The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-05-26
BUILDING OROINARCE
STUNPS SUPERVISORS
STRUGGLE IN YAM TRYING 10
sTRAIoHTEN TANoLE IN
PROPOSED LAW,

Tunneiiug a mountain appears to be
an easy task compared 70 the laborcd
discussion Of the new building ordi-
nance which the county supervisors
undertook last evening, and almost
from the start they plunged into
maze Of figures which almost staggered
them. Although they hoped to be able
to present the bill on Friday in some
tangible shape, the proposed ordinance
will be mass Of tatters and win have
to be again discussed at a special meet.
ing to be called by the chairman Of
the committee which has the ordinance
in hand.
1t was evident last night that the
proposed ordinance is heavy, unwieldy
and uncertain, even to the mere fixing
of fees for permits. Whether to
charge So a thousand dollars for
proposed buildings, and $50 for ST.
100000 Alexander Young building, was
question over which the supervisors
1 pondered long, while Supervisor Muir.
ray worked away with a pencil and
paper trying to figure 1t out so that
the county would get revenue without
hitting too hard a man who wanted to
put up a building worth only thou
sand dollars. One Of the paragraphs
proposed for fixing fees was involved
in its construction and it looked as
though a Philadelphia lawyer might be
necessary to straighten it all out.
The paragraph was left over for dis
cussion, while others were tackled,
leaving Mr.. Murray stiu welding the
pencil They do not to charge any
thing that might be regarded as ex'
cessive.
Extra Expense.
There is another matter which will
involve little expenditure on the
prospective bailder The new ordi
nance says he must file plans and speci
fications for work over $1,000. To dc
so an ordinary householder would have
to consult an architect and that person
would charge him fee for working
them out in proper form.
Building and Plumbing Inspector
Miehlstein felt that it was imposing {
hardship to require plans and specified
tious for thousand-dollar building
and thought that man might turn il
his general plans and some details with
out asking an architect to do it fol
him, thus saving an expense.
The supervisors thought this reason
ing was sound Mr.. Miehlsteip stated
that at present plans are turned in OF
butter paper, drug store paper, any oil
kind of paper, but under the new ordi
nance these would all be turned in OF
proper blanks.
Question of Damages.
Another paragraph was considered O
considerable Importance to the city AM
county. This sets forth that the ap
Iproval of plans by the board does no
: bind the city and county for damage
arising out of the use of sidewalks an
subsidewalks by builders, but does no
absolve those who are in charge of tn
building operations. Any case of dam
ages win lie against the persons build
, ing, rather than against the county.
There was another paragraph whicl
, was found objectionable, and this wa
that if the inspector found the value o
a building underestimate, he had tn
power to refuse the permit. 1t was fel
, that too many difficulties might arts
from any differences of opinion as t
estimates, and the paragraph wa
stricken out.
The ordinance provides, in one sec
tion, for a board of arbitration, cor
| sisting of the superintendent. of publ:
works, the county engineer and a thir
person to be selected, If the board o
supervisors does not settle the difficult
the board of arbitration win take it i
hand.
OF chief interest is the fact that tn
/ new building ordinance takes in, nc
! only the city Of Honolulu, but theNeI
tire county as well.