HEARINGS BEFORE U.S. Congress, SUBCOMMITTEE OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, CONSISTING OF MESSRS. CANNON, HEMENWAY, MOODY, M'RAE, AND BENTON, IN CHARGE OF SUNDRY CIVIL APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1903. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1902. GLS 1835 1903 SUNDRY CIVIL BILL. 35 HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, MESSRS. J. G. CANNON (CHAIRMAN), J. A. HEMENWAY, W. H. MOODY, T. C. M'RAE, AND M. E. BENTON, OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF THE SUNDRY CIVIL APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1903, ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY: TUESDAY, March 4, 1902. POST-OFFICE AND COURT-HOUSE AT CHICAGO, Ill. STATEMENTS OF MR. JAMES K. TAYLOR, SUPERVISING ARCHITECT OF THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, AND MR. HENRY IVES COBB, ARCHITECT OF POST-OFFICE AND COURT-HOUSE AT CHICAGO, ILL. The CHAIRMAN. Who knows about the Chicago appropriation, you, Mr. Taylor, or Mr. Cobb? Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Cobb knows more than I do because he is handling it. The CHAIRMAN. Post-office and court-house at Chicago, the limit of cost of this building was $4,000,000. That legislation was had, as I recollect it, in 1897, and the first appropriation was made in 1898, for $300,000; and that law authorizing the custom-house and post-office at Chicago authorized to contract for all work. That is your understanding? Mr. TAYLOR. That is my understanding, and also authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to appoint an architect. The CHAIRMAN. And from that time to this it has been quite in the power of the Supervising Architect or the architect appointed, which? Mr. TAYLOR. The architect. The CHAIRMAN. In the power of the architect appointed to place any part or all the parts of that building under contract? Mr. TAYLOR. Yes, sir. Mr. COBB. As I understand it, Mr. Chairman, the $4,000,000 was immediately available for contracting. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. COBB. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. The first appropriation, made in 1898, was $300,000; the second, in 1899, was $1,000,000; and the third, in 1901, $130,000; and the fourth, in 1902, of $1,000,000; making a total of $2,430,000. What amount is now expended? 3 Mr. COBB. The condition of that building to-day is this: There was $4,000,000 available, and there has been $2,430,000 appropriated. The CHAIRMAN. There was not $4,000,000 available Mr. COBB. I mean available for contracting. There has been $2,430,000 appropriated. There is a balance of $1,570,000 left of the original $4,000,000. Mr. TAYLOR. There is an actual cash balance of $149,829.55. Mr. COBB. That is over and above all liabilities. My books are a little different from that. The CHAIRMAN. Over and above all liabilities how much, in fact, is in the Treasury now that has not been paid out? Mr. COBB. $750,919.28. I do not know exactly the date of that, but it is within a few days when this statement was made up. There is about $750,000 now in the Treasury available for that building. The CHAIRMAN. When will it be paid out? Mr. Cовв. The contract for the superstructure calls for $571,000, and according to the statement of the contractor he will have that building done next summer, the first part of it. The CHAIRMAN. That is, he will have the part of it done that will absorb the $570,000? Mr. COBB. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What time next summer? Mr. CовB. He says in May everything but the dome, and the latter part of the summer the dome itself. I think it is fair to presume that his contract will not be wound up before September. I mean all payments made and everything. The CHAIRMAN. And still would leave of money appropriated how much? Mr. COBB. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars, approximately. The CHAIRMAN. And still the power has been there, from the commencement, to contract up to the full $4,000,000, and of the appropritions that have been made there is between $100,000 and $200,000 that even has not been covered by contract? Mr. COBB. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. When is it proposed to make further contracts? Mr. COBB. Between now and the 1st of June I expect that contracts will be made that will practically absorb the rest of the $4,000,000. That is for interior work, heating, plumbing, power plant, and everything of that kind, so that the work on that can begin just as soon as the building is ready for it. The CHAIRMAN. Why was it not made two years ago? Mr. COBB. There is no advantage in it, and a very serious difficulty in getting the necessary data from the Department, etc., as to what they require until the time comes when it was necessary to fix it. The contract for the interior could have been let two years ago, to be put in two years from the time it was let, but I think it is much better to let a contract when the contractor knows he is figuring for work to be done at a specific time instead of at an indefinite time. The CHAIRMAN. What was the exact date of the passage of this act. Do you recollect it? Mr. COBB. The original act? No, I have not it here. The CHAIRMAN. Had you at that time your plans ready for this building? Mr. COBB. No, sir; there was nothing done whatever on the plans: I was appointed to make plans. The CHAIRMAN. When did you make them? Mr. COBB. I started just then and continued. The CHAIRMAN. How long before the plans were made and adopted? Mr. COBB. It took about a year to prepare the plans which were finally adopted and approved. The time was really fixed by the time it would take to tear down the old building and get possession of the ground, and I made my calculations I would be ready to start to work immediately the site was ready for my beginning work. The CHAIRMAN. This legislation authorizing the Chicago building was enacted February 13, 1895, and March 2, 1895. You were appointed when? Mr. CоBB. March, 1896, I think. The CHAIRMAN. Then twelve months passed by before you were appointed? Mr. COBB. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Why that delay, Mr. Supervising Architect? Mr. TAYLOR. I do not know that. While I was connected with the office, I do not know what the particular reasons were for that delay. The CHAIRMAN. I would like to know. Mr. COBB. When was that law signed? The CHAIRMAN. February 15, 1895, and March 2, 1895. Mr. TAYLOR. I only know when I was in the office there was a long discussion as to who should be appointed architect. Mr. COBB. I wonder if it was 1895 or 1896. Mr. TAYLOR. It is 1896, I know, because it was right after I came in the office. I was not in the office until April 1, 1895. The CHAIRMAN. The act of January 28, 1896, authorizes the employment of an architect for this building? Mr. TAYLOR. That is the reason. The CHAIRMAN. And it sets aside out of the money already appropriated the sum of $25,000. Mr. TAYLOR. I remember now there was a discussion; I did not take part in it, but it was stated that the Illinois Members and Senators wished to have that work done by an outside architect. They had not any confidence in our own office, as they thought we were too busy, so they asked to have an outside architect appointed, and that act was the result of it. The CHAIRMAN. Why is it that your office, pending the time of almost a year between the enactment of this legislation and the authorization of the employment of a private architect, waited instead of commencing work? Mr. TAYLOR. Probably on the request of the people who got that act through. The CHAIRMAN. Congress speaks through its legislation? Mr. TAYLOR. Yes; but we can not take up in our office all the legislation at one time. The CHAIRMAN. But here was a building badly needed in a great city, to cost $4,000,000, the site belonging to the GovernmentMr. TAYLOR. And covered by an expensive building. |