The Washington times., 1903-07-16
Regulations Not O6serOed by
the Office of the Building
Lspector--Too Mach Work
for His Employees.
EXAMINING FORCE
ENTIRELY INADEQUATE
oAShford Declares IT Is In
possible to ObserUe La9uS
shade to Protect the Public.
Drafted RuLes Himself.

The inability of the several Offices
OF the District government TO perform
their respective functions, as required
by law and their oath. is further evil
denced by an investigation of the meth
DDS in vogue in the Office OF the Build
ing Inspector. which was completed
yesterday by reporter for The Times.
1t now develops that the buildings
which are going up like mushrooms all
over the city are not inspected In ac-
cordance with the regulations adopted
by the District Commissioners. The
condition is the same as with the ele-
vator inspectors, namely. that with the
present force of employees it is impos-
sible to conform with the law.
Appropriation insufficient.
In no branch of the District govern
ment has the growth of the District
been taken into consideration in the
appropriations made by Congress for its
administration. The regulations state:
The Inspector of Buildings. and his
assistants, when so directed, shall ex-
anime all buildings in course of erec-
tion, alteration. or repair, as often as
necessary; shall see that the work Is
done in accordance with the law and
regulations; that the materials used are
up to the standard; that the work is
done in q substantial manner. and is of
sufficient strength and solidity to insure
safety when used for the purpose for
which it was designed
When the city had a population of
125,0O0 Congress provided for four build
ing inspectors Today the 3uildfug In
spectors Office is supposed to cover 4
territory containing 10000 population.
with but FIVE building inspectors in the
OF appropriations has not kept apace
with the growth OF the city.
There are at present seven inspectors
employed by the District to inspect al
buildings in course of construction, but
there is certain Office work which re-
Quires all the time of one of these gen
tlemen. Another of the inspectors is
kept busy with petty complaints. such as
wrong numbers on houses. and other
trivial matters that could be performed
by any ordinary clerk. were such posi-
tion provided for the Office.
Twenty Minute Inspection.
AS consequence an inspector IN the
field cannot give more than twenty min
utes TO the inspection of a building, pro-
vided he makes his complete round eacn
week Building Inspector Ashford de-
clares that a man should have at least
an hour, and should be able to get around
10 every building within his Jurisdiction
twice a week.
"A building may rise two stories in
a week." he said this morning, and our
inspector has to take the word Of the
builder for its construction. Ny force is
PAINFULLY inadequate. l admit, and it Is
simply impossible to conform with the
regulations governing the inspection ot
buildings.
When asked what effort, II any. he Rad
made to have his force increased. or the
regulations changed, he replied:
"The records viii show that every one
OF my recent reports have requested
mere help, and have called attention to
the inadequacy OF my Office to do its
duties. AS TAR as the regulations are
concerned, 7 drafted them myself-not
from a standpoint OF what my Office
could do. but what II ought 20 DO. The
remedy Is rot TO make the regulations
more len.en-, but the force larger.
Builders Can Evade Laws.
''In brief. there has been only cne addi-
tional building Inspector placed In the
field since the city numbered 125 900.
There are row nearly 3CO. 900 people in
the District Of Columbia. and the char
acter of the buildings has increased 10
Importance in even a greater ratio.
Twelve years ago the only steel struc-
tural building in the city was the Cairo
apartment house. Now there are hun
dreds, which require the most careful
and minute inspection en- the part OF the
District authorities. IL Is not only pos
sible. but extremely easy, for builders
TO evade the laws"