, 1875-03-11

If Attorney. .Gcneral W1LLrANs cannot get it
ont of tho corporation, lot him make way for
q rnan who cau. MATT CARPENTER, for ir-
stance.
THE PROPOSED BUILDING LAW.
The proposed building law for Chicago.
the context Of Which wo hayo nlroady
printed, Inns been sent down to Springfield In
the shapo Of NIL act to apply to MI cities In
tho State having 100, 900 or moro inhabitants.
This action has been prompted BY tho OBJ
stinato delay in passing tho measure through
tho Common Council. and the supposed in
disposition Of majority Of tlnt body to
adopt It. II tlero were sufficient intelligence
in tho Common Council to understand tho
merits Of tho proposed law, md sufficient
interest III the welfare Of ths city to see tho
necessity Of haying such law, thoro would
bo no uocd to 60 to the Legsla-
turo with it. As it is, 1t IN hoped
Tint tho Legislature will do what tho Conf
mon Council 20 ignoransly refuses to do for
the safety Of the city. Tho only question In
whether the Limitation Of the law 10 cities Of
100, 900 or moro does not come under tho
constitutional prohibition OF special lcgisla~
ton but this in still an open question, md
1t il ~ well TINT tho Supreme Court pass On 1t
in connection with this law as with my other.
We arc informed that tho Ohio mud 1ndinna
Supreme Courts hayo held such legislation
not to be specia1. OF course there 10 no hope
for tho passage OF tho bill without this clause,
as there aro no sucl good REASONS for apply
ing it to tho other small Incorporated
c:ties in the State. Wo hope, therefore,
1t will be passed with this clause ~, tint tho
limita.ion may bs passed upon by the su-
pre,ne Court once for nll, and [2) TINT, Il it
bo not unconstitutional, Chicago may thus
enjoy protection without which all tho fro
engines in Christoudo,n will not save us from
disastrous conaagratious.
There Is positively no valid objection What
orer to tho law. 1t ia the product Of tho best
talpnt among the architects and snHster-buila-
crs. 1t LAS hsa tho approval Of tho Chapter
Of Architects and the Board Of Underwriters,
mud Of MI tho leading master-builders. 1t has
undergone very thorough revision by experts,
aud the present draft Of tho law is thought
to be complete aud effective. It Is not
Inv calculated to opproas the middle
nnd poorer c1nsses in any manner. Their in
forests 1ave been considered rs well M those
of tho city at large, and it is said that small
md modest homes can bo built, under tho
provisions Of this law, at as low cost ns
without it, with the difference that they will
be essentially frc-proof. Tho frano shnnties
sometimes cost much moro than A1r. Myers,
of tho Fa,mera,' Merchants j. Mechanics
| Savings Bunk, has found necessary for tho
construction Of fra.proof cottages, whicl,
can bo built, under lis plans, for 81 ,o50.
Ills Investigations into this subject havo led
to tho adoption Of the rsllo at TINT bank not
t to loan money for tho construction of my
other than fire-proof buildings, The safety
| Of Chicago depends upon the application Of
thia rulo to tho whole city; and this Is just
what tho proposed building law will accom-.
plish.
Chicago is the only great and prosperous
city in the world which hos not m Intelligent
and comprehensive building law, enforced at
rieidIy as any other laws. Tho e1isting fire
ordinance does not supply the need in any
sense. In tho first p1aco, it ID altogether too
general nnd too vague in it's provisions; ir
the second place, it provides no adequate
mems for carrying out and enforcing its re
strictionR Tho now Inv, besides tho par
ticularity with which it prescribes thE
conditions for I'LL classes Of buildings
provides for the appointment by th'
Mayor and Common Council Of Super
iu.eudent of Buildings, whose appointmen
is ulado conditional upon certificate Of COIN