Evening star., 1902-04-18
|NSAN|TARf HOMES
nj
Report on Bill Drawn by the
Health Officer.
COL. BIDDLES VIEWS
WILL INDoRsE MEASURE, BUT
THINKS 1T SHOULD BE AMENDED.
Bill Creates Board and Empowers It
to Condemn Buildings Un-
fit for Use.

Col. John Biddle, the Engineer Commits
sioner, has submitted a -eport to his asso-
ciates of the District board in regard to the
bill drawn up by the health officer to create
a commission for the condemnation of in
sanitary dwellings. This bill provides for
the association of one of the assistants of
the Engineer Commissioner and the inspec-
tor Of buildings with the health officer as
board for the investigation Of the sarii-
tary condition Of buildings in the District
and the condemnation Of buildings that are
in such insanitary condition as to endanger
the health or lives of the occupants or of
persons living in the vicinity. The bill
empowers the board to cause the con-
demned buildings to be vacated until suit
able repairs are made, or vacated, demol-
| ished and removed. according to the cir
cumStanceS Of the case
Col. Biddle calls attention to report by
| Capt Chester Harding, the assistant to the
| Engineer Commissioner, who has supervis-
| ion Of the building department. and says:
This BILL or one similar, has been pre-
sented before, and has been acted on favor
| ably by the Engineer Commissioner. 1t
| seems to me, however, rather a wrong pol
| icy that while the health officer is prima-
| rily responsible for sanitation, and whose
| opinion would have to be followed in most
| cases. the majority Of the board, as con-
| stituted by the BILL should be in the build
| ing department and entirely disconnected
| with the helath department On the other
| hand, in view of the Endorsement by DR..
Woodward, the health officer, I have no
| better plan to propose, unless it be that
| thority such as is vested in the inspector
| of buildings for the condemnation of unsafe
buildings be vested in the health officer for
the condemnation of insanitary buildings.
A Remedy Suggested.
"It seems to me that to forbid the occu-
| patton of insanitary buildings would pro-
vide a sufficient uit rapuiripo
| the owners to destroy or remove them.
! This could doubtless be accomplished with
less friction and objection the part Of
| the property owners.
"1f no better way can be suggested by the
| health officer I shall approve this bill. l
| desire, however, the amendment that the
| assistant in charge of the building depart
ment, instead Of the senior assistant to the
Engineer Commissioner, shall be named as
a member Of the board, the senior
| siStant is not necessarily in charge Of the
building divisions. The amendments sug-
gested by Capt Harding as to a quorum Of
the board are also approved and should be
| inserted in the biH.'
Capt. Harding's Report.
In his report on the measure Capt. Hard
ing says: + Il
1.-The suggestion of the Engineer Com
missioner that his assistant in charge of
buildings be substituted for the senior as
sistant' as member of the proposed board
would make imperative the provision of
the bill for the service on the board of the
Junior assistant in the absence Of the
senior assistant There seems to be no
! necessity for this provision, however, as it
Is otherwise provided that the board will
have at least two members present, and
these will constitute majority. With only
two members present a tie vote might
cur in a doubtful case; but in cases so
doubtful as to give rise to tie vote de-
faNy until ha fnll apf
probably be immaterial. I would, there
fore, recommend that if the bill be favor
ably considered section 2 be modified as
follows:
" Section PA majority of the board shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of
all business that may come before 1t, and
the majority vote OF the members present
in the consideration of any case shall be
necessary to condemn building under this
act
Provision Omitted.
"It will be noted,'' continues Capt. Hard
ing that the substitute bill omits the pro-
vision for the employment of a special in
spector and the appropriation of money for
the execution of the act. In my Judgment,
the necessity for special inspector rests
upon the degree of urgency for action
under the bill. While insanitary conditions
are frequently discovered and reported by
the inspectors Of the health department,
and also of the building and plumbing de-
ure accidental, and are usually the result
of complaints filed by tenants. Speaking
for my own departments, the inspectors
could not be we'll spared to make systemat-
| ic house-to-house inspections for the pur-
pose Of discovering insanitary conditions
throughout the District
Capt. Harding agrees with Col. Bddle as
to the seeming impropriety of making a
| majority of the board officials of the build
ing department 1t is understood, however,
that the Commissioners generally favor the
bill as drawn up by the health officer and
feel it would be safer to leave the matter
in the hands of board. The bill also has
the approval of the recently organized COM
mittee on the Improvement of the housing
conditions of the poor. 1t is believed this
committee will cooperate with the board
in it's labors and will do more and better
work of inspection than regular employe
might do. DR.. George A. Kober and Prof.
Charles P. Neill Of the committee have ap-
peared before the Commissioners to favor
such measure as that which it is now pro-
posed to report to Congress-.