The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-02
INSPECTOR BUTLE
IS READY To A|Q
C|TYS PR0GRES
Declares He Will Show Thai
He Is Capable of Filling
His New Office
SEES NO NEED OF
MAKING CHANGE
Will Have Welcome for AL
at City Hall Who Come
Upon Department
Business

Sworn in IS building inspector d
the city of Richmond, John Z. Butts
is quite confident that he is capab31
of filling the job. Cheerful and coISl
fident he is ready to take up his MS
duties
II feel satisfied that I am able q
handle the business of the Office a
building Inspector" says MFR. Butl1S1
code. At least / learned that fro15
Inspector Beck, when was in h
office, and / believe that he was ri9h
A man who follows out the xtrt
rules of his office, or the rules whff
may be laid down for him, may carl
out the letter of the law or wfatsv
1t may be. But there are times VIII
mans own common sense must
exercised
Laws and ordinances, too, are 81
tic. II the ordinances OF the city w6I
carried out to the letter, nearly evM7
man in town would be, or would I'M
been, before the Police court.
The Building Code. 81
My conception of the building CO
is that 1t should be carried out,s
far as it is consistent with the cot
dition of things. at the time any pGl33
ticular question may arise. knU43
when I was deputy. that there W.
times when the strict letter OF m
law could not possibly be carried 0e
without doing injustice to some 01{1
Il recall one instance. The c..
says you have to erect buildings IT,
many feet apart. There was one ~
stance in which n building. framed,
that. was bttiit- teo close to the 90
Al H.. - 49,
but the man who lived next door, -
wanted TO sleep in the mornings. a5
was awakened by the hammerfn9 RI
the carpenters next door. He got m4
and upon looking into the matter ~
that the new house was two feet N1I1
Of wnaek according 10 the buffd1n
code. But he did not kick officia1k
to the inspector. and if he had 4
likely that the inspector would hax(
reasoned with him.
Another thing wish to say III thin
My offics will always be open to I'm
people No matter what hour OF tl
day a man wishes to visit the oflc(
he can find someone there. and ar
the door open. He will always IN
received with courtesy and with tly|
respect due every citizen who may 0N9
sire to transact business With tl[
building inspector.
VIII Get Hearing.
IT can further say that every nanl
in the office will always he ready n
welcome any one, no matter what mi
be his mission, and he will alwA14
tie accorded hearing upon any rnoM
ter which may be pertinent TO tA1
duties of the officials connected VII
the office. ssS
49,
so far as I know, and I think Mx
conversant VIII their work. has d.
much toward helping the Office to NM
come the factor which 1t Is new
the city This force. so far as i It.
say now. will continue to exert
usefulness.
While the Architects assocfat3G
did not endorse me for the oflaceS8
have no feeling in the matter. MM
uraliy, they were expected to
dorse one of their own professions
feel sorry for the position which
Wright found himself in. ] think
Wright would make a good man
the office. / am sorry ne resigneds
would like to have had him with G
There are a number of things wh5(
I am sure he could have helped M
out on. I only hope that he n{@
have a lot of plans and blue Prints
submit to the office. will try
show him that he would be 204z
man for the place. I have aiWQ4
said SO. and still believe so.
He Feels Sorry.
.'T feel sorry that he left the OflleN
we may need a practical architenesa
think that I shall have to gets4
ayekattset 30. .canlsa into, the qf1cA.
Trouble isa. th;ss the agefs itses $500
make so much more outside IN H.
practice of their profession. that
would be hard TO get an architecf l.
take the place OF deputy. Win
salary the ONCE itself is paytn9a
can hardly see how any archik4
could give up his practice to so tns
II.
Anyhow. the office will be run
strictly business principles from M%
on. Any one who comes into the
Ace during office hours may exeN
TO be received as he should Be-
ceived. The doors will never De I@
ed. When they are locked there
be no one I'm the office, As lon0
there Is any one In the ones.
doors will be opened.
I'VE will be opened during the ~
hours any other Office In ths
hall Is. And II there may be
who wish TO transact business
the city after these hours. and
be found. will be glad to ao0
modate. ~
with the resignation at
Wright, there Is a vacancy in
ONCE force. This vacancy has
been filled. shall go slow.
men In the Office who expect ~
the city. do not want political
ers or ward politicians. Thee
work In the once Of buildtN&
spector as long a. have anytN1
do with It, must be capable n11
men who do not try TO eoex
masters.
Too Much Politics
There has heen too mue1A
ward politics. During the
for the administrative haaS m
was a lot OF II shown.
wanted one sickok eIaeto1 III
faction wanted tho cthee, 6
nix-un. Il course. sna t1an