New-York tribune., 1908-01-06
TIGERS BUILDING CODE.
T4WM4NY SCRATCHED 1T.
Little Tim Decided 1t Wasnt t
IFise to Let 1t Lire.


gested in the 14th street stomach The result
is being watched with interest by the original
ton members of the Building Code Commission
and others interested in the building trade. II
is the opinion of many of the commissioners
that their iabors have gone for naught; that
they were too active in one direction, not active
enough in others. perhaps combination of
both. to suit interests closely allied with
Tammany Hall Some of the inside history of
the appointment of the original Building Code
Commission. the addition Of seven new MEM
bers and the final killing of the commissions
work by that sterling patriot and statesman
Little Tim" Sullivan, has just come out and
throws a strong light upon the situation
The case is summed up briefly follows by
Alderman Max :. Grifenhagen: by hook or
crook Tamrnany Hall has got hold of the build
ing code and its framing. 1t was probably by
both hook and crook, for the Building Code
Commission and the code it framed got the
hook and the crook is never far away nor hard
find when Tammany gets busy in field
rich in graft And that is what the building
code will be if il is handled in the good olu
Tau1naany style. Tau1nany Hall viii now frame
the building code Whoever wants anything IN
IL or out of it must kowtow to 14th street The
last two wears have been dry and dreary for the
r,srrjots of the Wigwam- There has been little
doing and the song OF the seeker in 14th street
must now be written in the treble cle1-"lLh the
familiar lines through the sign
CODE REVISED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
The charter of the city provides that the Board
Of Aldermen must appoint a Building Code
Commission for a revision Of the code every
five years This was not done three years ago
while Tammany had control of the board The
old code was framed by Tan1nany Hall. and 1t
took good care of several well patented appli-
ances and materials, the sale of which was held
in practical monopoly by few concerns
There was no move made to revise this old
code until the Republicans. with the Municipal
Ownership votes, got. control of the board IN
1905
Then Alderman Grifenhagen was made CHAIR
nan Of the building committee One of the big
eest builders in the city, in the latter part OF
that year suggested 10 him that il was time Tor
a revision of the code. and Alderman Meyers
introduced resolution giving the building com
rnittee power select ten men 10 do II ms
following men selected: Electus Litch-
field. architect of the firm of Lord Hewlett
charles H Israels Of Israels & Harder: George
-vassar ir Of the Mason Builders Association:
Theodore Starrett. Of The Thompson Starrett
.t-ompanv builders Of skyscrapers' Rudolf r
miller. chief engineer of the Department OF
Buildings for ten years; Charles O BroWn an
engineer; Charles Smith, secretary Of the Ger
rg1an-Anerican Fire Insurance Company George |
Bsrsch. representing the labor interests J. j. |
,-asgrove. of Cosgrove Brothers stone cutters |
and William Blsu, who Attorney General
Mayors assistant
LITTLE TIM" IN CONTROL.
The commission was not appointed until the |
spring Of 1907. as the Municipal Ownership
League aldermen who had aided the Repuoh-
cans in making il possible demanded st'eLdl
rlaoes on it as their reward II was the inteh-
,ion NJ the Republican majority of the build
ing committee TO name only men of ability IN
nc branches Of the building business they rep |
,,aeAn,ed and it slurned this proposal After
,bc Nupjcipal Ownership League men were as
,.redired IN the Recordershp scandal and Lit
rlo Tim got control the building committee
realized II had TO move quickly, and named lis
men
--Le characters of the men who We're to reyise |
the rl1,m stuffed code did not suit the little |
,-bi1e father in the board nor the braves up IN
11,l, street CONSERVATION spread IN Tammany |
nan The commission looked rs though IL
meant business
Then sullivan realized he had power again |
and could mould the Municipal Ownership
1eag7n fully as he saw fit. He called on Alder
man Crifenhagen in regard TO the code COM
mission
We've got to fix that commission over he
Of seven men whom will select or will put the
whole thing out Of business
This proposition the Republican aldermen re-
fused They said let him kill it and take the
consequences Then Sullivan, fearing TO carry
out this threat introduced and passed, with the
aid of the discredted Municipal Ownership
League aldermen, resolution increasing the
commission 10 seventeen and naming the extra
seven men. This, of course. took the appointing
power out OF the hands of the Republicans
These were the men Alderman Sullivan
named: Thomas J. Brady. ex-Superintendent of
Buildings: Thomas l.. Hamilton Tax Commits
sioler: Ulrich H Huberty, architect, of
Brooklyn: p. F. Kenny. plumber; Clarence
Luce and James Clark Mcclure, engineer.
BRADY ELECTED CHAIRMAN.
In some manner which the original commits
siorlers cannot explain Brady was elected chair
man Of the commission. Mr.. Israels said last
night that he thought the commissioners did not
know lust what they were doing. Others said
they feared that Brady. if afronted, would spoil
'he whole thing MI Israels charged the Tam
many man with negecting his duties, and showed
nv figures he had collected from the minutes Of
the meetings that Brady had attended about
eleven out of nearly forty meetings which the
commission held. Euberty there only five
times Mr.. Starrett was sick great deal of
the time and attended few OF the meetings,
while Cosgrove. Of the original ten, was not any
too active in the work Of the commission, ac-
cording Mr.. Israels.
The other Tammany appointees, with the
exception OF Mr.. Mcclure and Mr. Luce" said
MI Israels were Of little use the commits
sion They attended few OF the meetings and
evidently did not grasp the situation In regard