PUT ON ONE SIDE?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1463, 11 June 1912, Page 6

PUT ON ONE SIDE?

——o-— OUR ARCHITECTS. PLEA FOR OPEN COMPETITION. RE I'UHMC IiUII.mXCS. A tlefiutatio'iv. fro.m tlfe i\>w Zealand Ko-, cie.ty Of Arc.fiifijcts wailed u.'pim tlio: ll.oii. 0, \V\ Jiuwll (jliliistyr for .hijeiiiiii AJinirs) yjiStei'.d.ay. I' was .introduced by Mr. I'. M fi.'Fisher, M.P. Deputation to Hon. Mr. Russell. Mr., I'ciilv (Wcilingtiinj stji.ted thai the dcputatioii iirst wished to ileiiy !i ■.sia.tc■iiici.lt. which JJr. V;i liiil i-iuj wits ivporto I t.<. ■hiiv.o. nia<l<s a;t l'alniei'.s.foit .Vorfli, tlial 'ihoro werii .only .liiili' a do/eii; .archite.etS' j in Kuw Zi'iiiiuii! wii'i) sVc.ro 'tio.m.petent 'to i design such buildings a$ Old Men's Homes j and iicspi'.o.ls. Any iiiiiiibiu of arcivi.tec'ls ill' .Vow X.eajau.il, Mr. I'cnty affirn.i'eil. Were coinp.etC'iit: to design buildiiigs o.f e.iiy description,. . F<ir soine f|mo ..pa'St. arcfi'i-. tei Is iiac! felt, t'iiat 'ln v slioii'f<( iia giveii ' Hi.' (ipiKirtuiiity of mi bpi i tti ng com pet ili vo desigiis for .pisbli'd bni'ldnigs. '13i-..-' V-.iiViit.- : fine had relCrfcd to trouble, wliieli liad i jic'e'JU'.rcd, liut it wo.ii'ld' b'o .liitcrestiiig to know the particular i.i.ist.iin.ce.- Archiu-rts, : M ; :'. t'ciity Went .on tii reiijiviik, coi.ltrihu.iedi ; la.'gely to (lie ■grtjcfiil taxation ei llm fountry. iVs shinving the 'fiwiiiy i?| W'cl; iingtp.ii. lip .rj.u.oicil a .list ~ of sueco.-sos aehlevteii by 'tisciii' in reteiv.t yeiii:S wheiii-vcr dcsigii's for largp buildings . iind been called' 'for on tli<- ,'c,p.iispct,itivp hysienv., Ai.non.gsMfie. biiil'dings iiitioii Ayerto ■■'tlio'; -Cil'd' Men's .lioiiies, tlio' Town Hall, arid'others. Of tils)'fix prises fiiTo.red' fO'r :vdi:Kers' ,hemes, :ii.ve liiid lxc-tt won by local m.Cfi. ■j.lA'N.ii'.tu'Sßh said ihat tiie. a'rchi'tects '■ did not jiii'nd be.iiig beate'ii in open campetition—what they did- object tii was 'bftiii'R qui'e.il'V'.put. on oii.« si'de,. '£liis was :a. tlrniocratiiV' Cnunvvy, ..but iji■ .recent y.ca.rs . many hospitals hail been bitilt' -j.vijlioiit ouisijlcrs being givcil a. .'clirtiiee t<? sul)ii;it dpsigiis. Tf : ' these building iiad been put up to p'u.blit c.oiiijietltion ;f)ie' society v.-;i - ; (|iiite i-Miviiie!;d thai better res.ilts than even those attained would have bcim, ■ ac.li.ieY's.d. 1 'iHycn'tyrfi.vS yeavs ~njO' W'S nui"ber of ;-kii!ed men •ciiglit have bc<n limited; .there- were inimbers of rnrpeii-tcr-orchitccts then—but times 'had changed. The Minister in Rcnly. In. his reply the Minisier sfaled lb at ; -the (loveriiiiient bad nothing to do with the. n:'ilter rai-fd by flic" (iepntoiion. Hospital bo'a'rds we'ye-tli.e local.aiitliqrjfip.S'; tliey l seleeti'd their pwii .plans' a'iv.d llio Government merely had a riglit <if siipervis.ion because it. contributed, l.i.alf t-li'6 cost of' b.ti.i.lcli'nK,. It wr»s tlio busiKCSs of : the Gp'veniriient-'to sea that the plans praviiietl : ior - new .buildings ,wef>- the best possible p!