ARCHITECTS' CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 50, 28 February 1921, Page 4

ARCHITECTS' CHARGES

TO Till EDITOR,

Sir, —I am exceedingly pleased to see from the reports of the proceedings of the annual meeting of the New Zealand Institute of Architects now being held in Napier that it hs,s boon decided to cease iaking a largo^ proportion of the j architect's remuneration for services to his client from the builder in the shape of a percentage for the use of the copies' of the plans and specifications. I feel sure that the discriminating public will appreciate this change, for it has always appeared strange to many that the architect (who is the employers' represantatiye. and agent) should receive payment from the person that he is supposed to bo supervising—which payment ivas, of course, added to the contract price when the .tender, was being, made up, and was in consequence indirectly supplied by the omployor. From the ethical point of view the cuatom sapmed indefensible, : and I am sure that tho profession will be hca-rtily congratulated for having oleansed itself-from the stain which suoh conduct could not fail to place on it. It will now be more difficult for the underselling architect to do/ work nominally at a low ra-te and make up his fees—probably to something hiijhor than tho reepectable man would charge—by letios on the contractor. Suoh levies will now coin'o under, tho ban of secret commissions, whereas, as things were, he could plead "ordinary practice" or "trade custom," and. if challenged, show the architect's authorised scale o£ charges to j support his plea.—l am, etc., OLD-FASHIONED. 26th February.