New-York tribune., 1883-03-11
DISCUSSING THE BUILDING LAWS.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT A MEETING OF BUILDER
AND ARCHITECTS.

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT MELTING OF BUILDERS
AND ARCHITECTS.
There was meeting of builders and architects
last night in the rooms OF the Madison Exchange
Club at No. ,12I Lcxington-avc., 10 consider the
proposed new building law prepared by
the Bureau of Buildings and now
before the Legislature The meeting was one which
had been referred TO several times by Inspector
Esterbrook as iniinical to his administration of the
present building laws, aud 1t iudulgcd IN some con
demna,lon of the Inspectors bureau and the
reforms that had grown ont OF the position
taken by him. There were also some criticisms Of
the old Building Department and PLAIN ch .rsos of
corruption against its officers. There about
forty tirmsreprcscntcd; among them George VI. Will
iams CHARLES Bgck O'Rellly Brothers, McCatirrtY
& Buckley Charles Graham a Som, John Davidson,
Lynde Brothers. T.. -. Connolly ~ Son, j. n g.
Kuddol!, John Murphy, Richard 1. Jones. Daniol
uennessy Ira l.. Doying AMI Anthony Mowbray.
Mr. Williams was called To the char, ana Thomas
Graham acted as crct2ry.
George W. Da Cnnha suggested that the law
ought TO D., amended as to prevent
thc erection OF ten-stofy bnIldiugs He SAID that
the burning of such buildings when the fire started
from below would cause the ohs ol hundreds 0t
lives Doors ought also to be hung on spring butts
so that they would always clOso after persons had
PASSED through them. In his judgment no house
should bc over four stories hlBh.
Thomas Graham sad that the new law preserVed
all the bad features Of the Old including iine ana
i'm orisonment for VIC ations. lie viewed il as an
iniGnitous measure and moved that a committee
10 appointed 10 suggest amendments 10 II. lie SAID
hc knew oil one contract amounting To N|13oOo,
which had been abandoned because OF the haraSs
ing which came from tie Inspector OF buildings.
lie ofirred the following resolutions:
Res0lred That the owners. architects and builders
represented IN this meeting are actuated by no selfish
motive, but dcsirt 20 see building law passed mat VIII
safety 10 fe and property and at tue same time
individual taste and contuyancc free scope aud
that the Ia" NO" oel'fe the lNSSi@uto iaIis sgnhy
in this respect and should be sysiematLed
and slmplihed thai W. OBJECT TO naylng crude schemes
Of construction ior'cl upon US y ath"rIy oI law, WIN
opportunity OF making Ourselves heard when our
knowledge and experience may have taught us bettor
means Of arriving at tho desired results.
Ihat the proposed law Pcipetua.c ana even ciel.c9
In hands Oi the superintendent nn unwarraned and
dangerous power, such aS no man can De safely IN
to receive sugg tons aso changes IN tde proposed law
The resolutions wero adopted, and the
chairman appointed the following committee:
Chailes Buck, George W. Da Lunha, John
j. Burcheli. Cornelius OReily, II. w. Buckley,
James T.. Lyude, John Il. X id, jr.
subsequently the chairman ana secretary OF the
meeting were added TO the committee Mr.. Da
Cuuh1 speaking OF the corruption made possible by
the law said that when he was member OF The
Committee of Twenly-one he had found man after
man who had proved that lie could buy
man after man in the Building Department,
from the Inspector down. The old law purposely
made the walls too thick, lac said, so that builders
could have them cat down by paying Ior the PRIV
ilege. a., - .,,.... a..
meeting said he had come 60 listen lie approved
however the manner IN which the builders had taken
up the discussion of the new bill IL was very ln-
pOrtant law and deserved careful consideration.
He had had experience which led MN 10 OeIeVe
there was corruption in the old department. out not
III tins. The present administration was doIg goou.
Sull lie thought that the law a. suoutteu % hllshu ~
be impro yed, and or Two otner lnlngs NC
suggested that tue requirement OF stone where IRON
would do as WELL if not better, was III inc interest,"
OF mebOdy who owned q stone quarry. =,
1t agreed to meet again on next SATURDAY
evening in the parlor OF the Sturteyant House.