<ins that cotili! b? obtained for 'tii6 ; special. ■■jfiTp9*oj , i.t: ■liiid. .littp'p.Ci!c<l. 't-liaf '-arcliitecfe 'lijid. ; bcqh : employed by hospital boar(K who were r.o!. as- eonipeteni a.?, -tlie architpcts whj) had; Biiojcen... Btlildiifes had been badly ccnstr.iic.te'dj \Tnd it : wri.s .Dr. Vajiiifi.n'ri's businp.ss to s«e that no plan wa ;; ac'.pp'eil iuir less, it provided the higiiest measure of .-efficiency.. Jf '-the'- spqiety- Coukl cbtaili from the various hospital boards an undertaking that all their' plans would bs ■ s'ecu.fed e.n, the .coinpt'titive. .system .flie ' Depart incnt would probably raisii 116 ol). jectiou. ' ■ - Mr. Fisher eiked wlictber, in view of the- fact that the Government had to nroyids half'■ -.the ...lnftney'' -fpv . hospi.t-al buildings, it would r.ot bp wi?s to liovo -. al.t oil the coni].'ftitivo' system. - -... Dr. Vfllißtinn: I always 'ho.itghi flip; arcliiitects 1 ■ wei-.c .against (lib ■ccinpetiti'v.e.systeni. '> *l<?pnf'atipif v iiiat is just v.-liat wo want; that is- prpvided tor in our in'.es. 'J'liat is what wc\ arc here todaj for. - .- As (o the remark tbrtf arcbiiects con- : - fribuied to the yeiiera] !-axa.tio;i of thp conntry. the Jfirii'ster s;ii;i that the fiov- ; ernmeiii liacl it's, own .nfe.liite.cturar .staff:.' H. also had a. pnii.tfn'g. pllfc'e, but it wiuild ' : iipt. lie S.iiggeste'd that; lie elo.sccl : 1 up,, atid tender.s .called for ail. w;irl: diuie. Quito rclcnily designs had ; I.ee.n eailed for !be n-w .i'arlianienl. liuiliU .'ingSf. arid' lie ..jtiidprsf'pp'dw.ttltQ ! . : 'jii.izo :. v. ; ent io the Goyerninent Arefiitect, whicti' .sr,clu.tfl,ctjiraliS(.aff; stoocy-ioii''.'a..?lii'jjhV lc.yeK (ioyeriiwpiit arcliifpcf.ural worlc, 'gprer.illv, eame withii: the province of the Minister ior 'P-jiblic : "'\y , pTks. , i , .'S(iv'far'liis' ; the Departments lie controlled -we're: cr'si--'- ' cerned, be wanted the. very highest efli-' ; ciencv, nfiid, was bound .to rely on the expert judgment of J)r. V;ili.iitino and i)t'-. lTny. \ • '■ Mr. Fisher- pointed out that if cow-' petitive. designs..were asked for, tl|e exjicrt oijieers would have a greater- variety ;.tp::e]ioose':;frohi, ' . -Mr: :I}usse|tt you -.niid I, Mr. i ! Fisher, ;ire agreed that (liere should be ' no' intcrftVeiice witli loeal' government. 1 : Hp; explained also that Or. Viiiiiitine's : Remark; at Taltnerstoij -T\prtlv liad Ijeen misinterpreted. All that the .doctor de- • sired to convey. was that the .(.ip'veni- ; inciit had to see, that Uio very Ixist results •were- obf.iitted. - ]' Mr. Fislier .said tbe.t if ii:e Government could do -notliin,; -in this .'matter : appcpjicli' every iibspitar|)oard-.;iii -Ne\y lie gatli- ■ ered from what Dr. Valintinc had said that he (iiought that ti;c: architcc-fs were ' against i'pmpetitipu. In reiiioviiig that ■ tiiirsippreheiision. lilonp-thr; deputation liad riccomplijjli'ed^-.sciirfistlViiij."