The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-19
Inspector Reports a Total
of 6,82t Permits.
TOTAL VALUE OF S8,3fO,24O
Urgent Need OF a Large Force Pointed
0ut-Field Inspectors Overwozked
and Not Able to Perform Their Du-
ties Thoroughly Defects IN the Law

Mr. Snowden Ashford, Inspector OF
Buildings, has forwarded TO the District
Commissioners his report OF the opera
tons o. the Building Department tor
the hscal year ended June So 1902, to-
gether with estimates Tor the conduct Of
the Office for the fiscal year ending June
So 1900
AIr. Ashford shows that the number
Of building permits issued during the
year was 6.821, AID the value Of the i'm
provements was SS.310.24G The report
contains other interesting statistics.
which 90 TO show that the work Of the
office Of the Inspector is rapidly increas-
ing, and Mr. Ashford argues from the
facts presented the need of better IA
ciIities and more help in his Office. He
speaks Of the complaints Of builders,
who have to wait for their permits, and
of the hindrance to building operations
from this cause
The report speaks OF accidents. the
defects IN the fire-escape law, the num-
her and character OF building plans eX-
amined. the number OF public buildings
in charge Of the Inspectors Office, and
many other items.
Issue Of Permits.
The following is the statement Of the
number Of permits issued and the vaIGe
Of the improvements
Number Of brick dwellings I34. i'm
prOvements, 3,395, 937; frame dwellings,
159 S29g. $50. brick repairs, $50. Sl-265,
1S5; frame repairs. So. S8I. 322, apart
ment houses, 81, s, 232 GOO; store ana
dwelling - SS9. SOC. stores brick, lG,
1857. 100; stores tfTame1 s. 50 500, store
and Office, 1, SIS, 700; office buildings, 10,
S46l, 4G0; churches tbrick), s, 1855, $50;
church (Lrame) J. s. coo, college or
school. . $50, zoe: assembly halls. 2.
So, JG5- warehouse, 10, $3.50; the RU-
pert Home l. $4G 600; orphan asylum,
/. $4,000; laundry, 3. $54. 500; gymnasi-
I'm, ! SO 00G; factory tbrich), /, b,000;
factory lframe1 / $4,000. workshop
(briclo. 8, 81, 200; workshop tframel,
! $500 stable lbTickl, ., S5S, l50; sta
bles (frame), %, S25,1 engine and
boiler, Is SI12 356; studio (brick). l,
$780, fcehouse {frame) !. 81 900; wait
ing room (frame), 1. $3.50: blacksmith
shop (brickl 4 S2,2f2s blacksmith shop
lframe), >, S475; sheds (brickl, II. $40
66e; sheds (frame), 513, S23,z7 Easo-
iene tanks 3, 5000; greenhouse, 2, S8cG;
minor repairs. 1885, 5000; awnings,
1S5, s. So FIRE escapes, 3, s. $50; eleva-
tCrs, IS. SIS. SO: totals, 6.S21, SS,3i0.2 40-
Compared With Previous Year.
OF these permits LII were for new
buildings in the previous year. or an in
crease Of 81 Permits were issued for
repairs in 2,065 cases, as against ], 896
the previous year, or an increase OF 16s.
There were 81 permits for apartment
houses against I2S for the previous year,
decrease OF u. The valuation OF the
buildings erected and the repairs made
we're g. Iii. 160 greater Than in the pre-
yious fiscal year
The following summary shows the dis
SGTibutlon OF the Improvements IN the dIf-
ferent sections OF the District.
Northwest, new buildings. s., 1875. go;
repairs, 1888. 555. County, new buildings,
81. 494, 626: repairs, S14S, al Southeast,
new buildings, $4I5, S62; repairs. 1898 ,048.
Northeast, new buildings. 1921, 49S; re-
pairs. $3.50 Southwest, SIz7. 100; re-
pairs, S27, 557. Total new buildings, So
7s7, 466; repairs, 81, 374,264
The receipts OF the Office are shown
IN the following statement:
For building permits and repairs, So
ZIG; for engine and boilers. ovens. gaso-
Iene tanks. elevators. electric motors.
etc, $5I; projections beyond the building
line. 1922; awnings, S133- stands, 50.
Total. 81. 375; received for year 1901, So,
49, increase, S522
An examination OF the foregoing
summary" says Mr. Ashford. affords
3 good example of the rapidly increasing
business Of this Office. showing an IL
crease II valuation OF building opera
tons Of 81 116, 100 over previous year.
The building operations have in
creased steadily al the rate u over half
3 million dollars year since 1894. when
the last Twenty years, the valuation be-
, Tag at that time 81, 204, S4i. This steady
increase II the volume OF business has
been transacted by this Office with com
paTatively the same force employed IN
former times.
by reference 70 the number Of per
mits issued during the past year il VIII
be seen that an average Of nineteen per
zits are issued daily. and this branch
OF the work transacted through the
principal assistant inspector, who with
OUT assistance is required TO pass upon
the various subjects enumerated in the
foregoing summary with such prompt
ness ard dispatch that it is impossible
to give 70 eac- the consideration il de-
serves.
Complaints Of Builders.
''The builders of the city complain OF
the time CONSUMED in obtaining per
Eats. but considering the number issued
each day by one man. il viii be seen
that this delay is unavoidable with the
present force. The principal assistant
Or permit clerk now issues one permit
every twenty minutes. and when We stop
10 consider that within this time plans
and specifications must De examined 10
ascertain whether they are in accord
ancc with the regulations. and careful
examination made OF plats and IOca-
lions. and comparison CT projections be
y0ud the building line with plans ap-
proved, and calculations made on
strength Of materials, it seems evident
tIat this branch of the work Of the
Office should be provided with an in
eEeascd tcrce 50 that Il may be handled
as L IS IN the other large cities in
mere systematic manner II order 10
do this at least two assistants should
De signed to the permit desk IN ad-
diticu 20 the principal assistant. but
a. these cannot be spared from the
small force n the field we are compelled
70 continue il the present very unsatis-
factory manner Until additional employ
es are authorized by Congress
- Scbuif herewith a report Of the as
sistc5 INSPECTORS y charge Of lei1
work c. Inspection Ct buildings il