Evening star., 1932-10-16
ARCHITECTS MAKE
FIGHT ON LAyMEN
REMOVING CUPOLA
President Sullivan of D. c.
Chapter Designates Spokes-
man for Hearing.
CHANGE AT SCHOOL
WRONG WAY TO SAVE"
Federation of Citizens Associations
Fails to Act on Question,
Lacking Quorum.

Opposing revision of municipal archi-
tectural designs by unframed laymen,
the District of Columbia Chapter of
the American Institute of ARCHITECTS
will fight Engineer Commissioner Got
walG determination to eliminate the
cupola from the new William Howard
Taft Junior High School.
Francis p. Sullivan. president of the
District of Columbia chapter, announced
last night that he had been delegated
as the local architects formal spokes-
man at the hearing before the District
Commissioners at pm. Tuesday. in
which the Burroughs Citizens AsSocia-
ton will strive to have the cupola re-
included in the design of the school
house.
To Attend Hearings.
Charles w. Moore. chairman of the
Fine Arts Commission, and H. P. Caem-
merer. executive officer of the commits
sion. already had made known their in
tention of attending the hearings in
support of the cupolas place in the de-
sign of the new school. Mir Moore
whose commission had approved only
the school design which showed the
cupola. only to have it eliminated later
by Maj. GotWals, likened the elimina-
ton Of the cupola to cutting off
mans arm or leg
In his announcement last night. Mr.
Sullivan said the District Of Columbia
Chapter of the American Institute of
Architects believes that when an archi-
tect CT ability designs a building. no
laymen without architectural training
can properly undertake to revise the
design on his own initiative
Mr. Suiliynn said further that the
chapter is OF the opinion that if it is
the sole inte [ation of the municipal au
thorities to save money, they should
establish a price limit and permit the
architect to work within those limits.
The procedure of having design COM
pleted by skilled architect and then
undertaking to knock off, particular
details OF that design, he said, is en-
tirely backwards
Economy Only Consideration.
Mai. Gotwals had said that the rea-
SCI he eliminated the cupola from the
designs which the Fine Arts Commis.
siCn and the Board of Education had
approved was to effect economies. The
cupo'a, he said represented a cost of
S3.750 He added that he had given
Representative Simmons his promise
that he would see to it that school build
ing costs were kept to minimum. SIM
+. - several years ago voiced violent
d!-aprroval of what he called "doo-
Ca" in school houses. Persons inter-
eS cI in the controversy, however have
pointed out that the new Fire Depart
mo.it Headquarters Building, now near
ing completion at Thirteenth and L
stress, is crowned with handsome
copper-sheathed cupola. despite the fact
that this structure was begun long after
Mai. Gotwals and Mr. Simmons ex-
change of determinations to eliminate
"doo-dadS."
Continuing. Mr. Sullivan pointed out
last night that school attendance offers
many children the only opportunity
they have in life to come into contact
with culture and finer surroundings.
For this reason, he contended, school
buildings should be as artistically de-
signed as possible
Federation Fails Action.
Absence of a quorum at last nights
special meeting of the Federation of
Citizens Associations in the District
Building booked resolution asking the
District Commissioners to heed the ad
vice of the Fine Arts Commission.
DR. George c. Havenner, the fedora
tons president, referred the resolution,
offered by William r. Love. delegate OF
the Burroughs Citizens Association, to
the EducatlOn committee. harry N
Stull, chairman of the educational
group Immediately started to poll his
committee and indicated last night
that he had enough members lined up
to attend Tuesdays meeting of protest
before the District Commissioners.
A feature of the discussion was a
spirited. although brief, attack on Rep
reSentative Simmons
David Babp, the federation's secre-
tary said that the location for the Will
liam Howard Taft School is one Of the
most beautiful sites in the city. To
destroy tht cupola. he maintained. is to
DESTROY the very essence of the build
ing. It has been ruthlessly cut off, he
said. because of a promise made to one
Congress member
Il hope that after the eighth of No.
vember that Congress member will be
eliminated" said Mr. Babp. Il am
tired of having the City of Washington
hampered by this man. The City of
Washington should not have to kow-
tow to him"
The roint of no quorum was then
raised BY c. A. La Vigne After the
federation was informed that SO per
cent of the organizations membership
would have to be registered present,
a roll call showed only 26 and no
quorum was declared.