New-York tribune., 1899-09-23

IT was absurd and unfair for the Ramapo company
to make use Of that petition to bolster up lite
tract
Before leaving the stand Mr. Moss put few
questions 10 the witness concerning the delay In
the operations OF the Citizens Telephone Corpora
ton Mr.. butcher said the company ready to
begin the laying OF wires and only awaited the
granting of the necessary permits to open the
streets. 1t has been said that this permit was held
up by Tammany in the interests OF telephone
monopoly; but Mr. butcher said he expected the
company to get the necessary permits at any mo-
ment.
MIR. WELLER RECALLED
Mr.. Moss then turned his attention to the new
Building Code and recalled Lawrence veiller. sec
retary of the Tenement House Committee OF the
Charity Organization Society who on the preced-
Ing day pointed out many evil features OF the code
now pending before the Council. Mr.. WELLER re-
peated that he thought the code much greater
menace than the Ramapo contract. because 1t en-
dangered the life and health of the people OF New
York. II broke down all the good work that had
already been done In the matter Of improving
tenement houses. In his opinion, he said the code
had been drawn up for the express benefit Of the
builders. For more than an hour he pointed out
some Of the strange provisions OF the code, and
while he would not agree with Alderman Sherman
that It had been conceived in crime yet he con-
fessed everything pointed to that conclusion. He
drew Mr.. Mosss attention to many defects and
oopholes contained In the code all of which
favored the builder. Moreover not one Of the Raines
law hotels complied. under the new code with the
hreproofng and fire escape requirements The code
defined a hotel as having fourteen rooms at least
and the Raines law defined II as having ten at least
Under the code, also. he said, boarding houses
having fifteen rooms above the first story would
have TO comply with the hotel requirements-a
most unjust provision, in the witnesses opinion for
the reason that boarding houses are not built as
such, and because their Ilv
women Of small capital
The new code directed that the measuren ent OF
the wall shall be made from the curb TO the middle
beam Of a fiat roof. This allowed the owner TO
put up what is called bukhead on the roof and
thus make another story. This had been ATTEMPTED
actually lately he said, but under the old code
In the matter Of excavations witness said that
me me coIe gave builders the option of guarding tho
prior to the actual beginning of the work Of build
ing l According to the old law adjoining buildings
code owners of adjoining buildings were forced to
witness said that the new code permitted Builders
TO diminish their thickness the discretion Of the
Building Commisson. If there was one thing which
should be safely guarded IT was foundation walls
upon which the weight Of the structure rested.
DANGEROUS MENACE
With unscrupulous Commissioner and an un-
scrupulous builder. such discretionary power
dangerous menace. There were fewer than fifty
five instances In the code Of discretionary power
being given TO the Building Commissioner.
Mr.. WELLER pointed out that the plumbing regu-
lations in the code were defective and that
there provisions for securing air In the
airshafts. The witness added that the Board OF
Examiners wanted $1,000 a year for the expenses
of Office attaches but that he could imagine
what the money would be used for.
August Hoebermann, builder was cal ed 70
testify 10 the bad construction of tenement houses
He had made an examination Of the tenement
houses now in course of construction in this city
and he had found that not 80 per cent Of them
being built according to legal requirements. He
hibted many photographs Of buildings now being
erected which were not IN accordance with the
that the walls were not properly supported that
the foundations insecure and in many in
stances, 1t was demonstrated by the photographs
that houses had begun to collapse because or i'm
perfect construction and inferior materials.
EASY OF EVASION.
All the building laws could be evaded the wit
ness declared. If the builder stood in" with the
Building Department The most frequent violations
were in the matter OF beams. A large number Of
favored builders, he said, are permitted to put in
Temporary wooden beams" when the law
specific in demanding iron He had seen inspectors
spending their time in saloons drinking. One par
ticuar place where they cOngregated was saloon
near The Bronx office Of the Buildings Department.
at ne-hundred- "A nd -forty-second-st. and Third
In the saloon window was a sign I'VE Need
the Money"
building now being erected at Park-ave. and
Ninety nnth-st, and said that 500 had been offered
70 him not 70 exhibit the pictures. . ,,o.,a.uo..
Solomon Rosenthal law partner OF Magistrate
Hagan said he n stOCkhOlder In the Ramapo
company but refused 10 say from whom he got
the stock He denied that he had ever talked 10
ing Mr. Hoffman, he said he had never heard that
Senator Platt or Frank H. Platt owned stock IN the
The committee adjourned until next Monday
morning.