Evening star., 1909-05-22

parks, while along the new extension
| of Connecticut avenue are to be found
oak trees. the stately proportions of
which will delight the eye of coming
| generations.
The Building Inspector Problem.
The naming of Building Inspector Ash.
ford for the position of municipal archi.
tect by the committee appointed by the
District Commissioners to suggest a man
to fill that recently created place points
to the possibility of vacancy in the near
future In the Office of building inspector.
Before such a change is made it might be
well. If the opinion of those who have to
do with this office in pursuit of their busi-
ness has any weight. to adopt some means
OF taking off from the head of this office
some portion Of the burden of the detail
work.
/ 1t is difficult matter to see the build
ing Inspector, not because he is exclusive
and shuts himself up, for that is directly
the contrary to the practice pursued, as
any one can enter his office. But it is
evident that no more than one person can
talk to him at time, and so there Is a
long line or group of people waiting in his
office each day, and practically all day, to
get chance to speak to the head of the
building department.
A Center of Many Details.
| AS most of those who wish to see him
are busy. the delay is irritating. and tends
| to make people have revolutionary
thoughts about their city government. to
say nothing of the loss of time, which Is
loss of money. 1t is possible that other
| officials in the District building, or per-
| haps in that department, could attend to
a goodly proportion Of the matters person.
1 ally presented to the building inspector,
but even allowing for that, it is still true
that larger variety of duties devolve
xlxs ~lS-
be the case if the best results and the
quickest service is expected.
| Those who have most to do with the
| Office. architects and builders. would like
| to be able to attend to their business there
! with as little delay as possible, and there
| is no objection to any reasonable plan
| which will tend to bring about such a
| result. 1t Is proposed that the revenue
derived from the issue of permits be in
creased. and when that is done then
| Congress may be more inclined to pro-
vide the additional help which the growth
of the business of the Office demands.
Proposed Increase in Fees.
l. Instead of fiat rate Of two dollars for
building permit, whether such permit
authorizes the erection of a shanty or a
| palace, it is proposed to fix a scale of
rates varying with the Importance and
| magnitude Of the proposed structure.
! This would result in increasing the fees
| for building permits, but not In such a
degree as to be burdensome.
| 1t will certainly not be burdensome but
F, gladly welcomed If in consequence adj
| ditional men are secured for this serv
ice. AS has been pointed out by the build
| ing inspector and indorsed by the Com
! missioners for good many years past,
everything about the Office has grown ex
cept the force of officials.
| At Rate of Million a Year.
Fourteen years ago the tota! value of
the building done in that year in this
| city was about four millions of dollars.
| Today such figures run up to fourteen
millions. With all the increased duties.
Ito say nothing of responsibilities. the
| force of men who are expected to see that
the building regulations are carried out,
| and TO suggest improvements in line with
| the safety of lives and of property as
well as of health, there has been during
this period an increase of three in the
| force.
| The disproportion shown in the figures
needs no further comment, but point di-
! rectly to the conclusion that in this par
/ tcular the cloth is not sufficient for the
| pattern.
| New Use for Car Barn.
The old car barn of the Capital Traction
| Company, on the west side Of 14lh street
just south Of Park road. is to be trans
4 formed into an amusement place.
| The plans for the alterations have been
made by Averill. Hall Adams. archi-
| tects The building is to have a more
ornamental appearance than at present
/ The property is owned by company
| Some of the transactions in property
made through the office of the Frank T.
Rawlings Company in recent days are as
! follows:
Lot in Q street northwest between 1st
i and Sd streets. to be improved by pur-
chaser: two lots on c street northwest, in
| squares 81 and IS, for out-of town pur-
chaser: lot II. square 50si, improved by
| frame dwelling, for George Splitter TO
| Thomas r.. Harney, for $3.50; OF New
/ Hampshire avenue northwest. for Mrs
/ Julia Evans. for $1,000. to be held as an
investment 324 4th street northeast. for
| Mrs Sallie Pinkerton. TO William Secrist,
for investment; twenty-one lots in Burr
Vile. d. c.. for Mrs. Guilds. to j. W.
| Rawlings: 1928 f street northwest. for
Philip Christman. for $1,000. 10 be held as
investment; S1i New Hampshire avenue
for NJ r. Rawlings. to James Mansfield,
for home: 1924 + street northwest, for
Lewis r. Collins. to j. w. Rawlings. for
ST. Sa,