft School, that 1t subsequently ap-
propriated S450,000 and that the actua
| contract price is only 1888 0G0. He told
| the Commissioners the future Of Wash
| ington's public school buildings rested
! upon the decision they make in this
| case.
! Wilbur S. Finch. a member Of the
| "Cupola Committee" of the Burrough:
ment in which he traced the legal basis
of the Fine Arts Commission. He
showed it was created to advise ir
! matters Of fine arts-sculpture and
architecture for the Capital-and that
Presidents Taft, Wilson and Harding
had officially recognized its powers.
Commenting upon Maj. Gotwals' re-
ported agreement with the former
chairman of the District Subcommittee
| of the House Appropriations Committee
Robert G. Simmons of Nebraska
Finch declared there Is mo authority
! either in law or morals to warrant ar
! District or Federal, to conspire, so tC
speak. to defeat the will Of the Congress
and the President of the United States;
| on the contrary, it is our opinion that
| it is immoral to do So
Attacks Interference.
THE authority of the chairman Of
| the subcommittee on the District OF
Columbia of the House Appropriations
municipal government ceases" Mr.
Finch asserted, when, after consulta-
| ton with the appropriate officials OF
| that government, he recommends to
Congress and sees through that body
to their final passage, the appropria-
| ton bills for the District of Columbia.
| Should he desire to effect more econ
| omies than those contained In the ap-
! preparation bills it is his duty to see to
| it that they are included in the legis-
| lation recommended by his committee
| before its recommendations are report
ed to Congress. Under the fundament-
al concept of our Government, the
| three great branches of it, the legisla-
tive, the executive and the judicial are
entirely Independent OF each other, ano
one of them may not, either in law or
in morals, interfere with either OF the
others"
| Francis P. Sullivan, president OF the
District Chapter of the American Insti-
tute of Architects, in his defense OF the
cupola insisted an architectural design
is a unit" and that one or more fea-
lures or sections of the design cannot
be eliminated without running the whole
The proper way to solve an archltec-
! tural problem, he explained, is to sub
| NIT all the factors, including the price
limitation. to an architect, and permit
him to draw a design that fits all the
requirements.
Opposes "Mutilation."
Marvin M. Mclean, president Of the
Brookland Citizens Association. said
the whole issue is whether plans de-
| signed by the municipal architect are
to be used or whether they are to be
! mutilated.
other speakers included Harry N
Stull. a delegate from the Federation
of Citizens Associations; Edward G.
Sieyers. president of the Rhode Island
| Avenue Citizens Association, j. M
| Stockard, president of the Burroughs
! Citizens Association, and DR.. William
A. Deviny.
Following the last statement by citi-
| zens, Maj. Gotwals, in brief address
! explained the "story of the promise to
Representative Simmons He said that
during consideration Of the 1882 appro-
priation bill an item for the Taft
School was included in the bill specify
| ing that the building should be ''sim1-
lar to the Mcfarland Junior High
School" Maj. Gotwals said he asked
that that restriction be removed so the
Macfarland structure could be "im-
! proved upon where economic justiflca-
ton for it could be defended" The
| limitation, he said, was stricken from
| the language of the bill by the com.
mittee, whose members said they would
trust" the Engineer Commissioner tc
build economically.
Armstrong replied that if it was the
sole intention of Congress and the En-
gineer Commissioner to save money, q
| price limitation should have been sci
upon the architect before he drew his
plans SO he could have produced ar
acceptable design within the sums
specified.
The Commissioners took the plea un-
der advisement and the hearing wa,
closed with a DISCUSSION Of District