Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/895

 1869.] Open Competition. 727 OPEN COMPETITION. TOTWITHSTANDING the effort -LM made to put the subject of limited or unlimited competition sensibly be- fore the eyes of the powers that be, in this City of Philadelphia, in the matter of procuring designs for the proposed Municipal Buildings, it is evident that open competition is to be the order of things. The Commissioners to whom was entrusted the office of procuring the required design, having well con- sidered the course to be taken, gave to the Councils their decided opinion in favor of a limited competition ; in other words, they proposed to have a few of the most eminent architects of Philadel- phia chosen to compete for the design according to which the proposed Public Buildings were to be erected. The Councils negatived the proposition of the Board of Commissioners, and thus the competition is thrown open to all who may choose to ventilate their crude ideas, and a free passage opened to the political lobbyists who will, no doubt in due time, crowd in, as usual, to force their favorite party man upon the Com- missioners, and, failing them, to urge his "claims " upon the Councils. The Board of Commissioners adopted the following preamble and resolutions, which tell the story very distinct^ 7 : Whereas, The ordinance enacted by the Select and Common Councils of the City of Philadelphia, and approved by the Maj-or, on the 31st of December, 1868, entitled "An ordinance to provide for the erection of public buildings," ren- ders it obligatory upon the Commis- sioners appointed by the said ordinance " to advertise in at least two daily news- papers published in the said city for three weeks, for plans and estimates of cost of the proposed buildings ;" and Whereas, We, the Board of Commis- sioners aforesaid, being of the opinion that the issuing of a general advertise- ment for plans would not be the best course to pursue to insure satisfactory results, requested the City Councils to enact a supplemental ordinance, leaving the Commission free to obtain plans and designs in such manner as they may deem most advantageous to the public interest ; and Whereas, In pursuance of the afore- said request, a supplemental ordinance having for its object a change in the manner of procuring plans and designs for the said buildings, was introduced in the City Councils, and after having been considered in both branches of the same, it failed to become a law ; there- fore Resolved, That this Commission pro- ceed without delay, to erect the public buildings on Independence Square, as provided for in the aforementioned ordi- nance of the City Councils, approved December 31, 1868, and amended by a supplement to the same, approved Janu- ary 18, 1869 ; and that all the conditions, terms and provisions of the aforesaid original enactment as amended, be faith- fully and energetically carried out. Resolved, That " the Committee on Architecture and Plans" be directed to proceed forthwith, under the original ordinance, " to advertise in at least two daily newspapers published in this city, for three weeks, for plans and estimates of the cost of the proposed buildings." The very name and high standing of Mr. Walter, the President of the Com- mission, ought to have been a sufficient guarantee for the wisdom of the pro- posed amendment of the ordinance in question, by a supplemental ordinance, leaving the Commission to deal with the matter as they deemed most fit. That it would have been more advi- sable, for the public interest, to have yielded to the suggestion of the Com- mission, discretion might have dictated; but private interests exercised an inner influence, and alter ijJse amicus appears