Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-01-29
epectal % the EVENING NEWS:

Special to the EVENING NEWS:
TRENTON, Jan. 29:--Pesth Am.
boy building methods particularly
with reference to the erection of ten@
ement houses, gets severe scoring In
the annual report of the New Jersey
Tenement House Commission, which
has just been submitted to GovernAr
Stokes.
The board finds that the tenement
house law Is now working satisfactor-
lily, much of the opposition which was
encountered when the act was first
passed having disappeared as archf-
tects and builders have become more
familiar with its provisions. The re.
port says that practically the only
trouble experienced now in with the
municipalities in which there are no
local supervisions Of building opera
tions. Speaking of this the commits
sion reports:
Probably the best illustration of
the necessity for stringent supervi-
sion over the construction of tene-
ment houses is found in the result of
the boards worlAin Perth Afnboy and
the contiguous territory. From time
to time reports had reached the board
to the effect that there had been con-
siderable building of tenement
houses planned in that city and that
buildings were being erected without
regard to the requirements of the
law. An inspector was sent to the
place with instructions to make
thorough canvass of the city and to
ascertain definitely just what new
buildings had been erected within the
period of the enactment of the tene~
ment house law.
Startling Results Here.
THE result was startling. In less
than week the inspector had locat-
ed more than three score of tenement
houses, some of which were then in
course of construction, while others
had been finished and occupied. OF
this number not one was found to
have been built in accordance with
the law. 1t was further ascertafned
that there is no building department.
in ePrth Amboy and no Supervision
l2tever over the erection of build
ngs of any kind, each owner using
any method of construction that may
seem to him most likely to bring
good financial results at q minimum
cost. The result was a number OF \
tenement houses with small, dark i
rooms, many of the apartments being
without water or water closet accom-
modations, narrow and dark halls
and stairs, and total lack of regard
for the fire protection called for In
the law. In one instance the inspec-
tor reported twenty-six families liv-
ing in a three-story frame building.
The law distinctly forbids the accom-
modations of more than six families
in any frame tenement house.
I'm a number of cases the depart-
ment was able to suggest changes In
the arrangements of the buildings
which would bring them in conforms
ity with the law, or other changes
which by dismantling one apartment
or devoting the lower floor entirely
to store or business purposes, would
remove the house from the tenement
class, by having 1t arranged for occu-
pancy by two families only. The
board found the majority OF the own
ers willing to make the necessary
changes. but in some cases the own
ers fatty refused to follow the in
structions and the cases were accord
ingly referred to the attorney general
lOl DIOSCGutlOns III liOl z SAAdA q AVN
of the Perth Amboy cases 1t has been
found to be physically impossible to
re-arrange the house to conform with
the law, without rebuilding the en-
tire structures. In these cases the
board will ask the attorney general
to move for the vacation of the build-
ings and the discontinuanea of their
use as tenement houses.
No Other Course to pursue.
"That this will impose hardships
upon the owners can not be disputed,
but under the law there seems to be
no other course for the department.
to pursue. The buildings we're com-
menced months, In some cases more
than year after the enactment of
the law, built without the slightest
regard for the rules of decent con-
CONTINUED on page 2.