Evening star., 1933-02-08
HOLIDAY OPENS.
NEW ATTACK ON
ARCHITECT HARRIS
Representative Tells House
Group District Official Is
''Incompetent."
LONG-STANDING FEUD
REVEALED IN RECORD
Chairman Cannon Bares Statement
Before Subcommittee-Waste
of Funds Charged.

A standing feud between some
members of the House Subcommittee on
District Appropriations and Municipal
Architect Albert L. Harris was renewed
in charges that Mr.. Harris is ''incom-
petent" and is wasting public funds
during recent hearings on the 1884 Dis
trict budget before the House Subcom-
mittee on Appropriations.
The attack on Mr.. Harris, made by
Representative Holiday of Illinois. was
disclosed today when Chairman Cannon
released for publication a section of the
transcript of the hearings dealing with
public schools.
Mr. Holiday, the transcript revealed,
not only condemned Mr.. Harris, but
urged reorganization Of the municipal
architects Office.
Huge Waste Charged.
"I am leaving the committee" Mr..
Holiday said, "but I would feel good
deal better if we could get the
municipal architects Office remodeled
before I left. In my opinion, in every
building CT any size that has been
erected here in the six years I have
served on this committee there has
been a waste of from SIS 900 to 500, 900
bcause of the incompetency of the
architect and his refusal to have any
regard for economy in expenditure of
public moneys He has refused to CO.
operate with the committee and I am
willing to say on record that I think
he is absolutely incompetent and Is
wasting the public money"
IT,, -
Holiday said he had unverified reports
that brick manufactured by private
irmS IS being used on municipal projects
while prison-made brick is piling up.
He also declared he had been told that
specifications for building projects are
being drawn up to preclude open bid
ding.
Occoquan Brick Refused"
'Let me say this" declared Mr.. Hola-
day. Some years ago we found that
he (Mr. Harris) was refusing to use
brick made in Occoquan Some rather
serious charges were made at this time
and he was called before the committee.
The committee seriously considered in
Guiding provision eliminating his
salary.
Now information comes to me,
which I have not verified but which
I think is probably correct, that a
large number of brick now are piled up
-Occoquan brick-and that he is buy
ing brick from the outside; the very
thing he solemnly promised this COM
mlttee he would not do"
Engineer Commissioner Gotwals told
the committee that the District had an
accumulation of about 100000 Occo-
guam brick and promised that the
Commissioners in the future would
provide for the use of the prison-made
brick wherever the nature of the
brick is suitable, irrespective of the
cost at Occoquan or the cost to the
contractor.
Situation at Sanitarium.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Holiday,
the Engineer Commissioner said outside
brick had been used in some of the
contracts on the new tuberculosis SAN
itarium when it was found that 1t was
cheaper for the contractors to use
commercial brick. He said Mr.. Harris
was not responsible for that situation.
With respect to Mr.. Holaday's
charges relating to specifications, Com
missioner Gotwals said steps had been
taken to correct that condition as
rapidly as possible. He explained the
situation related particularly to me-
chanical and electrical patented devices
and that the specifications have been
SO wrapped around with restrictions
that only one firm could bid.
Altering of Plans Hit.
Earlier in the hearings, Chairman
Cannon had been critical of the prac-
tice Of the municipal architects Office
in altering plans for buildings after
yoI ,ic
cedure, he declared, usually resulted in
an added cost.
Commissioner Gotwals pointed out
that buildings are not erected on the
same ground and that change orders
are frequently a change in footing
carrying the foundation of the building
lower. There is no possibility, he de-
clared, in anticipating such condition
Delay in acquisition of the site for the
new Jefferson Junior High School, due
to the price asked for a portion of the
property, brought from Chairman Can
non the recommendation that an in
vestigation be made into selection of
the condemnation jury that awarded
S294,0O0 to the owner after a former
jury had fixed the award at $l05,000.
Condemnation Case Cause.
Maj. Daniel j. Donovan, District au-
dltor, explained that the case went to
condemnation because the owner would
not agree to sell at what the District
regarded as reasonable price. When
the first condemnation jury handed
down its award of $1O5,0O0, he said, the
owner appealed to the Court of Appeals
but the case was thrown out because
the assessor was permitted to testify.
Thereafter, Maj. Donovan explained
the case went to second condemnation
jury, which awarded 1926, 900.