All About A Bond

Wlieu the Court House was crected it was soon discovered that there was not sulUcient support for the floors and they began to sag. Tlie architect laid t to the builder having put in poor material and he charged it upon the architect for not proviiling enough supports in bis plans. Öo between tlie two, responsibility could be cbarged upon neither oue, and the county had to pay several thousand dollars to put In girders. The same blunder was made n the Unlversity Hall and In the Museum building, where tlie State had to stand the cost of repairs and strengthcning. In tlie building of the Tappnu school, important items, such as for gradlng, a heating apparatus, and water closets, were omitted, and the district had to stand the extras. Now, In the proposed addition to the High School, Messrs. Smltli, Jacobs, Mack, Bach and Beal, intend to look after the interests intrusted to them and guard ajjainst huvlng to go back to the people for another appropriation to help the llnanl out on extras. Tliey stand firnily to the resolntion: That the Arcbitect shall glve a bond tbat tbe building shall be erected; furulsbed wltli a complete systein of ventilatlon and beating; seatlng In tbe school rooms, Llbrary and audltory, tbe latterto sent not less tban 15'JO persons In Blght of the stage; tbat tbe llgbt In all tbe rooms of tbls building and ot the old shall be accordlug to the best standard autborities; tbat Ihe materlals furnislied and tbe workmanshlp sball be tirstclass in every respect, to show no cracking orsagging for the term of three years from c.iiiiiil.ilori, that the drawlng of tbe plans and the proper supervisión of erectlon shall be done, and tbe building made ready In every way for occupancy- all wlthln the appropriation of $24,000. The architccts are to give bonds to Duke up any deficiencias in thuir specilications and they can require bonds of the con tractors that good material shall be used. In the meantiine the archltects have a superintendent under them to watch the construction. Now, for some reasou or other the President of the Board, followed by Messrs. Whedon, Gruner and Doty, opposed tbe bond, and proposed tocast aside any proper guarantees from the architect. Shutting their eyes to the blunders already standing as monuments ol carelessness or negligencc, they advocated a policy calculated to repeat those of tlie Court house, the Tuppun School, tlie Main Hall and the Museum buildings. Had Mr. Harnuian'8 motion been earried to go ahead and ask for blds on these plans of Donaldson & Meier, the district would have been stuck for some $1,500 on two items alone, whlch are omitted from the spectfications. For no provisión is made for seats in the school rooms, the library, or the auditory of the hall, and the specifications cali for plne Iloor8, wlien it had been deckled to have hard wood iïoors. The excuse is given that bonds are not Uiually required for public buildings. Xow, even if that were true it would be no excuse for this School Board to neulect a proper safeguard. lint it is not true, as we hold in our hands severa! letters from prominent architects certifying that it is customary to require a bond of an architect employed for public work. For instance E. E. Meyers, of Detroit, one of the best-known architects in the country, gave bonds when he built the State Capltols of Michigan and of Colorado and the nevr Insane Asylmn at Omaha, Nebraska. In several of the states this is required by lavv. We hold an affldavit from the draughtsman of E. E. Meyers & Son, that "for the pust slx years it bas been the custom of that office to furnish a bond whenever forillahlng ilans and specilications for tbe erection of public buildings.1' Mr. Hess, the architect of the Normal building at Ypsilauti, writts that "it Is customary to require a boud from the architect vvhen employed on an important public building, guaranteeing the accuracy of the work." So Mr. A. E. French, the architect of the State House of Correction at Ionia, and of other Important buildings, wrltes: "It is both usual and proper to require archltects who are employed to desigu public buildings to give a bond witli sureties ;uaranteeiiij{ the accuracy and sufliciency of their work." Xo one eau show how the tax-payers' interests woukl be liable to be iniperilcd by requirina a bond .of the architect {ruariinleeiriff tlnit hls work is accurate, complete and suffleieut :ud thatthe building shall be erected witliin the appropriatloti of $21,00(1. O.i the otlier hand, there is arieat (langer f It is Dot done. Mr. Donaldson ml licre last night and was presentid with the bond :is drawn up. He wished tot time to look it over and tlie board adjourned for a week. This delay bout toa bond has nrisen by the architect not havlng been informed by the proper oiücials that a bond would be requlred, although he had been warned of it by a tneinber who knew It was to be required.