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Show GOVERNMENT BHH.DEBS AFRAID OF CONCRETE Is Adjudged a, Most Unsafe Material Ma-terial Architects Turning Prom It. When tho collapse of tho concroto building is frequently happening throughout tho land, destroying lifo and property, and when the president of a cement company, who is a high authority author-ity in Iho government service, says that it seems a miraclo to him that more concrelo buildings have not collapsed, it would seem timo for some of us who have been considering this new experiment experi-ment to stop and investigate a little further. There are so many tnala, troubles and uncertainties about this new form of construction that ono never knows what to depend upon. This feature has caused so many disappointments disappoint-ments that many of the archtitocts who have heretofore been favorable are turning turn-ing away from concreto und pinning their faith to tho old tried, and truo materials. Mr. James Knox Taylor, supervising architect of the treasury department, the highest functionary in tho United States government, says: "There is too much danger in tho indiscriminate- use of concrete io permit us to try to make it a common material for the construction construc-tion of government buildings, unless or until this danger can be eliminated in some way." Another authority says: "Tt is so variable a quantity, and is so susceptible to tribulations iu its handling, that, in spite of the arguments of its votaries, the gentlemen who have- cement lo sell, it is tho most unsafe medium of construction. con-struction. All other materials are completed com-pleted and can bo subjected to tests, : and arc to a degroe tested before being placed on a building, while reinforced ' concrete cannot, or, at least not until j it is loo lato to remedy tho defect. Pail urcs of this mode of construction have been reported from other cities in a manner to require upon our part rigid inspection for the protection of public safety." i - |