New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-13
FOR FIVE new
BUREAUS, NOT on
Under Plan Each Borousb
Would Have Control of
Its Own Structures. &.
By CYRUS C. MILLER. former p,...
dent Of the Borough Of The Bronx

By CYRUS C. MILLER, former Pr.
dent Of the Borough Of The Bronx
The plan submitted BY the Nee ~.
state Factory Investigating Commi.
sion to remedy the present syStes. J,
inspection Of buildings in Neu W
City BY different city and state dsrs.i
ments has many excellent feafoy,,
This plan adopts the suggestionr y
various persons during the last a..
years for the consolidation OF tha ~
Gus departments and bureaus 800.
TO do with the construction, alter,f;a..
and maintenance of buildings. "A -.
poses 10 create new department N.
the City of New York, 20 be known =,
the Department Of Buildings, the ~
Of which shall be the Commissioner u
Buildings, who shall be appointed \,
the Mayor. The jurisdiction OF M,
department shall extend over tbs
] tire city. IT is proposed that ths M
1 partment Of Buildings shall have 81.
Jurisdiction over the construction ~
alteration of all buildings and -
structural changes therein. Jurisdesl<.
over matters relating also 70 the oFoo
er maintenance Of these buildings ~
be concentrated in this new deper.
4 ment, 50 far as practicable This vSB
involve the consolidation Of the foiloC.
ing named departments and butesb,
and the transfer Of their entire M.
diction to the proposed Department n
Buildings:
First-The Bureau Of Buildings q
! each borough.
Second-The Tenement House D..
partment.
: Third-The Bureau Of Fire Prsy,,.
ton of the Fire Department.
Fourth--The Bureau Of Police n.
spection Of the Police Department
Fiftb--The State Department Of Il
Dor, in so far as it relates 70 the Ca.
struction and alteration Of faetorv
J buildings and mercantile estabsk.
ments and any structural changes
therein.
Sixth The Health Department Of Ae
City of New York, in 80 lar as il n
lates to changes 10 bakeries and Fed
product manufacture.
Seventh The Department Of Watt,
Supply, Gas and Electricity ia 80 a,
as it relates to inspection VI electrical
wiring and equipment OF bu!ldngA
In so far as the proposed plan con.
centrates in one department eontrol
over all matters relating TO the con
! struction of new buildings and altera.
tions of existing buildings and tie
maintenance Of both and does away
with needless multiplicity Of inspee.
ton, it is an excellent plan, but when
il proposes TO abolish the separate
building bureau in each borough abi
to consolidate them into one depart
ment to cover the entire city I think
/ the plan is reactiOuary,
Military men recognize that when a.
army becomes too large 20 handle as
unit it must be divided into corps The
I trainers of our charter realized thai
/ the city machinery was IN daugeF u
/ breaking down by its oHH weight IRON
decentralization. 50 the city vas Ii.
/ vided into bOroughs, and much Of the
I local business was given over to the
/ borough administration, winch was a.
{ rectly responsible 10 the people OF tne
borough. The building business Of tie
/ City of New York is too large and .oo
important to be handled By one O6a
/ end By one commissioner. Eyes'H
there was a single department and I
single head, il would be necessary 2
have local officer IN every bOrcugA
[ in charge of deputy. Building Is PEI
/ haps the most important local basr
ress. In every borough the best class
/ Of man should be chosen for building
/ D. NHHHss
sible when the bureau representatlyt
Of the department is only q deputy
/ Such deputies do not nave the autnoi;
/ ity to grant notifications or make ~
usual rulings, so that the builder r,
curing such action must ~ 70 ue
! Commissioner.
Why should a borough so Large and
! important IS Brooklyn or The broni
have simply a deputy sUperlnteRce1
to enforce the laws governing lts mos
! important industry? Why shoule :
builder who seeks a ruling someghai
out Of the usual be called upon Y
spend his tine IN going to me eenu4
Office in Manhattan 90 consult . Con-
missioner? What chance has . DULY.
TO have his business disposed Of Dy =.
/ Commissioner when Builders rom ~
over the city are clamoring Tor ~
same thing? The plan Is lncemocrane
1t removes the people In locality
from immediate contact Win nc ~
fetal who has their business n ehns'
! and who is responsible for ~
/ No expense TO the city viii % avs
because an office and deputy ana
Z Il E..s % 4 i
sary in every borough as tney gre w M
Their aggregate salaries Will di1g w
tie, if at all, from those now paiG, W.
the expense to builders and archiIece
in time in travelling from outlying ~
oughs to the central Office, wnen i
! necessary to do so, will be great.
It makes another administering y.
partment to add TO the responsloing
of our already overburdened mayoh
Perhaps the citizens OF New l0lN
not realize the terrible burdens uns9
which our Mayors struggle. ne se%
ton of another department Is ~
! in the wrong direction. nhot.H1
ings may be secured 10 the olis.
boroughs BY constituting q boaia 80
posed of the borough superh'eSusI
of buildings for the adoption o. ~
from rulings. IL necessary nlens.
of the Board OF Estimate and Nv
tionment can be authorized 70 ao
chairman Of the board. -
! am well aware that the tendency
the time is toward Capitalization =,
ministration in tho City or New ~.
but | believe that the tarSeeihg 49,
of the men who prepared the ~
and divided the city into boroughs,h,s,
ognized the fact that. while ce eisns.s
ton theoretically is efficient, y lslsz
likely, practically, TO be quite t .n - 80
trary. We must depend upon the 3.
pie of the localities and place ~
weight on the periphery OF our NJ
government and less on the c.I ~.
This will be more necessary as tl ae ~
ouehs continue 10 grow iarge.s5 .sr
larger. believe in the consoIia9 :. NJ
of the departments aud bureaus = III
Buildings Department as PROPOSED II
the control to be in the Su9efill'ss.ss,