... .Mr. lius-ell said' tliiit. "IK! did not think : tliat the Government; could insist .en co.iii- - ,pctitfyp^.d(feigiis,"'ljut. , liC:-wiM to-.|. ■iss,ue:..iiisipiictions'- .(circular shoii'd Ije sent to a'l hospital board.- ..suggrstiiig. 'for 1 Vcoptiiijr 'eyer-,;. say, .£5000; ■, '..iii, .member of the ds'pntation:. That is - ; all wo ask for. . ■ ': . . A Sore Point Explaincd'.by Dc; Yalinttno,:, Di - .; Alrii i ifii iic.- siid'-.tli a'ijKe^w^j.WSqW Iy: '00118111 ted ; :l»y. .hospital: ■Ijqa'r.cls.'"-'as' :fe whiif: : .afcliitoct.. should...bo. ciigngc.il', .to do ; certain worki Almost iinviriabiv tbc r> ' son selected jtSs..it. JoryfT-,'ii'in.ii. "Tn'.' the- ; '.case' referred t'o, -lie had said, 'tiiatj.-th'ere': were six firms pf arcii.itec.ts .who, to liis ; personal:;kiipjvle(lgc, .had-.-' dniie-. pxceHeiit-. ; .werk.'.and had a>ked. "Why don't you g-t oi;'e -o'f tliciu ■ These vindii.tec'ti; Wei.e'' daily iK'Coining. more skilled in -lib'sp.iiii]' icork. .In rn'oiumending one,o.f these six ;. ,'firni's 'he'-.kn'e.w- lie y-';is :d-,iiiig tlie very best- 1 thing for the cau'itry. As for the remark , which lie was reported to. lia.ve !r.«,de nf; I'almerlstcm North., he could -only endorse ; what' the itinist-Cr find sairl; :a ud. re peat ; that he had not intended anything olli-n- ; ,siyp: to -a:- body of professiqiinl: :nien ;fot whomi lie.had 'the gre.itc>t .respect. A iter : icii ! veiVrs' publio scrvicC" ]ie \v<:i , .ld':ii6t . ) -]G: ■■ likely to place a >lur on ono of the reiifricd. prbl'c'ssi'piis. . , •>l£ Eeiitv t'T, -li.ave the. greatest objecy iinn in Dr. V-clintin'e mentioning that there, arp only 'h'aif'-.a.:do2.cn. ar.cliite'cts- who - j. ii.re- co.nipe.t'eife—. Dr. Viiliiitiiie;:' T- did not. say-' "coinpetent." 1,-ai.l half a do/.eii wlinni I ]ier'.s'onnliV -.knew- hail- dci.heV go'od. w^'rlv. Mr.'l'i uty mafnianied, that su.ch .an ob- ■ ,sei;vat : ion'...cut.-oiit ■tji'e'--ptliey.sichite'ct.s., Tie. 'li.ad- .worked, kir .years; 1 . with 'if t.lje■ leading pr.aviii"i;il iir.Cb.ifoct.s 'in l'.r.giav.ii. wlio liad" a- g're'nt deaf-do' do '..with.'liospifal.-j work, vet rili the fiiue lie had liieii in , Xpw /ii'-land he bad had a ehaece Io -do j qne hospitai only. 'J'hat was at i\Vcstpoi.';,. J imd lie was liot aware Ibere "'as ixrivthing ,wron{j;- ; v.'ilh '.tiio. kiuiw of a vouag man in WeliingSoii who liad been Kut ii years.---iii;, :iiis'■ipre'tes'sion. and had ain-mly won three prizes in' : ppen c-oiiipetiiioii. AV.itliouf -.cbiiipe.tir-' 'tioii 'he might -iiof have -iiecn heai.d pf.. ' . J1 r ..." l{ns=e!l; That diics nisi, appiy to crChifcCtS oiilv. ' Tlieiic -oro: jicoplo .who;' VaV'tliat fliev are more (eliipelev.l 'tli'aii. . I ViuV for -tiiis' : p'o's.itipri'-:. - : ' liefme ilu deputation left. Mr. N.'ilusch reii-arked that uliiectien had iM>en taken on ciie or two orc;i>i<ms to (lie I'M'uis of 'Governmenf architectiiial co'iipetiluuis, liui not to the sy<tem it-elf.