New-York tribune., 1909-11-30
CHARTER REVISION
MANY FAVOR MERGER.
Would Unite Tenement
and Buildings Departments.

Al yesterdays meeting OF the joint leg
islatiVe committee on charter resisiCn in
the City Hall former Senator Dr. George
W. Brush. OF Brooklyn. acting IN consort
with several other speakers. asked that
;he Tenement House and Buildings de-
partfnents be consolidated. lie Said shat
the two departments were in continual con-
fict and suggested that the Tenement
House Department be made subsidiary
bureau Of The Buildings Department He
added that al sanitary questions in the
tenemeat house should be referred 10 the
Department OF Health instead of 10 the
Tenement House Department.
Another speaker IN fav 81 the plan 10
conduct the two departments under one
head was Dr. H. ". Berg. who spoke ia
bohaif OF the 10th. nth and l-th Wards
Property Owners Association. he said
that poor persons who had small equity
in tenement houses had been ruined by
the departments Use OF its power TO order
The buildings vacated within forty eight
hours.
Albert T. Davis. representing the Tax
PAYERS Association OF The BronK. was an
other who came out IN favor OF the con-
solidstion of the Two departments. MI.
Davis asserted that ali architects were OF
the opinion tnat there was no good reason
FOR Tie existence OF a tenement house de-
pertinent
Ar. Butler. Tenement house ComIniS-
sioner. was the object Of scsthing at
tack from oscar lev ,nsOhn, an architect
and builder. who sa-6 that his department
was run by the cts Club and the Charity
Organization Society. lie also said that
tbe Commissioner Is no: a practical man.
but dummy and a hgurehead. and said
that d provision should be inserted In Tie
charter providing that the head OF the &c
pertinent lie a competent man.
{. A. Crane appeared in behalf of the
General Contractors Association 20 plead
for revision of the Building Code. Others
present al the session were Julius IL
Mayer counsel 10 the commission; Assem-
blyman Hammond. vho had tie chair, and
i've other members including Senators
Rrough and Gledhin and Assemblyman
Smith.
Mr. Crane asked that Section 275 OF
the Building Code be amended so as 10
provide for an increase of the bond de-
manded from bidders on public works from
= per cent oi the total cost OF the contract
prise, as at present, 10 - per cent when
the contract is for $4,000 OF less. He as
serted that this would do away with the
small and impossible bidders and added
that Il would be well II the authorities
would have the RIGHT 10 reject al bids il
necessary
Assemblyman Robert H. Clarke OF the
10th Assembly District. who represented
the sheepshead Bay Board Of Trade, spoke
in favor of borough Autonomy, saying that
the borough presidents ought 20 have the
power 10 award contracts for street i'm
pr0vements up TO certain amount Mr..
Clarke was supported IN this position by l.
II. Phillips. representing the Goth Ward
Taxpayers Association.
John J. Barry. Commissioner Of the De
partment OF Corrections, called attention
10 the fact hat the new charter omits the
clause 10 provide for the board Of parole
and also 70 provide for the accumulative
sentence Law. Mr.. Barry also spoke in
favor Of a pension foT The keepers and
matrons # lie department, saying that
many were inadeQuately paid at present.
CorOners' Physicians Weston and % Han
Ion appeared 10 protest against the aboli-
tion Of the coroners. They asserted that II
the coroners We're done away with II would
leave the way open for many secret muir
ders and crimes, 50 much 50 that lie IN
this city would be rendered unsafe.
The hearing was then adjourned until 10
O'Clock this morning.