The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-28
Mr.. HOPPER MEANS TO STICK.
DOESN'T KNOW WHERE AHEARN
COULD GET 4 BETTER MAN.
Army az Reporters ASK Him Questions
Would Like 20 Arrest Bride GiVinE
Bulldcrs-Seems to Diner with Ahearn
Friend Recommended Pratt Clutch.

Buildings handed out yesterday TO an
army Of newspaper reporters copies OF
this statement:
am grieved and shocked TO hear OF the
collapsed buildings. | hope 70 be instru-
mental in amending the building laws 30 a. to
event a recurrence OF same. AZ 20 all that
has been said or intimately In the newspapers
about me as public officer, ! court the In
vestigation OF any competent. lawful au-
thority. II no such investigation Is had
within a reasonable time, l shall make state
ment over my own signature In the mean
time ! have nothing further TO say. Yours
truly. ISAAC A. HOPPER.
A silent moment followed the reading Of
the statement.
is that alp finally came in a gasping
voice from the rear ranks OF the army.
That's all at present replied Mr.. Hop.
per, beaming on the crowd through his
spectacles.
Then the storm broke and a volley Of
questions that had been pilng up for more
than a week against his return from his
orange groves were hurled at the Building
Superintendent with rapid fire velocity.
do you think the fall Of so many build
ings under construction will aid your candi-
dacy for nomination for Mayor next fall?-
be was asked.
L am not a candidate for the nomination.
Wouldn't take it under any circumstances.
The only job care about in the public SER
vice is in the Building Department, because
that is the one l am most competent to
FILL
Are you going to resign?"
mo, am not. am az we'll qualified to
I'll the place as any man Ahean could
get
What check have you on your inspectors?
Is there any way in which you can tell
whether they do their work properly or
not?-
There is no check, said Mr.. Hopper
after pause. "The fact Of the matter
is" he went on earnestly, this bureau
hasn't got sufficient men. The inspectors
have too much 10 do. Take the case OF
Aud, in whose territory so many buildings
fell. The first thing I did when returned
was to ask about him. l found that he
had thirty-hve separate building operations
under his charge. Can you tell me how
a man could look after so much work as
that2 In private building operations they
have a superintendent for each job and he
Ia kept busy all the time. In my opinion
the remedy would be in licensing each
architect and builder. Many men in this
town having large building operations
under their control are incompetent. III
they we're licensed they could b. put out
Of business when they did not do their
work properly"
But wouldn't the license system do
away with the necessity Of the Building
Bureau
why. yes, Mr.. Hopper returned, laugh
ing I'VE could then save the money
Na..gI-l n. - ~.
taxpayers. I'd have TO resign then, sure.
is there anybody under you whom
YOU can hold responsible for these
violations?'
There should be no worry on that score.
said Mr.. Hopper "I'l take all the re-
sponsibinty for what has happened, l
have been in the building business for
twenty nine years and have done work
in extremely cold weather, 1t is true
that the rules now prevent the laying Of
brick in freezing weather.
How about the special orders you
granted for smoke tests and patent fianges.
Tor closets. and certain safety clutch for
elevators2'
pending investigation, replied the superin-
But Ahearn says that the orders have
been revoked. and that the whole matter
Is dead issue!
etil in allegiance. and when get around
to it will investigate it and make my
report .,a,b.,bob.db0 o, ,oo,-
ing around for long time for good safety
clutch when eN-Postmaster Dayton, who
Is his friend and legal adviser, called his
attention to the Pratt device. lie was
favorably impressed by II.
Il asked Dayton continued Mr. Hop
per whether he was interested in the
matter He said he had organized the COM
many and that his brother was interested,
but that he himself was not a stakeholder.
] thought that the fact that my counsel
had taken a fee for organizing the COM
pany which was manufacturing a device
wanted to adopt should not deter me from
going ahead with II. so drew up the order.
What wanted was 20 compel the instala-
ton Of some safety device on every ele-
vator in town. The elevator men COM
planned, but | couldn't help that. / was
looking out for the safety Of the public.
Afterward ] learned that the Otis Ele-
vator Company, Of which Pratt was formerly
an employee, bad an interest IN the ma
chine | am going 10 look into this phase
OF the matter. The Otis Company has a
finger in pretty nearly every device used
IN connection with elevators
Returning to the subject Of falling build
ings, Mr.. Hopper eaid:
sOf course there is graft in the DEPART
ment, but I could stop II in week II the
power Of arrest was given 70 me. The build
ers are really to blame for it. Not long ago
was travelling South with man who was
prominent in the Strong reform admins
tration. He calmly told me how he had
bribed building inspector with 800. His
wife, who was with him, tried 10 catch his eye
as he was telling the story. but she did not
succeed. When he had finished told him
that both he and the inspector ought 70
have been locked up. Now. thats the kind
OF doinRs have to contend with
There h little 10 induce a business man
10 enter politics with the idea of lettering
conditions / have been a business man
for nearly three decades in New York city
without a blemish on my name. But the
minute / take public offioe and try 20 do
what n right get roasted
By this time Mr.. Hopper seemed TO havo
grown quite weary Of the ordeal. EN- not
be court-maTtialled by the Newspapers,
he finally said, waving the crowd out OF his
Office.
When Borough President Aheam was told
that Mr.. Hopper had said that the orders
for the safety clut Oh and other patent
devices had not been revoked, but merely
held in allowance, he looked supposed
why, Hopper revoked the orders HIM
Lii no, II f,iI 70 u md the