New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-30

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEATH TRAPS
No effort has yet been made by the Legisla-
t,lre to amend the building laws that apply to
this city. If it adjourns, as now seems pIoD-
able, without remedying the glazing Ccfects
of the acts now in force, the members ~. as
sume a grave responsibility. They have had
ample warning of what is needed. The
slaughter of sixteen innocent children III the
Fourth Street school and the loss OF life in tue
Madison Street tenement-hOuse and the Cam
bridge Flats are disasters of recent occurrence
They might have been avoided if the building
claws had not been defective. And yet with
these and other startling illustrations of the
need of prompt relief, the Legislature has done
nothing.
In 1880 an act was passed abOlishing the
Building Department. Because of political
influences it had become corrupt, eXtravagant
and inefficient. It's chief was indicted for ac
cepting a bribe and III order to wipe out the
disgrace the Legislature passed an extreme
measure 1t abolished the department, and
transferred its work to a bureau under the Fire
Commissioners. Its annual expenses were
reduced one half by limiting them to $4,000.
But even in that change there was a political
consideration, as was shown by fastening upon
the bureau an attorney at yearly expense of
S4 900, with additional law clerks, instead Of
leaving the legal duties with the Law Depart
ment of the city, where they properly belong.
This reduced the available appropriation to
about 1900.
Inspector Esterbrook, who is at the head Of
the Building Bureau, has repeatedly testified
that the appropriation is insufficient. There
are, he says, 100, 900 houses to he inspected,
spread over a large territory. Last year he
examined 2,577 plans for new buildings and
! sol plans for alterations of old structures.
There has been so far this year large in
crease over the work of last year. To examine
carefully all the plans submitted, and to in
spect daily the new buildings going up and the
alterations being made in old ones, is too
much work, Mr.. Esterbrook says, for his
poorly paid staff of thirty-one persons. Be-
sides, there are fire-escapes to be looked after
and unsafe buildings to be examined. We be-
leve MIR. EsterbroOk is right. 1t was apiece
Of folly for the Legislature to limit the appro-
priatiOn for an important charge of this kind to
$4,000. If the Board of Estimate and APP
portionnent can be trusted to make appropria-
lions of many millions of dollars for other de-
partments, it certainly can be trusted to deal
with the necessities of the Bureau of Buildings.
And yet, because there is no "bone" to be
picked in this simple hill to repeal a clause in a
former act, the Legislature has given it no con-
sideratior.
It's not necessary to change the bureau pack
again into a separate department; though we
think single head is better than the divided
responsibility that now exists. There are other
defects in the present building laws. A bill to
remedy them has heen approved by the princi-
pal builders and architects of the city, and is
now on the Senate files. The acts in force at
present give too much discretion to the heads
of the Fire Department and Buildings Blu
READ. This permits of favOrs being ex
tended for political and other reasons that
ought never to be granted. This discretion.
unwisely and corruptly used in tho past, is ac-
countable for many of the death traps, in the
shape of buildings, that now disigure the city.
To the credit OF Inspector Esterbrook, he has