Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-18
DECREASE IN VALUE
Building Operations in District
During Fiscal Year.
IMPROVEMENTS BYSECTIONS
Report to the Commissioners by In
spector Ashford.
NEW MUNICIPAL STRUCTURES
Both Material and Labor Have Great
~ Advanced In cost-7Issus
Of Permits.
IMPROVEMENTS BYsEcTIoN:
|EW MUNICIPAL STRUCTURES

Building operations in the District of Co.
iumbia. during the fiscal year ended June
~ last showed a marked. decrease In value
over the preceding twelve months the to,
tais Tor the two years, as given in the an
nuai report of Building Inspector Ashford.
submitted to the Commissioners today. in
dicatfng that private capital expended
S67O.649 less in 19O5-O6 than it did in 1904 -O5.
In the twelve months ended June 30 1905,
total of So, 459, $50 was laid out in build
Ing improvements. while in the fiscal year
just ended the expenditures, exclusive of
government work, was 81. 1856, pol.
Even including government contracts the
years investment was less than the pre-
ceding twelve months. because the six per-
miss issud by the building department for
District government buildings involved the
outlay Of only 1912. 675-or a grand total for
the year of s12, 1O1,s7e
Number Of Permits Issued.
In all, Building Inspector Ashford issued
s,4s4 building permits In the twelve months
OF which only little less than half were
for minor repairs, hanging Of signs avn
i ings, etc. which, all told, did not involve
improvements last year were distributed by
sections 1;,asIo of~the CITY, as follows:
ps',OOV,oSU, HOTlHSdSt, $fSS,OO, southeast,
$446, 2Os; southwest, $247, 20. Total, $40
519962. - ~
Repairs-Northwest. $s55441: county.
$1S7,o26: northeast, S67 1852: southeast, $48,-
1877: southwest. $f4, 178 Total 81. 210, 294.
Estimating the, number of buildings in the
District of Columbia. Inspector Ashford
stated that there were about 47954 brick
structures at the close Of the year 19O4-O5
year are placed at 1926 brick and p, 69l
frame buildings, total of 70.976
Increase Of Cost
Since 1897. the building inspector declares.
the cost of public buildings has increased
from cents Per cubic foot to Is cents, and
hes.acceunts for the fact7 by saying that
both materials and labor have greatly ad-
vanced In cost. fr-E.T-. n -
A detailed report is embodied showing
that the Business High School cost 83
cents per cubic foot; the John Ross School
lila cents. the Henry T. Blow School 1872
cents No. Is engine house 1873 cents and
the fre boat house 1913. Mr.. Ashford's
statement to the Commissioners also In
cludes a, table showing the relative stages
to which work has progressed on the new
Police Court, the Industrial Home School
for Colored Children and other municipal
structures. -z-rrrt
Despite the falling of in value of inn
provements throughout the District. the re-
ceipts of the building inspectors office
last year for issue of permits reaches the
total OF $8.O42, as compared with $7,4OS In
19O4-57 e-'' Hs
Says Force is Too Small.
Concerning the insufflciency of the in.
spection force allowed his Office, Inspector
Ashford has this to say:
IT would respectfully invite attention to
the fact that during the year about 5. 900
buildings have been erected or altered I'M
der permit. and that the eight land for
a time seven assistant inspectors have
made 54.0U visits to these buildings. or
about eleven visits to each piece of work
This Is more than twenty inspections q day
for each man.
The present force is inadequate. and to
give the service. which seems to be ex-
pected; 1t should be SO Increased that each
building could be visited at, least twenty
two times instead Of eleven. and that each
man should make ten thorough inspections
instead Of twenty hasty and unsatisfactory
calls at each piece of work.
Further Mr.. Ashford says during the
last three years this Office has lost the
services of: one-third of its inspection force
by requests from federal and local depart
ments- Tor their services through assign
ment or furlough And by inducement OF
higher salaries for the same class of work
as they rendered in this office we have been
other departments and private work.
Desires Enactment Of Law.
: Mr.. Ashford renews his recommendations
of previous years that steps be taken to
secure the enactment by Congress of law
which will require all local builders to be
licensed, 49,, ,.....,.
Reviewing the work Of the committee
recently appointed to revise the District
building regulations, MT. Ashford says the
COMMITTEES has held Ave meetings. adopted
rules of procedure and appointed subcom-
mittees to take up the regulations section
by section,
One Of the subcommittee will make a
report on, the workings OF the building in
spector,s office, particularly concerning
methods for the transaction Of business. so
as to best save time.
In thes same general connection Mr.. Ash
ford calls attention to the deadlocks which
sometimes occur on account OF the overlap
ping OF the duties OF the fire department,
the electrical engineer and the building de-
partment. and he recommends that steps be
taken to strictly define the duties of each,
SO that the condition may be corrected
CLASH OVER DIVORCE DATA. :.
upreme Court officials Stoned Probe