Evening star., 1934-05-19
Head Of New York Chapter
Charges Public Works
is Failure.
FLETCHER MEASURE
IND0RSED AS VITAL
Tribute Paid to Cass Gilbert.
Intrusion Into Activity by
U. 5. Deplored.

Describing the public works pro-
gram as failure" Ralph T. Walker,
president of the New York Chapter
of the American Institute of Archi-
tects, yesterday told the sixty-sixth
convention of the institute that Sec
retary Ickes should be removed as
head of the P. w. A.
Mr.. Walker demanded that the p.
w. A. be divorced from the Interior
Department and administered as a
separate organization of the Govern
ment.
THE failure of the Public Works
Administration can be laid at the
door Of one man, the administrator,
MIR. Walker continued. HE, knowing
practically nothing Of the construc-
ton industry and Jumping all the
mistakes and bad practices within the
industry, has, understand, taken the
position that the entire industry is
crooked.
He is reluctant. therefore, to
speed his program"
Says Allotments Small.
Mr.. Walker charged further that
the P. w. A. has failed to revive the
PROSTATE building industry for the
reason that. contrary to popular be-
lief, the allotments to actual build
ing construction have been woefully
small"
The American Institute of Archi-
tects, however. tabled a resolution Of
fered by C. Grant La Fargo of New
York publicly deploring the non
performance and the attitude of the
public works administrator"
The annual dinner of the architects
was held last night at the Mayfiower
Hotel with Irving K. Pond of Chicago
presiding. This was the closing event
OF the three-day session. and the
architects today were visiting the re-
stored Colonial homes at Williams
burg, Va.
At their final session yesterday, the
architects adopted a resolution by
Carl F. Gould of Sesttle, that a COM
mittee be appointed to lay before
President Roosevelt ''the necessity
for employment of the architects of
the country in their professional
capacity together with engineers and
economists in connection with the
entire construction program"
U. S. Intrusion Protested.
Another resolution protested the
Intrusion Of Government bureaus
into the field Of the architects legiti-
mate activity" causing increasing un-
employment and destroying the
morale Of the profession.
Proposed economies In the Federal
building program were deplored both
by the architects and the Producers
Council, a national organization Of
manufacturers Of building materials
which is affiliated with the institute.
The resolution declared there Is a
trend to cheaper construction be-
low the requirements Of wise econ
omy."
This policy, it was said, will res
ult in unnecessary increase in main
tenance costs" The architects pointed
out that Federal buildings should be
planned and built to symbolic the
dignity and stability of the Federal
Government wherever they may be
erected, regardless of size"
Fletcher Bill Indorsed.
The Fletcher bill now before the
Senate was Endorsed as Of vital i'm
portance to the revival of the con-
struction industry"
The institute urged that a definite
proportion of the appropriations for
future buildings be allocated to their
decoration and establishment.
The architects paid tribute to the
late Cass Gilbert, father of the Amer
ican skyscraper and designer Of the
new United States Supreme Court
Building. who died Thursday in Eng
land. A resolution was adopted
eulogizing Mr.. Gilbert as IAN hon.
ored leader in design. construction
and execution of architectural prob
lems." Mr.. Gilbert was a former
president of the institute.
Other speakers yesterday included
Stephen F. Voorhees,, chairman Of the
construction code authority: William
Stanley Parker, chairman Of the
architects code; Ragnar Ostberg of
Stockholm. Sweden. winner of the in
stitute's gold medal for 1884; Robert
D. Kohn, director of housing. Federal
Emergency Public Works Administra-
ton, and Frederick A. Delano, direc-
tor Of the National Planning Board,
Federal Emergency Public Works Ad-
ministration.