The evening times., 1895-10-26
REVISION ALMOST DONE
Committee at Work on the Build.
ing Regulations.
NEW CODE ENTIRELY MODERN
Boston Was the Model Used, With
Notifications From English and
French Cities-EffOrt to Increase
the Salaries of the Assistant As
SCISSORS and Excise Board.

The committee recently appointed by
the Board of Commissioners to revise and
perfect the District building regulations
will have its work done in time to have
the results submitted to Congress early in
the coming session, and 1t is safe 10 say
that the new code will present all the
modern ideas in that line
Through the State Department copies
have been obtained OF the regulations in
force in all leading foreign cities, and
these have been supplemented by those
of the cities of this country, and all have
been before the committee as guide in
its deliberat lions.
The city of Boston supplied the model
by which to fashion the law for Wash
ington, but the best features from the rcgu-
lations in vogue in Manchester, London,
and Paris Will be Incorporated.
A new feature of Importance will be the
provision for Introducing electrical appli-
ances and connections into buildings with
out incurring the risk OF starting lire,
and the very best method OF accomplishing
this result will be adopted.
ELIMINATE ALI. ELASTICITY.
The object in view OF the committee is
to frame a code from which will be cliIn!-
mated all elasticity as to construction, and
when the work shall be completed IL Will
be submitted to the attorney Tor tie DIS
trict ior 4 determination as To whether
the regulations in anyway conIlict with
the law. 1t will also be reviewed by the
Commissioners prior To submission TO
Congress.
The necessity for new building regula-
tions has been constantly before the Com
missioners They have been amended
from time Ia time as each recurring ncces-
sity arose, there being change by modi-
fication or addition as each emergency
suggested. They are at present, in the
estimation of the building Inspector, in
a reasonably good shape, but still not
equal to the rcqui remcnts of a first
class city.
The original regulations adopted by the
District were framed by Il commission, of
which the first building inspector, Thomas
b. Piowman, was chairman, and they have
been tinkered from the date Of their
adoption down la the present time.
THOSE IN CHARGE OF 1T.
The present committee is composed of
John B. Brady. building inspector: Apple
ton Clark, Wm. Morrison, Robert Flem-
ing, James q. Hill, and James Freeman,
all well-Ilnown citizens. Its work is now
SO far under way that the Commissioners
upon the request of Mr.. Brady, have de-
tailed Daniel Curry to assist in getting the
material reduced to Il system for consider.i-
ton.
MIR. Brady and Mr. Curry will devote the
whole of next week TO the revision of the
details by whom the classification and
condensation will be made in time for a
full meeting Of the commission i'll the week
following.
An important accommodation made hy
the Commissioners in the estimates for
1897 was that for the addition of 81 900
as salary TO each of the assistant assessors,
increasing their compensation to $4,000
per annuin. The regular item of $4,000
each, to meet the salary of the assistant
assessors, and the additional item OF 81 600
appears as recompense for services as an
excise board.
ESTIMATES FOR SALARIES.
The recommendations for advances in the
salaries of the assessors clerical force are
shown as follows, the estimates being given
as they occur, with the 1856 figures ap-
peariug first:
One assessor, So. 500, same as before:
one assistant frcm 81 600 to $4,000; one
assistant, from 81 500 to S1,sO0; special
assistant clerk, Sl,100, no advance; two
clerks at 81 400 each. no advance; three
clerks, 1900 each, no advance; one
draught sman, from 81 200 To 1.4O0; three
clerks, ST 900 each, 10 advance. assistant
or clerk, $500, no advance; clerk in charge
of records, $1,000, no advance; clerk TO
board of assistant assessors. Sl.2oo, no
advance; clerk, $500, no advance; license
CLERK, from Sl.2uu TO Sl.:cU; inspector
of licenses, $1,000, no advance; messenger
and driver, $500. no advance. Total for
1896, $4,000; for 1897, aggregate $685.
coo. Increase, $500.
The estimates for the assessors force
fall somewhat short of the anticipatiOns
but tiI.. necessity ior scaling app.i.u Ia all
departments alike.
Ii adopted, the suggestion in favor or the
assistant assessors will make their sala-
ries each $500 in excess of that of the
assessors. but their duties include the
large extra work attached to the excise
department.