The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-01-16
BOWMAN IN FAVOR
OF BUILDING CODE
Such an Ordinance Would
Assist Assessors, Audi
tor Says.
INSPECTOR is NEEDED
Code Is Now in the Hands
Of a Committee for
Revision.
is NEEDED

Lewis S. Bowman, county auditor,
is in favor of the establishment of a
building code. A code is being prepar-
ed by the city council. Councilman
Won Pein discussed the matter with
the auditor this morning. Won Pein is
chairman of the committee which is
framing the code with the committee
from the Commercial club.
Mr. Bowman explained that last year
! it was necessary for the assessors TO
do considerable work to detect build
ings being constructed by persons who
had not procured building permits and
were thus escaping taxes unless
caught by the assessors. This should
not be the duty of the assessors, Mr..
Bowman believes. 1t is a violation of
the law to construct building without
a permit. Last year $27,500 was caught
by one assessor which various build
ers in Richmond alone had failed to
turn in to the assessors.
SOuuCliuldu tOu CHI DcESNSS Tue
building code will be one of the best
ordinances presented to council when
the ordinance committee from the city
council and Charles w. Jordan and w.
X. Bradbury Of the Commercial club
have completed it. 1t was drawn up
and presented to the council two years
ago but because in it's condition at
that time the council believed it would
work hardship on the poor man who
wanted to build a house.
Inspect Buildings.
One of the features of the code is
that it provides for an inspector who
is competent to inspect all buildings
and will enforce the law.
THE price of the building permits
will be raised said the councilman.
"They will not be very high but will
be large enough so that the salary Of
the inspector can be procured from
she difference of the price at present
and the price of the permit after the
ordinance has been passed by council
The salary of the inspector will be
from $1,000 to $1,000.
THE cost of the permits will not be
uniform but will be regulated in pro-
portion to the value of the building
constructed. and the amount of work
the inspector will be put to to take
care of it.
Assist Department.
Another feature of the code will be
the assistance rendered the fire de-
partment. Buildings which would be
unsafe will not be constructed accord
ing to the code. Shingle roofs will
probably be tabooed. For the past year
more than fifty per cent of the fires in
the city have been caused by sparks
dropping on dry shingles. Chief Miller
says. A law providing that all shingle
roofs on buildings in the fire limits to
be removed has been partially enforc-
ed. 1t is probable that many other
clauses will be placed in the code to
prevent conflagrations.
One of the duties of the inspector
will be to inspect all house wiring
which Is now being done partially by
employees of the city light plant. Supt.
Johnson informed members Of the
board of works that this should be one
of the duties of the inspector as
when the light plant employe does the
work the people are angered if the
wiring is condemned and transfer their
patronage from the municipal light
plant to the Light, Heat and Power
company.