The Washington herald., 1911-04-20

Members of the subcommittee of the
Public Buildings and Grounds Committee
of the House. which is dealing with the
matter of safety of government office
buildings as regards fire. have succeeded
in stirring up some angry protests from
owners of buildings which are on the
official rent roll.
1t is evident the property holders affect
ed by the structures of Fire Chief Wagner
and Municipal Architect Snowden do
not propose TO sit idly by and have their
buildings designated as fire traps
The Union Building Company, which
owns the structure between Sixth and
Seventh streets, in G, occupied by gov
ernment offices, yesterday protested di-
rectly to Chairman Sheppard and men,
bers OF the subcommittee, by furnish
ing a set of municipal reports based on
inspections of the Union Building, both
as to sanitation and fire protection.
Owners Resent Charge.
Owners of other buildings occupied by
the government made known their re-
sentiment verbally in various quarters
yesterday concerning the reports that
they were renting unsafe office quarters
TO the government. The observations of
Chief Wagner, Supervising Architect Tay-
lor. and Municipal Architect Snowden
before the subcommittee on Tuesday that
wide halls and stairways are needed
to make a building absolutely safe for
employees, and that fire escapes on the
outside of a building are impractical.
were lost sight of by most Of these COM
plainants. Resentment was especially di-
rected to the general stigma imposed by
fIa off md ba bar
of the subcommittee
In a letter to Chairman Sheppard.
MyrOn NJ. Parker. president of the Union
IUilding Company, sets forth the fact
that the Union Building was fully in
speCted in 1908 at the request of the
Secretary of the Treasury, who was about
to make leases of the building for the
auditors of his department. Mr.. Parker
irClOsed copies of the reports prominent
amCng them being n letter from the for
mer chief engineer of the fire department.
William T Belt. to former Commissioner
MaCfarland. in which the Union Building
was cassed as well constructed and rea-
sonably equipped with fire escapes and
eXtinguiSherS.
Clean Bill Given.
Il believe this building can safely be
Classed as a slow burner was the ex-
precision Of the former fire chief in end
ing his report. With the Belt report
there was transmitted reports from John
Z. Healy. computer of the building de-
rartment; James P. Parry, inspector of
fire escapes, and w. W. Ayres inspector
OF the health department. These reports
all give the Union Building a clean bill
as regards fire protection and sanitary
condition.
These reports beyond AL question es-
tabliSh the character of the Union Build
ing as entirely safe for occupancy by the
government to construction. sanitary
point Of view. safety from fire. and other
wise" says Mr. Parker in his letter The
owners of the property have complied
with all the recommendations made by
officials of the District government.
In 1882. the Postmaster General was
anxious to secure improved quarters for
the city post-office. The Union Building
was erected to meet this requirement.,
and for further government use There
IS hardly a government building in Wash
ington better constructed or more safe
for public u.s.
Chairman Sheppard made no comment
urOn the Parker letter Yesterday, but
said the subcommittee and himself would
go forth in a day two to see for
themselves. If the buildings in question
ar fire protected and sanitary, we'll and
good 1 lie COllllIl!lltt JIltltLE NdulSu ~
know,
No AK 10 Grind.
There is no politics in this matter
said Mr.. Sheppard, and the committee
does not know that 2 single official has
done any wrong. Neither is there any
intention to hurt the reputation of any
property owner by running down his
building. The committee simply believes
that it is time to inspect the government
buildings"
"Will the inspection be confined TO those
in Washington?' was asked.
BY no Means replied Mr.. Sheppard.
we expect to receive reports concern
ing every public structure in the Coun-
try There will be no junketing or Wis
iting by the committee, but we hope at
least to find out the kind of buildings the
government is occupying. If any of them
are fire traps or insanitary for the en-
ploveS such a condition should be rem