South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-16
WANT EFFECTIVE
CODE BUT NOT A
BURDENSOME ONE
Joint Meeting Of Mayor Keller
With Boards, Council and
Chamber of Commerce Com
mittee Brings Understanding

ing regulations, effective but not bur
densome. would seem a virtual Ger
IL snty for South Bend, the result Of
a Joint meeting OF Mayor Keller. the
board. OF safety. board OF works ana
common council, held at the city hall
Thursday night with the active mem
bers OF the Cham Der OF Commerce
code drafting committee addenda.
Members Of the council and boards
were ali present with the exception
OF :councilmen BuecEner and GOebel
and JOAN A Hibberd Of the board OF
safety.
The Chamber Of Commerce com
mittee, IN consequence. is directed to
20 ahead. continuing work on the
ordinance already well under way.
pending the introduction and passage
0f a directive ordinance at the next
meeting OF the council. with a suit
able appropriation TO cover the sz-
pense, estimated not TO exceed $500.
Not an official. committeeman. or
citizen present, but spoke in favor OF
a building code; one, as Christopher
Fsssnacht OF the code committee put
II. shat win be effective but not bur-
densomer, and that was the line
which the committee was henceforth
left TO follow.
her OF Commerce consists Of T.. r.
Austin, chairman; T.. w. Young, H.
-. Christman and Mr.. Fassnacht, with
J. w Shidler. ROLAND Adelsperger.
George w. Freyermuth. William
Happ. Crawford Staples. John Noun
tain and former City Atty. /. s. RO-
mig, advisory. Mr. Romig being on
the committee on account of his Off
cisl position. II was suggested that
City Atty. Seebirt act IN his predeces-
sOr'S stead
Mayor Positive for Ordinance.
Mayor Keller having suggested the
meeting. explained the purpose. call
ing attention to the recent Michigan
ST. affair. and urging those present to
get together on some line of action
that would prevent repetition.
Burr I. Augustine. president OF the
board Of safety, was elected chair
man. and T.. M. Norris, president OF
the board OF works. secretary. Chair
man Austin OF the Chamber Of Com
merce committee outlined the scope
10 which "a building ordinance
ought to go, and reviewed the work
that had already been done, and the
meeting was on.
I'VE must make our ordinance eff
fective without its being oppressive"
said Committeeman Fassnacht, elab-
Grating upon Chairman Austin's re-
marks. and Committeeman Young
added the need OF revision Of the
local plumbing ordinance, in order 10
carry out such a program. He sug-
gested that the revision might be in
corporated into the building code.
The present law" he declared, must
have been framed by plumbers. 1t
is all in their favor, calling in many
cases for a lot Of pipe. that IS
burden to the poor man, yet abso-
lutely useless"
Mayor Keller suggested that the
committee. being acquainted with
building construction. two Of them
being architects and two contractors,
ought on account OF their technical
knowledge, be retained and directed
10 90 ahead with their work with the
understanding that the council will
take care OF them as soon as the
routine of their meetings will permit.
Directive Ordinance Needed.
That a directive ordinance would be
necessary. carrying with it the desired
appropriation, vesting legal power TO
contract with the committee for its
work was pointed out by City Atty.
Seebirt. After listening to various
speakers. Members Rice and Weber of
me board OF works. Augustine and
SmogOr OF the board OF safety. the
mayor. committeeman, and with
them. Nelson IT. Kyser. deputy state
factory Inspector; the councilmen,
one by one. Lang. Hagerty. VOTERS
ThOmpscu. SmOgoT. Miller, Hagey and
Scifert, expressed themselves favor
able TO a proper ordinance, and prom
ised 10 come across with the neces-
sary appropriation for whipping one
into shape.
You should take great care" said
Deputy Factory Inspector Kyser. lin
The framing OF such an ordinance or
YOU VIII be counting a lot OF trouble.
Y on must keep il in accord with the
state housing law, the factory codes
OF the state. theatrical requirements,
and a number OF things. a poor
building code is like bundle OF rat
tlesnakeS" He furnished the commit
tee with a number of ordinances on
the Inject. in operation here in the
state, notable In indianapolis Terre
Eaute. TT. Wayne and Hammond.
Whether the execution Of the code.
when IL becomes "a law, should come
Under the Jurisdiction OF the board
of works or the board OF safety, was
discussed 20 some extent but Eo con-
Ciusion reached. In Indianapolis the
board OF works has charge of the
building business: in Terre Haute and
1T. wayne. the board Of safety. Some
inquiry was also made as 10 what
would be the cost Of q building in
spector. necessary 20 the effective exc
Cution OF a building code. and the
answer varied from $4,000 "a year i'm
Indianapolis. down 20 $500 in Terre
Haute.
FavOrS the Fee system.
Most Of those present. all who
spoke on the subject. in fact favor
the permit fee system. as a means OF
Gefray.ng the expense OF the inspec-
tor Tn this way the builder pays the
bill: rot TO the Inspector however
with additions 10 carry favoritism, but
10 the city when the permit 60 build
is secured IN Indianapolis the fee
graduates at the rate Of one cent per
hundred cubic feet-which would
have made the fee for construction
OF the J. NJ s building $50. and the
new high school about $500.
The city is in the transitional
building stage. said Rice. member Of
the board OF works. THE old South
BEND is disappearing. IL "A structural
sense; II Is remodeling. and rebuild
ing. as never before In its history
We cannot be too careful IN building
for tho public safety"
The Michigan 81. collapse could
not have happened at any time. Il
years earlier. or IS years later with
out doing much greater damage In