The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-30

| four times the amount OF bonds offered
| Therefore, the awards made TO indi.
| vIduals were limited to those case!
where the amounts subscribed for wer,
| for $4,000 or less. AS result, tht
great bulk Of the bonds werG awarded
| to the national banks, as the ssecretar,
| had designed and determined in ad
vance.
| II this statement does not arouse tn.
members Of Congress to tile necessit,
OF reforming tho currency system
nothing will. It ought also TO have
the effect OF warning them agains
bond-secured currency.
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THE PROPOSED BUILDING CODE.
For many years Tile Times-D ispatcl
urged the City Council to adopt Q
building code and appoint a competent
Inspector to see that the regulation.
were complied with. This was done
III the interest of safety and scientific
and our opinion is un-
altered and unalternble. But all regu-
lations of law should be reasonable
and in the interest of progress and
convenience, and when leading archi-
5tects and builders meet In conference
and unanimously agree that the code,
as nov proposed, would practically pro-
hibit building Of any description Mt
reasonable cost. the Council should
take heed and carefully consider be-
fore coming to final conclusions. The
architects and contractors request the
Committee on Ordinance, Charter and
Reform to recommend to- the City
Council the appointment of a board Of
revision. consisting Of two builders and
two architects, to act in conjunction
with the Building Inspector In prepar-
ins q suitable code. The request should
be granted by the committee. and tue
recommendation adopted by the Coun-
ell. This Is a work that requires eS-
pert knowledge, and the city cannot
afford to make q bungle OF IL. We
need regula tions that will give ample
protection, but that will also promote,
and not rerard. building operations.
Richmond is still congested in her rest
Dental districts, and tile prime object
OF expansion was to encourage home
building. We need q greater number
OF detached. individual residences, and
the people should be encouraged to
erect them; but IL our code Is to DO
so rigid as 10 fasten upon such opera
tiors oaactions and restrictions tina.
are harsh and neediessly expensive, the
Inevitable result will be to decrease the
number of such residences and increase
the size OF the tenement houses. so as
10 crowd as many persons as possible
under one roof. \ policy OF that ma.
ture would be bar to progress and
a menace to health and comfort in the
homes. We have had quite enough OF
congestion and herding. Let US take
warning from the larger cities Of the
North, not copy their mistakes. When
Richmond took in more TERRITORY size
promised to adopt n new policy and to
Idecentralize and dispense the popula.
tion--to separate families living in the
same house and give to each home
Of its own, as far as a wise and liberal
policy of government could produce
that result. Let the Council see to il
that that promise is fulfilled and that
THAT policy is faithfully pursued ant
by all means let no regulation of Law
be adopted that will prove to be az
obstacle and hindrancc.
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