Evening star., 1932-03-27
Report of Recent Hearings
Reveals Criticisms on
D. C. Costs.
ADDITION OF $500
POSITION is ATTACKED
Walsh Defends Hiring of Execu-
tive-Standardized Buildings
Urged for Education System.

The municipal architects Office went
through with its customary stormy ses-
sion with the District subcommittee of
the House Appropriations Committee at
the consideration of the District supply
bill, the hearings, released for publica-
ton yesterday, show.
Much of the criticism was leveled at
the hiring of the new superintendent of
construction at S6,500 year to replace
an assistant to the assistant municipal
architect at $4,000; some of it went to
the shortages constantly developing in
the per diem funds; and the balance
to charges that certain jobs had been
improperly done by contractors and the
inspectors employed by the municipal
architects office had been lax in cor
recting them.
In spite of the hiring of the new ex-
ecutive, Assistant Municipal Architect
S. B. Walsh expressed the opinion that
there would still be too much work for
the office to handle on its present per-
sonnel. He said that he and Mr.. Nc
Grew, his former assistant, had both
worked overtime in the past, and that
he was compelled to resort to snap
judgments" on many matters on which
he would have preferred to make
thorough investigation before decision.
Chairman Cannon of the committee re-
marked that the only change he noticed
in the reorganization was that a man
getting $4,000 had been dropped and
one getting $6,500 had been added.
Simmons Renews Criticism.
Representative Simmons, long a critic
Of the Office, said that in the seven
District bills which he has considered
the municipal architects Office has in
variably asked for more money, and.
after getting it, has always been "in
the red" The Office obtained q $50
900 deficiency appropriation for serv-
ices this year.
Criticism of "doodads" on District
school buildings continued unabated
and several members of the committee
suggested that If the school plans could
be drawn without including cupolas and
other architectural adornments 1t would
be possible to stay within the appro-
priations 1t also was suggested that
standardized plans be used for schools,
instead of drawing separate plans for
each new school.
In reply to this, Acting Engineer
Commissioner Donald A. Dawson said:
"Mr. Cannon, I can assure you that
in order to relieve the board of
commissioners of responsibility for the
fact that this office has not, in past
years, been staying within the amounts
of money which have been appropriated
by Congress to carry on the work, that
is one of the principal reasons why it
was considered essential to reorganize
it so that they could and would stay
within the appropriations"
Representative Holiday praised En-
gineer Commissioner John C. Gotwals
for his elimination of features in the
Roosevelt High School plans which
saved the District half million dol
lars. He said he saved enough on
that one building so that If he re-
manned in the District SO years his
salary would not eat it up.
Cites Cost Of Change.
Representative Simmons charged that
scientific equipment placed in one of
the rooms at the suggestion of an in
structor was to be torn out and changed
at a cost of $4 900 at the request of
a second instructor. Mr.. Walsh testified
to a change in the plans of the highway
department garage which resulted in
the spending of $4,000 additional
Mr.. Walsh was asked if a foreman
of the construction company building
the Wheatley School had told an in
spector who complained that the pro-
scenium arch of the gymnasium did
not meet the specifications that If he
would like to keep his job he had better
not be too careful of such matters. He
denied knowledge of the charges. As to
the same school, Mr.. Cannon said that
the specifications required that the ven-
tilators should be of copper, and the
contractor had put in iron. The District
settled by deducting $33 from the bill
although the difference was $410 Mr.
Walsh said that the specification in
question related to braces for the venti-
lator, and not to the whole ventilator
He said the whole ventilator would not
cost $410.