New-York tribune., 1909-05-18
CONCRETE MEN FIGHT
,,pCuTTECTS ALSO ATTACK
RTrILDING CODE.
Public Hearing Vii Be Ordered on
ReportS-Charge 4ttempt
at Monopoly.

z.-sons opposed to the new building code viii
an opportunity 10 fight it. The majority
Is -,inoyfty reports Of the commission appoint
:, - revise the building laws will be consid-
- bv the. Board Of Aldermen. which will order
:, -snorts printed and set date for hearing.
--.st5en+ AfcCsowan and Aldermen Sullivan and
1,,-nsaIlv received many letters yesterday relat-
a.. IN the proposed changes, as q result Of the
-rbiication Of the minority report. This re-
lied practically the gist Of the majority report
,-5 aroused the concrete and cement interests
.h-ouShout the city. In their letters they 1e-
-.n6ed z hearing and charged discrimination III
.,vor Of other building interests The New York
ra.nter Of the American Institute of Architects.
.s-onrt its executive committee. sent protest
.,rnsd by Arnold W Drummer, the president and
= Everett 1aid the secretary. The New York
chapter said:
~. ir,nortance Of this building code to tina
-rbiic ard the building interests OF the city Of
sEsv York is so vital that we respectfully petl-
.io, vour honorable body to postpone final ac-
tion on the code until an opportunity ne slNen
fss public 10 examine and discuss 1t in its pres
sri form
Alderman r s. DouII. member Of the COM
,,Ission who signed the minority report. said
vss+erdav that the code favored by the majority
rsss worse code than that which it was sought
n have improved. Alderman Doull said:
The new code would prove more expensive TO
the builders and the buildings erected under its
provisions would not be safe as under the
old The changes tentatively made allow in
creased weight on all floors without requiring
heavier walls Il was totally unnecessary TO al
low more weight The new code is in defiance
Of al laws and from the point Of view Of the
I'd 10 date builder is full of absurdities.'
DEATHRLow TO CONCRETE.
The concrete men in general saw in the new
rods 2 deathblow to the growth OF their bust
ness The restrictions in fireproofng, the elrni-
nation Of cinder concrete in the short arch con-
structon and the limiting Of the height Of re-
fnforoed concrete buildings were the features Of
the majority report that caused opposition But
the minority report also limited the height Of re-
tnforoed concrete buildings. and this vas also
said 10 be without reason. The majority report
limited the height to seventy-f1ve feet and the
minority TO eighty-f1ve feet That would mean
that no building could be erected of that mate
rial higher than seven stories and would shut it
out Of the big city. H. L. Turner. Of the Turner
Construction Company. said:
Tt cannot be said that a building OF rein
forced concrete higher than seven stories is not
safe. We have them now ten stories high. and
they are absolutely free from danger. Manu-
facturers viii not want buildings Of our ma
terial on costly ground If the limit as TO height
is imposed. we have met every fire and en-
Eineering test. and there is no ground except
ing competition upon which objection 10 higher
buildings can be made There is no limit in
other cities There is none here now. There
is 4 natural limit imposed by the engineering
design. and that is all But Ne are powerful
competitors Of the steel and other material in
terests.
There will be an increase in the price Of
hollow tile # the new building code is accepted
Mr Turner continued. The elimination Of
cinde- concrete for arches would mean the sub
stitution Of hollow tile L is cheaper than stone
concrete now. but more expensive. than the Gin
der concrete II the latter IS smut out the COM
petition viii be between the stone concrete and
the hollow tile. and as tho former is much more
expansive the hollow tile people would have it
ell their oHn way and could raise the price TO
suit themselves. Of course. the public would be
the principal sufferer. They cannot shut us out
sltogether. but can cripple Us. and hence the
competitive interests have obtained linaita ton
cf the height Of buildings built # reinforced
concrete"
SAYS PUBLIC WILL PAT
Other heads ~ construction companies that
use concrete as Z building material, especially
the Roebling Company. spoke in q similar vein.
The latter would suffer greatly # the new code
were adopted as il employs cinder- concrete to
large extent in arch construction But Ross
F. Tucker. the president IF the Concrete Prod
vcts COMPANY. said YESTERDAY that the new code
should he Judged by its influence upon the build
ing public. H asserted that the crippling OF
concrete construction would eliminate competi-
ton and the public would have 70 pay the
price He said.
II this new code is made Law II means mil
Hons 70 the terra Gotta interests At the expense
Of the building public. The bureau Of buildings
has been very watchfuI and rigorous in respect
70 the concrete systems in use in this city, and
every cne of them has been submitted 10 ex-
taordinary fire. water and load test before be
ing authorized for use"
Regarding the. cinder- concrete. Mr.. Tucker
said that it was the best fire resisting material
IN use for building construction and is different
and far better than the ashes concrete used on
top of other materials in arches for filling. The
latter, he said had been found TO be poor fire
resister, but If the cinder-concrete were TO be
eliminated the poorer material would be put ia
Common use
Il Was said yesterday that at the hearings or
the new code all building material and con-
sEactlon inter ests would be represented
FIFTY FIVE NEW SUITS IN HOUSE.