New-York tribune., 1909-05-21
NEW CODE DEFENDED
HoHO7c Tile Concern Denies ReJ1Sers
FaCOred Them.

The National Fireproofng Company, whose mol
low tiles will be used in larger volume tnah ever
if the proposed new building code favored oy ."e
majority Of the Code Revision Commission pe
comes a law. issued yesterday the following s'a'
rnent. signed by H. NJ Keasbey. yice-president ana
general manager:
AS far the criticisms Of the proposed an+ puI5n+
ing code concern this company's alleged aJIeLap' ,
70 obtain monopoly, they are entlreIy 3iCo. @ er
We have not sought any monopoly. anu btng one
under the new code as now drafted ,,,
Ia the first place there are more than d @ do]ei
active competitors of this company IN me Ila1I fI
business in New York. Our company has peeh IN
existence twenty years. and during an thsT 'e sa
that the concrete industry is divided among nlaly
troiIed bv one is therefore grossly misleading
The proposed code. moreover: does not put Sale @
company itself installs concrete as well as hollow
tile freproofng and We are nov putting IN i me
floors for the new Pennsylvania Railroad terminal,
one Of the largest concrete construction confacns
struction of the kind that the leading engineering
authorities have sanctioned ..,
Board of Fire Tnderwriters-drafted by insurance
and engineering experts of the highest standing
concrete from It's specifications defining freproof-
ing construction. In both England and Germany
hs Classes %se Of Of 6uiidings Sih5fT
The demand from concrete concerns that cinders
code arises from the fact that Cnders are relative
as well as cheap. and that this is the verdict of
the highest authorities is proved by the forms 9t
construction adopted for the newest and safest
''szys.rapers'' in lower Manhattan.
der Concrete siese that the new code gives undue
advantages hollow tile but the facts do not bear
tile floors made much more strict than they
| have been under the existing code For example,
number thickness of the webs in hollow tile
VIII be TO increase both the number of webs and
Again under the existing code a thickness of
two inches for hollow tile column covering -
6gre Tbickness Of four r i1cbes These are only
two instances illustrating the general tendency +"
all other criticisms OF the code-those re
gardnE standpipes. paint. etc-I know nothing, as
do know that the fireproofng provisions will not
have the result OF giving us any unfair advantage.
Joseph / Peters Of No loo William street sales
agent OF the United States Graphite Company. OF
Saginaw. Mich. Yesterday called the city Hall
to the Building code Revision Commission and
lodge protest. He said to Secretary Gramer:
Why did not the commission specifically name
fol erapire Pairts4aa The ornuIs governfre the
use Of this sort - painting as adopted h the com
company.
F1atbush property owners and real estate men
up IN the proposed extension Of the
fire limits in Brooklyn in the building code.
The report Of the code commission provides for
an extension Of the Ere limits to cover all Of Fiat
bush north Of Foster avenue. east OF Paerdegat
avenue and west of F1atbush avenue
Builders and home owners in that section be
lieve that the type Of detached frame house used
extensively in Flatbush should be exempted from
the fireproof provisions. They say that brick
houses not only would cost so much that they
would he difficult sell but that they would
spoil what is now a beautiful home sect ton. made
up largely Of detached wooden dwellings.
Some Of the builders 60 far to say their
confidence has been abused. Last year they sue
ceeded in having the plans extending the fire
limits into the F1atbush section eliminated from
the code at q hearing before the Board Of Alder
mems committee. and surprised 10 learn that
they had been put back