New-York tribune., 1909-07-24
MAYOR VETOES THE
NEW BUILDING CODE
VICTORY FOR THE CINDER
CONCRETE INTERESTS.
Objects to Sections OUer Which the
Bitterest Fights We're WGged
IN Hearings.


by the Tammany majority in the Board Of Al
dermen and favored by Daniel F. Cohalan. chair
man Of the law committee Of Tammany Hall
The Mayor said that the clause providing that
the ordinance shall take effect Immediately
probably was inserted through error. and sug-
gests that it would be unfair to the architects
to have the ordinance contain such provision
He thinks sixty days should eiapse before the
code should take effect. Objection is raised by
the Mayor to the wide discretion invested in tie
Superintendent Of Buildings by the proposed
new code, and 10 the clause restricting the
height of concrete buildings to eishty-five feet
The Mayor said that no data furnished
showing the stress capacity OF cinder cOncrete.
nor are there data showing to what extent coal
in cinders could be used without detracting from
the fireproof qualities Of cnder concrete. and he
said he Will have Chief Engineer Lewis Of ths
Board Of Estimate and Apporti0nment conduct
practical tests in the presence Of competent Wit
nesses to bring out this information
As it will require a twO-thirds vote TO pass
the ordinance over the Mayors veto. and as
the Tammanv men mustered only 40 out Of q
votes it goes without saying that the proposed
code is shelved and that important notifications
viii have to BE- made before it Will become i
binding ordinance
CIHDER CONCRETE VICTORY
The ctn5er concrete interests have won a de-
cided victory in that they have prevented the
Murphy interests in the Board Of Aldermen
from passing an ordinance framed in Z manner
70 give the latter distinct advantage IN the
building industry. The Mayors veto mernoraH-
dunn addressed 10 the Board Of Aldermen is as
follows.
return herewith. dizaPProved. ProPq7ssed & ordi-
nance No. zZ75, known Is the n-w Bll.di3S tod--
In pursuance Of section q Or tle CaaI lSr SPECIFY
my reasons for this disa2pr9vai : LolI3Ws, ,,
First-Section 15f Of tie proposed code readS q
The provisions of this code shall take effect i'm
frI Thar f- has b.en an almost iavarlabIe Gus
tom in passing codes of ordinances OF Ersat IN
portscce 20 The community 70 1sEs .-sI - '' ~
uroval hy- tie Mayor informed az the public
n5ssic issil r4r mis- PROVISION must have been in
serted through error. for "hie- Nv WIS N'-
It is only fair To the areai-ects and builders e
this city. before a new building code l&Nes ~.
adjust their plans. Specifications and contracts 10
TIE sT resent code passed in 1909. contained an
TiiS oyd5lnce shall take effect sixty days after
rs sirf vt s short sH5,sh period for architects
and builders To- examine the provisions OF the new
code and comDly with is terms without serious
1t had been my or=asI n'ea'ien 10 70 5s-tr use the
- M .,~..f-5-Ce or resolution shall embrace
approve the provisions relating % one or inor'
Vita tris purpose in mind held public hearings
and called for objections u the prop9sed code,
sitslircs su6fscs found nat many q The pre-
W SS',l ~ 90 CRITICISMS we're so uninportant nor
seriously 20 interfere with its aPpro@vaL wal .s. -r
code was to take eject immediately. and thai mere
%oId pe No., Io c.i a~iI,.sr,- objected TO. con-
sidered il my duty to return the entire G2le US
TtIreI To- require further experiment and consdera-
The proposed cole which is before me in the
form If an ordi2lrca. was reported by the com com
honorable Board by q vote IF - 70 Is This certainly
shows a diversity ct opinion n your H9EoIl9-s ,
iugs held by me accentnatsd
on sI-PERINTENDENT OF BUILDINGS.
socard-s,ru.livt~tou Of Section. Of lhe pro
vo-ed code provides for barge discretion % u-
exercised by The super ulel4el' 81 i crst1SsJ
10 he irrprlctirabr. Both the Board o. Flre n
derwIlJerS OF yh-5 cry ana te NfN ff vile dsre-
OF American Ntl',, ~. ., rsr,sr+ sb011lt
ton 1t vss lrEu. 81 tsit tl- -. - - cCIls
in distinction from claimed dificuitiez- ., g.,
Mr. Lir-hfelo, rsrrsseatns tle & srsH{ellss [ sls IN
in tn SIr-rinttndent but taat the er s -
ali da1ati1us .r0ra the code Woud 'e s,Il..S-ls
bi,n fronl er-antne favors which he should refuse;
Third-The next section prov sIes Let an 9; SPpTt-
riSio9 is nnaI You viii have noticed that this
erreaI i Gnly siveu in eases where an application
is reected 10y the superatena- -ni ou5 '-s ;3 ler1
of app5a> has no authority % rSNls" tie ue.lSo1s
of the superintendent when he decides III FAVOR OK
Ma1 / suggest 10 your honorable board that q
rtgff OF sppeaI from decision by the suPerlnten-
dent N favor 81 an an APP - ,i' ~ fI F69r S 81 of Fire
I-nderwriters .of the Cjty ~ New York, would meet
'hs Subdivision d of Section Il Of the pre-
posad code limits the height of reinforced con-
Ts..5rI OF Fire Underwriters first considered s.
fect "A sat, Iiriit. but later decided tEaJ zoe feet
professor Burr. aproarinS as she chairman Of
iGf 5} zee iri m aieT T s-ed before me tSt
there should he no limitation whatsoever on re-
!nforced concrete construction. and pointed out
city much higher than 100 feet which had proved
most successful neutrality-suspicious. severe strains.
NAV further suggest to your honorable hco~I
Of reinforced concrete buildings and consider the
arguments q the Board Of Fire Underwriters and
Fifth-Obicctions we're made to section 1os. on
behalf OF the otlyinS horouShs, TN that ne section
required 12-irch brick wall instead OF the S-incn
Ii1,eG T [' b Ceyaress7S waldo thar the increased
tbili'relss ,f tho val in the Borough of Brooklyn
would amount 20 from $500 70 Sl.ooo Ior eAeh
7 have been informed that your honorable board
has already expressed Itself m taVor OF thls 90
lection and no further comment would appear 70
OF slXth@sScions us and III Ct the. code contain
the provisions in regard to hollow tile cinder con-
crete and other hreproohnS material
CONCERNING CINDER CONCRETE
II the objections which we're offered to the use
wbetbe~ tbe use OF this material should be per-
mitted at all II. on the other hand. the claims
put forward by the adN0cateS OF this LldlcIa. dIS
we'll founded. Sections ll6 and IL OF the prop0set
code may place unwarr3ntane resIrictets upon -
of cinder concrete has developed since the enact
evidence that IL has been used WIN very satis-
factory results 30 this city. when DUudins haS
been erected by skilled w0rkmen under saFstGl i AMI
intelligent supervision Whether or not u saoU51
freely admitted on PARTY WIN Ctler Lletliols