The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-14

II you were president Of the board
Of public works and had building
a inspectors working under your COM
mand and ordered said building in
spectors TO do their duty always, and
then one Of those inspectors made you
stop work on a building you were con-
structing. on the charge that you were
not complying with the city ordinances
Wouldn't it make you peevish?
All the above occurred TO Charles
Austin Day. head Of The board Of
u-orks-even to the irritation. Day was
peevish yesterday and admitted it. for
the act or ono Of his inspectors in
Carrying ont the building ordinances
resulted in the loss Of almost $500 to
the contractor-commissio
The firm OF Thomas Day & Sons.
e p tractors, which is composed Of the
president Of the board of works and
his brother H ]. Day. is erecting a
three story building in the gore at
Market and Eddy streets for the Doug
las realty company. The contractors
have been working day and night on
the building, and it has materialized
with surprising speed, for some 100
vvorkmen have been striving to put it
together. SO fast has it sprung from
the ground and so engrossed in the
task OF raising it were the owners and
builders that one little matter totally
escaped their attention. A little trifing
matter. by the way. made mandatory
by the building ordinances
Stairway Is Lacking
This same unreckoned action, how
ever. did not escape the experienced
eve OF Patrick Fitzsimmons, for 10
years a building Inspector, whose in
sistence that the charter be complied
with in the matter OF proper construc-
lion led to a difference between him
and the heads Of administration in the
grating Schmitz regime. Fitzsimmons
saw that the building lacked stair
way from the second to the third
story. which it should have had under
the building ordinances. in order that
cape in case Of fire.
And Fitzsimmons, although he Wen
knew that his chief, Commissioner Day,
was putting up the structure, ordered
takat the stair be put in without delay.
r5s stairway did not appear, and the
bunling was a few days nearer COM
pletion. Fitzsimmons again notified
the foreman Of the work that the stairs
must be constructed, and, 10 be certain,
brought the matter to the attention Of
sexton b Nicholson, architects of the
building. The Douglas realty company,
OF which H. A. Trowbridge is president,
also was notified Nicholson appeared
At the scene of construction, went over
the ground, and retired to his Office.
No stairway was built.
Orders Work Stopped
And yesterday at noon Fitzsimmons,
in making his rounds. again noted that
his order had met with no recognition,
and '-hung up the work" He com
manded every man on the JOB to knock
of work This the men were com
PEELED TO DO.
we were going TO put two fire es-
capes on Eddy street in lieu OF the
stairway" Commissioner Day explained
yesterday. and this man exceeded his
authority in stopping the work His
action has cost me between $500 and
ssoo.
We're this any other contractor /
would lay the inspector OF for a month
but in this case viii not do so. as
am in a delicate position, being presi-
dent OF the board.
Il did only what have done before
4, en- the ordinances were not complied
,viAa. after frequent warnings, Fitz-
simmons explained. The Day broth
ers were always anxious 10 do what
was right, before Mr.. Day got his pres
ent position, and / do not hold them
cfh1o