New-York tribune., 1909-05-17
HTILDING CODE CRITICS
uNORITT R4kES REPORT
on REVISION.
r,as Provisions of Majority Shoe
F0roritism and Conflict 5clth
State La1cS.

.,z;,,re of the Board Of Aldermen, in which
= charged that the majority report conflicts
-+a+e acts that favoritism is shown 20 Ger
interests and that the financial interests
"a +bs lives Of the public are not properly
<,orded The report Of the majority was
.arta5 l,v the Committee on Buildings OF Ihe
- of Aldermen last Friday. when the com
60 received both reports The rsaainE o'
,irori+,- report WAS refused. and the MAJOR
=. reno-t was adopted without being read inc
,,-rv lasting barely 4 quarter Of an hou''
--so.a Who refused To sign the majority feP'I'
- lanes G Mcclure. clarence Luce, IT.
la.sf Edward Croker g G. Smith ana Mds'
,sze Reginald :. DouL
-,e rerort approved by the Building COMMIT
IS q monopoly. Il is considered. to certain
4ila eoor and roof construction and 10
- l-,7,5s o. paint for structural iron Work
,.i-cr.t,- also charges that the majority re-
to,.tes the tenement house law in permit
= -. erection Of buildings higher than those
,s-nifted l,y the state act
r. majority report fails to provide i"r re-
.i,ta6 fire limits in certain portions OF Inv
-, tbe establishment % which $ dee'l'eN
-.oassarv 10 prevent the spread Of great con
s.rrs+ions Section % OF the majority FeI''
-ovises that walls inclosing elevators lh III
--oof buildings must he eight inches thlcA ""e"
:. b-;rt six inches when reinforced cohtIe'e -
,,.s and only four inches thick when of terra
80 On this subject the minority report say
The thickness Of these various mater MAJ z ialS a..
- ~enort II the majority places Ihe mr.
9.:-- C7,e liries Of a four-inch terra cot1a paI
So - e0ual 70 that Of an eght-lnch hrlcA
vail which is wrong. improper ana ualsei
THE THICKNESS OF WALLS
e,.,;o- 90 Of the report Of the minority pro
,i5es that these measures shall he constru''eN
~ bric,z eight inches thick, or reinforced con-
crete six inches thick
-rba n-ac:igal elimination Of certain forms ol
concrete floor construction is pointed out III
these paragraphs from the report OF the ma
to-i+v. Section 1ls. Paragraph !. reading:
In all buildings more than one hundred feet
,- height and those buildings OF Class r. Wiz.
avceA5 severrv-f7ve feet in height the nrePfooI
%oor and roof constructions between steel
except as hereinafter provided, shaH pg 4,5 II. -
form II segmental arches consisting OF 70 lfali 49,
cement concrete. brick OF hollow ltie u u. 70.
burnt clay OF SEMI porous or porous tsIia I Co. 80
suc0 arches shall be designed 70 saleiy - ~.
+ba ir,posed loads and shall have rise OF nov
less than one inch for each foot OF span Ue
tween the beams
Section IL. Paragraph l. reads:
In All buildings one hundred feet or less IN
height the freprcof floor and ro"i co7lI , a. s -
between the steel beams may ne IN IIle l'ss as'
Of fat arches or slabs with horlz"h1al SUI 1,
Such construction shall consist II fpI pItldliG
cement. concrete OF hollow tile. hand burned
clay semi-porous terra Gotta "I uiiiA'ili
density and hardness Of huTn-
Builders and contractors say that this discriTn-
,rarion tends 10 create a monopoly in favor Of
The tile construction. other forms Of construc-
zion have been used in many Of the largest and
best buildings in this city. and have stood all
possible tests acceptabIy. they say The five
members Of the commission who refuse 10 ac-
oeut these provisions say that they seriously
object 70 the creation OF such monopoly and
the prohibition Of the use Of any other kind Of
fireproof arch. The minority says further that
Il does not think il proper 10 consider only the
height Of buildings regardless Of the character
and nature Of their occupancy.
IN the minority report, Sections 131 to l39 all
forms Of freprooing have been placed on an
equal basis Sections III and 1-,2 Of the major
;ty report dealing with reinforced concrete. also
are criticised as unjustly discriminating against
the stresses which should be permitted. The
minority report specifies that stresses and
Etrains be in accordance with modern practice
USE OF PAINTS RESTRICTED
The section Of the ajority report dealing with
the subject Of paint saws that in the painting Of
al metal structural work the paint used shall
consist Of pure lnseed oil. together with red
lead, or a natural pigment containing approx
rnately - per cent Of crystalline American fake
cent OF the oxides Of iron and alumina-
The objections Of the minority of the commits
sion 10 this lay in the chemical identification just
outlined. as they charge that il permits only the
use Of red lead paint and American fake graph
ite The latter paint, which is largely controlled
By one manufacturer. is so much cheaper than
the red lead paint that the minority says the re-
qulrement Of its specific use would create a
monopoly and be an unjust discrimination
against other manufacturers Of equally good
paints
The minority report requires that all metal
structural work be coated with at least one
coat Of suitable paint and after erection be
coated with al least one additional coat Of a
different shade. The selection Of the paint 10
oe used IS left open to the competition OF all
suitable paints.
II is charged that the majority report Was
railroaded' through. and that not only were all
lie corrections and revisions discussed and con-
soered by committee of five ignored, but that
instead of the report which was being consid-
cred being adopted presented in any form
Or part. an entirely new report was submitted
10 the committee.
The majority report. it is charged was adopt
ed in violation Of the rules OF the commission
unanimously adopted February T. 1908. The
Chair appointed the committee Of FIVE on Jan
usry - Of this GEAR TO compare the amend
nents. make the necessary corrections and re
Visions. supply omissions where required and
report back to the commission This work
which was expected TO take scant two weeks
vas not completed and reported on until Apri
Il According TO the rules of the commission
II is said, this committee should have been ap
pointed by the committee rules and not by
the Chair. The report. says the minority, wa
not comparison Of the amendments. neither
81. e,
fections and revisions nor the supplying o
omissions