Perth Amboy evening news., 1909-07-14
VICTORY FOR
HOLLOW TILE
IN NEW YORK
New Building Code Favor
able to the Fireproofing
Interests Goes Through.
LOCAL MANUFACTURERS
AND CLAY MEN HELPED

The manufacturing interests OF
Perth Amboy and the clay miners of
Middlesex county will be greatly
benefited by the action of the New
York Board of Aldermen yesterday
afternoon when, by a vote of forty
to thirty-eight the aldermen, at the
first full meeting In years adopted the
new building code, which concrete
manufacturers declare was framed in
the interest of the National Fire
proofing Company Powerful inter-
ests for months have been engaged
in bitter fight over the code. The
final clash was stormy and there was
food of aldermanic oratory.
Politics played an important part
in the proceedings. The so called
Murphy men, who champloned the
new code, were opposed by union of
republicans, McCarren men, Queens
county democrats and all the anti
Murphy influences in Manhattan.
The taking of the vote late in the
afternoon brought to an end, tenn
porarily at least, skiTmish that has
been productive of all kinds of charg-
es and counter charges. Every
move has been watched with keen
interest by all persons interested in
building operations, because the new
code will govern building during the
next ten years, when, in the estima-
ton of architects and engineers. all
records of similar geriods will be
smashed.
Representative of the concrete
manufacturers declared at night that
the new code practically will drive
them from the market because ii
will at least double their cost OF pro-
duction. At present it costs about
sixteen cents a square foot to make
their fireproofing material. The cost
of making hollow brick, the output
of the big factories controlled by the
National Fireproofing Company is
approximately twenty-three cents a
foot, and this is not changed by the
new code.
Question Croker Strength.
1t has often been contended that
friends of Richard Croker were in
terested in the old code, which gave
the concrete makers a good grip on
the fireproof1ng business and the ac-
tivity of a few of the old friends of
adoption of the new code lent color
to the suggestion. Furthermore, the
triumph of the Murphy men indicat-
ed to politicians that the Croker
strength in the present Tammany or
ganization has been much exaggera-
ted.
The champions of the new code
deny they played into the hands OF
the f1reproof1ng trust. They assert
that under the old code the concrete
makers used ashes and refuse. of vari-
Gus kinds in the manufacture OF their
fireproof material Under the new
code it is stipulated that only clean
boiler cinders shall be used, and they
are hard to get. In fact, it Is almost
impossible to get them in the guam
titles needed.
AS soon as the new code is signed
by the mayor 1t will become opera
tive. 1t will go to Patrick F. Nc
Gowan, acting mayor. at-once, and
he has declared that he will send 1t
to the corporation counsel for close
scrutiny. II he finds that special in
terests have been too carefully con-
sidered, he declares, he will refuse
to sign the code. Those who fought
hard to prevent the adoption of the
new document declared as soon as
the aldermanic session adjourned
that they would ask the acting mayor
to hold special hearing. They as
sert that they have been unfairly
dealt with and will fight to the last
ditch to prevent what they describe
as a grab"