The Washington times., 1908-07-30

DdA6 d4lllOIllNCAlADAAN was AAAA1N o. NA-N
District building today that the proposed
revision Of the building regulations o.
the commission appointed eighte an
months ago had been completed and
submitted 70 the Commissioners To
amplify that statement The Times is
able to present an outline Of the most
important features of the report. They
include:
/ A plan to make the office OF the
Building Inspector self-sustaining.
2 a new code on concrete construc-
tion drawn after an exhaustive study Of
the latest regulations in other cities.
g. Broader provisions for light and
air in high buildings
l. The elimination Of many pro-
visions in the present manual which are
believed to belong rather in the police
or hre regulations
The commission consists OF SnowdeE
Ashford, as building inspector and
chairman. Nathaniel Wilson, and Dr.
George NJ. Kobe=. as experts in santa
tion and4the housing, Of the poor, Leon
De6sez and Appleton p Clark, il, as
architects: F. J.. AVerill. as a civil er
giueer: Joseph Richardson and James
/. Parsons. as master builders; Thom As
W. Power, as an engineer and expert II.
the mana cement of theaters ana pub ic
halls, s w. woodward, as repreSen-
tstive Of the Board of Charities. This
1907.
Work Now Practically Done.
It's work is now practically finished.
Another meeting is 10 be held tomorrow
night to give final consideration to the
sections relating 10 elevators and con-
crete. But the form of those sections
has been practically determined upon
and their purport has been communi-
Gated to the District Commissioners.
The draft will make a volume Of
perhaps 300 pages OF the size usual in
Government reports Engineer Com
missioner Morrow and his assistant,
Capt William Kelley, will first review
IT and submit It to the two civilian Com
missioners with such recommendations
as they deem proper. Thereafter the
whole board of Commissioners will take
it up by sections Final report upon il
and the PRONUNCIATION of 1t as the law
of the District-save for such sections
as require Congressional Endorsement
in the form of new legislation-is ex-
pected about October l.
Owners Support Office.
Reporting its draft section by sec
tion, the Commissioners forwarded the
plan for a reorganization OF the Build
ing Inspectors office some time last
February Briefly. it puts upon the
owners Of new buildings the whole cost
OF operating the Office
According to the charges now made
there is an annual deficit Of about s., 600.
The several members of the commission
accredited this chiefly to the fat rate
Of g now charged for every permit
for a new building and 81 for every
permit covering alterations or repairs.
whatever the size and character Of the
building TO be erected This practice
has continued in spite Of the fact that
for a great hotel or office building the
n tho nrrf1Tfrtor fr1c-arffnv
force might be occupied on the plans
for several months, and the inspectors
for eighteen months or two years.
Of about twenty other cities whose
scales were studied not one had a rate
nearly so low as that OF washington.
and practically all graduated their
computing and inspecting to be required.
Thus the permit alone for the new
Wanamaker store IN Philadelphia is
said to have cost not less than 5000.
The maximum charge for the largest
non-governmental buildings likely to be
erected here under the plan proposed
would be about $1,000.
To Supply Necessary Inspectors.
With the fund thus created, the Build
ing Inspector is to make over and re
organize his office force according u
the needs of the local situation. 1t /!
understood that this project does not II
any wise preclude that which the Com
nissioners have once recommended ant
are now considering anew-the licensing
OF master builders. 1t does. however
make possible the employment Of {
sufficient number of helpers OF sUf
6cisntly proven skill TO enable th'
Building Inspector 10 detect bad work
manship in the event that a builder
licensed or unlicensed, might attemp
TO disregard the regulations.
A further extension Of the AUTHORITY
Of the Building Inspector is recommend.
ed in a provision that changes to bt
made in existing regulations promul
gated by the Inspector Of Plum bing
the Fire Marshal, the Health Onficer
the Electrical Engineer. and the Sur
veyor, shall be submitted TO the Build
ing Inspector for report upon them {,
the Commissioners and that no su.l
change shall be promulgated vithou
due notice to the Building Inspector.
At present each OF these officials ha,
his own set Of regulations, that for tn,
Inspector OF Plumbing alone making :
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