Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-06
THOROUGH PROBING
Of BUILDING OFFICE,
PRESIDENT DEMANDS
Commission With Authority to
Examine Witnesses Pro-
posed in Message.
$500 APPROPRIATION
TO DEFRAY EXPENSES
Composed of Three Members, With
Power to Administer 0aths.
COMMISSIONER NELL REPORTS
Failure of His Investigation Due to
Refusal of Accusers to Come
Into the Open.
Composed of Three Members, With
Power to Administer Oaths.
COMMISSIONER NELL REPORTS

In message to Congress yesterday
President Roosevelt recommended that a
commission be authorized to make a
thorough investigation of the office of the
building inspector of the District of Co
lumbia.
The message is based on report from
Commissioner Nell of the Department of
Commerce and Labor. which stated that
the investigation he had made of the
building inspectors office had not resulted
satisfactorily to him, and left that office
under the burden of unproven charges.
The Presidents Message.
The message was accompanied by the
commissioners letter to the President ard
other papers. and is as follows:
ITO the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
Il transmit herewith a letter from the
commissioner of labor and Special Agent
Victor s. Clark of the bureau of labor, re-
lating to an investigation conducted by
them into the office of the building in
spector of the District of Columbia. and l
recommend that Congress authorize the
appointment of commission OF three
members, with power 10 administer oaths,
to make a thorough investigation of the
building inspection department of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, and that an appropria-
ton of s., 800 be made 10 defray the tX-
penses of this commission.
Il append herewith an extract from
recent verdict of coroner's jury and GER
tain letters which explain the reason of
the investigation conducted by the bureau
of labor.
II agree fully with the position taken in
the report from the bureau of labor that
the building inspection department should
not be left under suspicion as the result
OF unprOven charges. In the interest or
the building Inspector. no less than the
public. there should be a thoroughgoing
investigation of the conduct of his office.
IF that important department of the
District government is inefficient or i'm
properly conducted it's personnel should
he reorganized. If. on the other hand,
the criticism of 1t is unfounded. this
should be demonstrated to the publc's
satisfaction and the building inspector
vindicated and sustained.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House. February ). 1890
Order to Commissioner Neill.
1.-The White House.
Washington. December 10. 1908.
"My Dear Mr.. Commissioner:
las the result of the falling, recently,
in this city, OF part Of the iron frame
work Of building under construction. in
which one of the workmen employed on
the building lost his life. the coroner's
jury recommended that the President
cause an investigation to be made of the
building inspection department of the Dis
trict government The Commissioners of
the District approved the recommendation
of the jury and the inspector of buildings
has likewise expressed his desire that
such investigation be made.
II wish you would Immediately institute
such an investigation and report to me as
soon as possible the results of the same.
using such of the force of your bureau
as may be necessary for the proper and
prompt conduct of the work
This is the second case within a COM
paratively short time in which. through
the falling of part Of building under
construction workingmen have lost their
lives. and as the District of Columbia is
entirely a federal jurisdiction. ! think it
entirely proper that the bureau Of labor
should investigate question of this kind.
bearing as it does on the matter of pro
lection of the lives of workingmen en-
gagged in the construction of buildings.
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Hon. Charles P. Neill,
commissioner Of Labor,
Department Of Commerce and La
bor''
The preliminary report of Commission
er Nell reads: