The Washington herald., 1911-08-05
Property Owners, Build
ers, Real Estate Inter-
ests, Owners of Busi-
ness Properties, and
Others Enlist With
Chamber of Commerce
in Fight to Procure
Public Hearings and
Thirty Days. Notice on
All Proposed Amend
n1entS.

Failing in to the lead offered by the
Chamber of Commerce, through its board
of directors, Wednesday night, practically
every interest affected-property owners,
business dealers, contractors, architects,
real estate brokers, and builders-has en-
listed in a fight to obtain greater consid-
Grafton from the District Commissioners
in the matter Of the PRONUNCIATION Of
changes in the building regulations.
The fight, which will be carried TO the
halls Of Congress II necessary, looks to
a thirty-day notice, to be published in
local papers in that time. Of any change
in the building regulations projected by
the Commissioners.
AS the law now stands, the Commits
sioners are authorized to promulgate,
without warning or notice to any one,
the most revolutionary changes In tie
building regulations overnight. Although
these regulations are supposed to be
upon the same footing as are the police
regulations before the law, the Com
missioners are required to give no notice
OF proposed changes in the case Of the
ore while a thirty-day notice is required
by law in the case Of the other.
VIII Ask for Notice.
The building industries committee of
thu Chamber of Commerce, of which
Ernest H Daniel is chairman, will hold
a meeting early next week, and shortly
thereafter will call upon the Commis-
sioners with a request that thirty days
notice be given whenever 1t is proposed
to change the building regulations, and
that such notice be published at intervals
during that period. In the event that
this request is refused, the committee
will draw up bill to be introduced in
Congress, making such notice on the part
of the Commissioners compulsory under
the law.
Besides having the support individually
Of practically every large business in
terest. the real estate operators, property
owners and builders. the Chamber Of
Commerce will have the open support Of
at least three strong organizations-ths
Builders and Manufacturers Exchange,
the Master Builders Association, and the
Builders League. Leading members and
officers of these organizations, after read
ing the report Of tho Chambers action
in The Washington Herald Thursday
morning. decided to take the matter UP
with their organizations and accord the
Chambers committee active support
The question has agitated property
owners, builders, and business men Of
Washington for years. but no concerted
action looking toward remedial meas
ures has been taken up to now. The
power Of the Commissioners TO change
building regulations without notice is
considered most arbitrary, and its effect
has been, according to those who have
enlisted in the present fight. to cause
great Inconvenience to architects and
builders, loss of money to property own
ers, and, in many instances. the de-
preciation OF unimproved property.
The present movement started with
recent letter from Chairman Daniel, of
the building industries committee. re-
ouesting Of the Engineer Commissioner
that at least the Chambers committee
be notified OF any proposed change In
the building regulations, that that COM
mittce might notify others In time to
permit Of the appearance OF Interested
persons before the Commissioners In
protest.
{ In reply. Capt A. w. Markham, Of
the engineer department, wrote Mr..
Daniel that Il was mot practicable TO
grant your request, a. the occasion
sometimes arises when 1t becomes neces-
sary to change the building regulations
overnight Mr.. Daniel was Informed
that the Commissionsrs always tried 20