The Washington times., 1901-11-07

China, and only awaits her opportunity
TO do so with characteristic ignorance.
impudence. and atrocity.
Already her anti-foreign policy crops
out in the appointment of one of her
most bloodthirsty Boxer agents, Ma
Tung. as a member of the new Chinese
Board of Foreign Affairs. Again, she
designs to surround the throne with
creatures who can be depended upon to
lead in n new attempt to butcher the
legationers should opportunity offer
While she is tolerated in control of the
Chinese Government. China will be
powder magazine, and somebody Will
drop a lighted match in it or lightning
will strike 1t some day. The Yellow
Peril is not thing of the past; it is an
ugly and perhaps an imminent one.
The Enforcement of Building Laws.
Anyone who has had much to do with
New York tenements cannot have failed
to note the desperate need of proper
building laws in that city. Incidentally,
it may be observed that in most other
ing cheap buildings than there should
be. 1t ought to be made impossible for
an unscrupulous landowner or Contrac
tor to endanger the lives and injure the
health of poor families, by putting up
houses which are unsanitary fre-traps.
a man who signs himself Builder
writes TO one Of the New York papers,
,aN hp ,f
Tammany may result in energetic and
effe' tive action in this matter He
says:
The Truth Of the matter is that favored con-
tractors backed ly unlimited poIitical iuii,,e,,e
and large capital doing their level best to
hog all the building contracts in this city. With
an impudence only equaled by that of their
hackers patron, the Squire they proceed to do
this by asking for sub-contraet bids without ref
erence TO the plain requirements Of the law
Naturally such bids lower than those put in
by other and law-abiding business men, who,
having no private assurances from the powers that
be tat present. that the obnoxious clause shall
be repealed before the material is required are
constrained to bid as the law directs Therefore
the firm with the big, big pull gets the jobs
This is a partial explanation of the
fact that in spite of such building laws
as have been passed, flimsy fire-traps
are still erected for dwellings and
shops, and dishonest contractors grow
fat on the proceeds. 1t is, of course,
easy to see that to build an apartment
house or factory honestly. using only
good material, and planning the build
ing in such a way as to secure all the
light and ventilation possible in the cir
cumstances, viii be a more expensive
job than building it so that it viii mere
ly house the number Of people desired
as tenants, and look all right on the
outside. II stands TO reason that unless
the dishonest contractor is prevented
from doing business on his fayorite
principles, the honest architect and
builder, and the just landlord, will be
unable TO do business except at loss.
This is not a matter for sentimental
bewailing or cold-blooded indifference
1t is simply a question of economies
There is no doubt that in the long run
a dishonest business man makes the
whole community, as well as his direct
victims, pay his bills. He not only low
ers the moral tone Of the business
world, but he prevents the majority of
his fellows from doing business on right
and honest lines, which would in the
end add to the prosperity of all. Any
body can see that city in which every
4 building is well constructed, durable,
handsome in proportion to its cost, and
thoroughly suited to the purpose for
which it is erected, is a pleasanter.
cheaper, and generally more profitable
place TO live in than one in which most
,f ~ l..
and unsuited to practical uses If the
main object of building a house were to
provide work for the builder By making
the house a ramshackle structure which
would not last, the present system
would be all right, though even then it
might be an improvement to go back
to the Indian wigwam. But there is
no danger that architects. masous. and
bricklayers viii find themselves out Of
employment if contractors turn honest
The money that is saved by honest
work can be put into more work of the
same kind. There will be no loss in the
end for honest people. The contractor
will have to be content with what he
can honestly earn instead of all that he
can steal; but that, in the end, viii not
do even him any harm. Those vino are
rejoicing over the fact that Tammany
is beaten cannot do better than to use
their new opportunities in revising and
enforcing the building laws. If they
can put up comfortable, healthful
dwellings for few thousand poor peo-
pie they viii have done something
which no change Of administration can
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