Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-20


house will be the burden Of the carpenters
songs if this bill passes" said MIR. TAFT.
During his remarks Mr.. TAFT declared tnat
no member Of Congress would desire TO
appear before his people as advocating a
measure which would operate with the et-
feet of depriving workmen of their wages
and livelihood. Mr.. Warner here" said
Nj TAFT who, / understand. has some
aspirations with respect to representing
MARYLAND up on the hill. would not like TO
appear as fostering such a measure"
II desire to say in reply to the reference
of Mr. Tut said Mr.. Warner. that am
and never expect TO be- and the audience
and Commissioners smiled at Mr.. Warmers
frank declaration of intentions.
Favored by Some Builders.
Mr. Langley said that the bill had been
adopted by the original master builders
association and the members of that BODY
see 10 reason for changing their opinion
with respect to the Legislation He said
the association does not favor the subst-
tute bill proposed by Mr.. Warner Ihe
real point about the bill under considera-
tion." said the speaker, ''fs to enforce the
s25 license fee which many are now evad-
ing. claiming that they are not contractors.
but only builders. If this bill is not passed
the license laws ought to be amended so
to include all builders without any I'M
fair discrimination" Mr.. Langley was
willing to eliminate the clause relating to
examine tion of builders.
Simply Citizen.
81 am simply a citizen said MIR. NJ l.
Weller. who claims he has right under
the Constitution of the United States to
build home for myself, or for anybody
else. my own land. 1 can't drive nail
straigh' myself. but l have had charge of
putting up many houses on my own land
and they are good houses. If tie bill now
H. nni N
trades. and not to owners of property who
desire to erect their own buildings, L have
no objection to It's passage But am OPP
posed to Il bill that would prevent me from
employing competent men to build my
houses on my own land"
Mr.. Weller declared that the present
building inspector is thoroughly competent
to look after building operations in the Dis
trct. but he said that the building office is
sadly in reed of more inspectors. Contin-
uing. Mr.. Weller said:
1T is the master builders who need watch
Ing. not the carpenters and other Workmen
employed on buildings. / have always been
able TO get along with the workmen; they
never robbed me, but the master builders
did This proposed measure is class Iegisla-
ton. This bill is diabolical scheme to rob
owners and to prevent the poorer classes
from obtaining homes"
Mr.. Prescott's Remarks.
Mr.. Samuel ]. Prescott said that he rep
ington, The association. he said. is COM
posed of both large and small builders He
believed the proposed bill is fair and just
and that it would assist the building in
spector in enforcing the building regula-
IONS With the proposed law in force. he
SAID. the builders will more closely SUPER
wise their work and obviate mistakes Mr.
prescott declared that such a bill would
not cause an increase in the cost of build
rnyld
hardship on any one.
MI sunderland, an architect and build
er. said that the builder is not responsible
Tor the proper construction of n buiIdin@
but that the responsibility rests upon the
architect. 1t is unjust, he said. to place
man who builds a little cottage in the
same category with the man who erects
a great office building. He suggested that
builders should be classified. What is
needed. said Mr.. Sunderland, is more in
npt Uini.t 20 see that the regulations are
said the speaker" he is coing to be a ras-
cal until he is caught"
Query by Mr.. West.
Commissioner West at this point asked
the following question. which many at
tempted to answer, but apparently failed to
do So satisfactorily: IF it is good that the
dentist who fixes my teeth should be
licensed. and if it is good that the plumber
who installs plumbing in my house should
be licensed, and if 1t is good that the man
who repairs steam boilers should be
licensed, why is it not good also that build
ers be licensed? If examination and licens-
ing are good and necessary in the cases |
have mentioned, why are not examination
and licensing good in the case of the men
WHO, build our houses?"
A number of those present offered various
answers to Mr.. Vests question, but none
seemed TO come directly to the point and
clear up the question.
Attorney Clayton declared that the method
proposed III the bill Is wrong. He declared
that no laws had been violated and that
there is no demand on the part of citizens
and taxpayers for such law as is pro-
posed
A builder in favor of the measure was
James l.. Parsons, who declared it would
improve building in the District. The build
lfg opera lions of the city, he declared.
should be in the hands of those competent
to perform the work. The bill proposed, he
said, will not prevent any competent build
er from continuing his operations The
plumbing examination and license law said
the speaker have been effective and bene-
fetal.
You might well say that every citi-
zen in the District should be put under
bonds not to rob or commit murder because
the police force is too small to cover the
District. as to say that builders ought to
be put under bonds because the building
departments force is too small" declared
Mr.. T. Daniel, who opposed the bill.
Builders Responsible.
Mr.. Richardson of Richardson & Burgess
did not agree with previous speakers that
the builder is not responsible for proper
construction. He declared that in some
cases the plans are not complete when
given to the builder and that the building
contracts stipulate that the builder is re-
quired 10 do everything to make the build
Ing complete. DR.. Pardon vigorously ex-
pressed the opinion that citizens have a
right under the Constitution to construct
houses on their own land for their own use
Milford Spohn thought the proposed bill
would restrict building operations. and
therefore throw many workmen mployed
In construction work out of employment
CommiSsic ner Biddle stated that accord
Ing TO the present law owners of buildings
are held responsible for defects in struc-
lures. when perhaps they have in no way
contributed to the faults, and the defect IS
due 10 the carelessness or design of the
builder At present, he said, there is no
way to hold the Luider for his own negli-
genCe or wilfu violations
Mr.. ID. ID. Thompson took occasion to
shy stick at the Master Builders Asso-
citation during his five minute speech in OPP
position to the bill. II am a carpenter"
said Mr.. Thompson, land l am proud of
1t Our Savior a carpenter. too, but
He did not have the distinction of having
been member OF the Master Builders AS
sociation of this city"