New-York tribune., 1908-09-20
o,F TENEMENT BODY
.,prgITECTS URGE 1T.
~, to Merge Buildings Bureau
BeIttled, HosreOer.

s,,Ietv Of Architects. brooklyn orsaniza-
ih - submitted 70 the tenement house com
fsr. h .,-s charter Commission a brief urging
riree = -,..s-,, Of the cfty,S Tenement House
re . sn ,r,4a, the Bureau OF Buildings in each
De7S1',-bs These architects contend that
& =" ,bA departments in question has TO do
sse- ,5 exclusively with building construction.
sfTo1e .ts nresent system. therefore, causes Gu
..,op Of labor loss OF time ana needless TIC
pi0.ss- the departments themselves
foa oes ,.s c,7r,plaint Of the Brooklyn architects
ahe 80 tenement House Department concerns
szAisN .sss of administration. which they say
Hs -hs-sonle and cause veKatious delays. in
81 =. n the methods OF the Bureau of Build
e'D -g,sv emphasize also the fact that the head
mes .--ssu IS required by law to be a practical
Of " .-~si-ect or engineer. while practical
esADe es. -,hateve- is required Of the Tenement
- ro-lr1issioner
80 80 cocie+v Of Architects submitted q similar
=. .o-,sining the same grievances TO the Char
VIZ --,isscr1 last wear. but the commission took
= -. -o,cernins IT. This year the attack has
~ -.,sv-s5 and the present brief vas prepared
s.s, -e,uest Of President MCGOWAN Of the Board
o ..s.--ns- as member OF the tenement house
s.,se Ct the charter Commission.
COZ ---,--nication was shown yesterday to Ed
zsr-ls- the present Tenement House Com
I'm the first place said Mr.. Butler.
!. no duplication Of labor between this de-
and the Bureau OF Buildings Each
separate function. even where the erec-
,sra-,euts alone is concerned. The build
-. s,-rssu has nothing 10 do with the tenement
@ t.r which 6, is the sole duty Ct the Tene-
-. House Department to enforce.
.s,~ instance this department. when a new
.,+ bc,,se is TO he erected must see to it
-. ,s-+a3r sanitary and safety devices are in
- The bureau Of buildings. the other
- merely masses on the quality and quantity of
= -,s-e-tsI vsed in installing these devices some
49, ri-b which we have nothing TO do. We say
-. -,,s-s r47usr he q certain amount OF air space
- .seb occupant that the staircases must be Of
s q -f5th: the bCreau passes on the material
:. ,,sas the method of construction and
.su- he bureaus function ends with the COM
,.tc- n tae house. Rhile eur duties with respect
= ,bs, hridfng have only just begun. Who would
- % 4; that necessary repairs were made, that
s,sss dangerous 70 the health of the occupants
committed hy jaqitoT. proprietor or tenants we're
,orre5 CT that any Of the regulations Of the tene-
,snt ,az relating TO the houses after their COM
,ls,,on were carried out il we DIDN'T have regU-
l,-iy constituted hody to look after just such
,finese They don't come within tie province Of
he bureau Of Buildings
.Y see that these architects complain in their
,ar,rr7,uacstion thai application form sub
,.sts5 hv fbe-, and approved by me last December
has not vet come into use. That shows that they
are not careful of their facts. for We have been
,sirr This negy form here for several months
T.
stons controfng the administration OF this Office
ne same trouble exists in all city Offices, but
fsris of administration are no reason why any
efce Should abolished.
Poae-. X d. Forest. no the first Tene-
r4rt Houze Commissioner under the new Law. said
nat the points raised by the Society OF Architects
-szts5 ertire-s re questions OF administration
-Ths7 have no necessary relation" he continued
10 a question a. uniting the two departments or
10 ens -egzr5r- she requirements Of the tenement
hepzs lsz 7 have no doubt the administration OF
f4 Ts1eusnt Department can be very materially
r1p-r7sd as result Of experience There is equal
fr 10 aolt- that the Tenement Department should
de maintained separately for the enforcement OF
ths tenement house law
Before the creation Of the Tenement House De
-tz-nent when the Bureau Of Buildings had
charge of enforcing the tenement regulations, there
Ezs not tenement house in Brooklyn in which
Ire lsR was not being Violated in some way. and
ihs same vas rhe case with al least third Of the
isnsms1t houses i1 Manhattan IN great many
cssss these violations were due 10 ignorance, but
fhev all certainly pointed 10 the inadequacy Of the
bureau 70 cope Win the situation. The building
regulations regarding construction are applicable,
course to al buildings What was needed was
special body 10 look after the peculiar reguIa
tcns Applicable only 70 tenement houses,
Lawrence WELLER who was First Deputy Tene-
uent House Commissioner under Mr.. De Forest
snd also q member Of the Tenement House
Commission which 5rew up the law providing for
me Tenement House Department. said he consid-
sFsd The complaint OF the Brooklyn architects OF
tflis inportsnce Ever since the Tenement House
Department was created. in 1900 he said, at
ispts have been made from tine 70 time. by small
ETnups of Individuals who have grievances because
Z" their experience with thu department to abolish
L should say that tlle whole situation could be
summed 10 IN the fact that small group Of men
N the city frd that they cannet do business with
q much ease IA the Tenement House Department
as they car N the Bureau of Buildings in the re-
spfcuvs boTougls or as they could in the old days
ths Old Bureau OF Buildings. No greater trib-
s's could he paid TO the success Of the department
ihsn TINS"