The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-16
COMMITTEE VOTES
70 SUSTAIN BECK
SENDS BACK oRDINAxCE GIVING
ArPEsL FROM BUILDING
INSPECTOR.
OPPOSES ANY CHANGE
RECOMMENDs THAT GILMAN oRDI-
NANCE no NOT rAss-wILL
RENEW FIGHT BEFORE
THE BOARD.
OPPOSES ANY CHANGE

one tue GIIndn ordnance was REFER
red back to the Board OF Aldermen
last night by the Ordinance Com
mIttee with the recommendation that
II do not pass
This ordinance was designed to
amend the Building Code to pro-
vide for AN arbitration board, or
board Of appeal. from the decision
Of the building inspector and police
Justice. The ordnance provided for
70 board, const4tine OF q disinterestsd
citisen, to be named by the inspec-
tor, one to be named by the property
owner and the two to elect third,
TO pass upon any decision Of the
Inspector which might be objected to
w the property owner. In case OF .
condemnation by the inspector.
Tho Code at present provides for
board Of safety. consisting OF the
Mayor. the City Engineer and the
Chief Of the Fire Department. To
this board all protests 30.
But, under the Code, II the inspec-
tor orders a building torn down or
renairs 10 be made, and the case goes
Immediately to the Police Ju1ttce.
and he decides no case. that prac-
ticaiiy4 settles It. although an appeal
may b taken 10 q court OF chancery
or eouity, ~ In the case OF the Month
cello building. owned by the Ferran-
DIM ESTATE.
ma Ordinance Committee met At
@:3o o'clock yesterday afternoon. with
NessrA 0unst. Butler. Kahn Lums-
den. Noucure, Moore, vcndeiehT and
Umlauf present.
A0eeeing Afaracts Many.
A large delegation OF builders, real
estate men. architects and other In
terestsd parties filled the Council
chamber. Remarks were made by
many for and againsct the ordinance.
Building Inspector Beck read reports
from thirty OF the leading cities snow
inx that In that number ut least. the
Inspector had similar powers 10 thoss
possessed BY himself.
The tenor Of the arguments pre-
seused by those who advocated the
ado6tidu az tue Gilman ordinance
was thai taae inspector had too much
uovAr for one man 10 exercise. he
ID practically the court OF last resort
a. well a. that Of tho initiative. II
was commended by those who dieap-
prove OF such a condition that there
shCtald be an intermediate point and
Il vns supon this contention that the
arguments arose.
/ The Builders Exchange and the
re4l pntAte agents were the prtnei-
pap objectors. although It could NOS
- veil a1en. ~ stated by the IN
erectcr,swhy the builders should OBJ
jcct 10 the condemnation o. build
srhleScta back Iuspecior.
The association Of architects stood
Nv the inspector. and declared
through = spokesman that the IN
| = n rA>m In,
piane that dfd not rebound to the
beheflt or tho owners and the city. !.
Several lawyers expressed them
selves a. 0ppcsinU the present oTdi.
nance and advocated the proposed
aneudment. Alderman Gilman was
psieaent, but took. no part in the de-
bate. simply stating at one point OF
the proceedings that he felt the an
spector'a power should be curtailcd.
and In such curtailment the builders
and owners might profit.
| No one suggested that the build
tnx code was not = good thing Tor
the city. although one OF the speak
ers ID referring TO the latge amount
OF htildia9 that bad been done IN
Richmond slnee the establishment "
the .Sfncs of building inspector. said
It would have resulted anyway. be-
- ~ sssssS - 80 -
..Wfnf wouId The city have hesn
now ne aid. ~ II had gone aiens
oRs four lAes instead " three
1he sane old shecks wosaid have
been sticking III o1ef the city. a.
before" repltad City Attorney Pollard.
~ Nraneed Il Refeerca.
/ a |intervals during ne discussion
AIdkrmAn Gunst eAdeatored to have
further consideration referred to Z
sub~commiftee Of three. and Council
man YOndelehr pleaded to be excused
- he had. another meeting to attend
at eight o'clock. and there was every
Indication that the debate would run
|interminably. But Chairman Umlauf
declined 10 excuse Mr.. vondeIehr ana
Mr. 8nneess nnckfon did not prevAtti
An or us hay6 other meetiuG1 -
attend" said the Chairman, "and 4
tor enc, will stay here until mldhighe,
] have listened to the arguments Of
the =gouflemen today. and I listened
to them lask Friday. and must ray
that I have not set hoard any GOOD
reason why the present Code should
- amended. But will sacrifice my
solf. and unle@ Mr.. vondslshr has
decline 10 excuse him. UnlAee the
cOmmlttaA desifss to do 70. he VIII
have u rAanatA xtth sslss ". We can I'LL
ut cheap lunch down town some
81 want 10 hear ii all. said Mr..
Moore. 4 haven't heard any good
reason elthsT."
slle, too. g said Mr.. Lumsden. and
the others nodded their heads.
The Qrs& speaker was J. Amber
Iohneon. Who ohjected ~ the insDec-
4