The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-19
BETTER BUILDING LAWS =
FOR INDIANAPOLIS
Building Inspector Stanley lnaugu-
rates the Movement at a Meeting
of Architects in the City.
COMMITTEE IS NAMED

A meeting of architects that may have
an important bearing on the future of the
citys building laws and the nature OF It's
architecture held in Room ST. of the
Majestic building at 4:30 o'clock yesterday
afternoon The meeting was called by
Building Inspector Stanley and was at
tended by dozen or fifteen Indianapolis
architects State Factory Inspector McAbee
was also present.
Mr.. Stanley called the meeting TO con-
slider ways and means of making what he
considers greatly needed changes in the
Indianapolis building laws. to conform with
improved ideas In architecture and the
growth of the city. He stated last evening
that he was greatly pleased with the inter-
est shown by the architects who attended
the meeting and their evident and expressed
willingness to cooperate with him In TAX
ing such steps as will insure some definite
and immediate action toward the desired
end.
The meeting organised by el@cting y. -.
Bohlen chairman and ]. T. Johnson secre-
tary. AS long as the architects remain as
ISOLATED for the purpose for which they
met yesterday afternoon these officers will
probably be retained.
The most important matter considered at
the meeting was a paper by Mr.. Stanley
showing the Importance and need of
new building ordinance for the city that
will recognize its growth and it's modern
needs. The paper was general In Its tone,
calling the attention of the architects to the
Importance of proceeding without delay. as
the city is suffering from an imperfect sys-
tenn of building laws. He suggested, among
other things that the chief inspector should
have an assistant whose duty it would he
to look after building interests. in the out
lying districts.
APPLICATION FOR PERMITS.
Another suggestion was that applications
for permits should all be made to the build
ing inspector himself. from the very small
est to those for the construction of the
largest buildings, so that the inspector
might have the opportunity of knowing
something of the character of the work to
be done in each instance. At present all
applications for permits for building the
estimate for which is less than $1,000 are
made to the controller, and those for the
construction of buildings of a greater value
to the inspector. Obviously, stated Mr..
Stanley, this distinction is wrong, for the
reason that a $500 contract might be the
cause of wrecking an entire building unless
the plans were approved by the building
inspector.
Factory Inspector McAbee gave short
talk in which he commended the movement
for better building laws in the city In the
strongest terms. Other talks were given
by architects, among them L. II. Gibson.
George V. Bedell, inspector under the last
Taggart administration III. H. Dupont, II.
c. Hendrickson and others.
A committee was appointed to outline a
plan of campaign and to suggest the best
method of setting to work to get the kind of
an ordinance desired Incorporated into the
Qft tyfc 10
following: L. II. Gibson, chairman, p. G.
RUBBISH, c. T. Freijs, II. HI. Dupont, o. d.
Bohlen and Building Inspector Stanley.
This committee will meet at the call of
the chairman and will submit report to
the architects at time to be determined
upon later.