New-York tribune., 1914-11-22
TO DISCUSS new
BUILDING DEPT.
State Factory Commission
Will Begin Hearings
Tomorrow.
THE SCHEME WOULD
JOIN MANY BUREAUS
Proposition Intended to Put an
End TO Over-lnSpection
of Structures.

The tentative plan proposed by the
New York State Factory Investigating
Commission FOR the creation Of a new
department Of buildings in the city will
be one Of the topics Of discussion al
he meeting Of the commission TO De
held tomorrow in the room Of Trial
Term, Part Il, Of the Supreme Court.
The room is on the second floor Of the
County Court House, in City Hall Park
The meeting will open at 10;SO o'clock
sharp.
This subject has been thoroughly dis
cusSed by nearly all the leading real
estate organizations, many prominent
local civic bodies. and the New York
Chapter Of the American Institute of
Architects. All favor a change so that
over-inspection Of buildings Will cease
and the city will be saved many thou
sand dollars yearly Papers containing
the views Of some of the organizations
on the plan for a new building depart
ment Will be presented 20 the commls-
sion.
The proposal Of the State Factory
Investigating Commission, If II is made
into law, will provide that there shall
be transferred TO this new department
Of buildings the jurisdiction now eNer-
cised by different city and state depart
ments. as follows:
State Department Of Labor-ln so far
as it relates 20 the construction and
iteration of factory buildings and mer-
camille establishments and any struct-
ural changes therein.
Health Department OF New York City
In so far as 10 relates 20 structural
changes in bakeries and food product
manufactures.
Department Of Water Supply, Gas
and Electricity-ln so far as It relates
20 the inspection or electrical wiring
and equipment OF buildings
This proposed plan concentrates in
cne department control over all matters
relating 20 the construction Of new
buildings and alterations Of existing
buildings. and does away with needless
multiplicity Of inspections so far as the
maintenance of those buildings is con-
cerned." SAYS the commission.
1T covers ali buildings and industrial
Establishments, including factories.
mercantile establishments, tenement
houses. etc. Plans for construction and
alteration of buildings need be filed
with this department only. The sepa-
rate building bureaus for each borough
are to be consolidated into this one de-
partment 20 cover the entire city"
This plan is tentative merely. and
has not been approved by the commits
sion. Il is issued solely for criticism
and suggestion from those interested.
On Tuesday there VIII be hearing
on the administration of the labor law.
Discussion OF the necessary changes IN
the recodifcation Of the labor law will
be the chief topic Of the proceedings.
The commission viii hold on Tues
day. December 1 and Wednesday, De
cember .. preliminary hearings on the
wage problem. On December l, Howard
B. Woolston. director Of wage lnvestl-
cation, will tell the commission about
Wages and Working Conditions lu
Department stores and in the Candy
Manufacturing, Paper Box and shirt
Making Industries: /. A. Wilson will
discuss "The Value OF Vocational
Training and Its Relationship to
Wages; Mrs. Wesley T. OLeary, "The
Opportunities for Vocational Education
in Department Store Work.; Robert
Leonard. Vocational Education in the
Paper Box Industry" and Wesley T.
OT.earv, "The Relationship Between
Industrial Training and Wages"
On December the speakers and their
subjects will be: Esther Packard,
"How Working Girls Live on Sc a
Week; Mary Van Klceck. wages and
Working Conditions in the Millinery
Trade; Roswell Skeel, jr., "WaEes in
the Button Industry. Living COudl-
tions of. Workers Investigator; Marie
). Orensteiu, Living Conditions OF
Working Women and Girls in Indus
tries Investigated in New York City
and Irene Osgood Andrews. THE Rela-
tionship Between Irregularity of En-
ployment and Living Wage for
Women"
All persons interested are invited 10
attend the hearings. Employers in the
..Gustries investigated are requested to
uIcsent.
be commission comprises Lieuten-
a., Governor Robert F. Wagner, chair
man, Alfred L. Smith, vice-chairman
Edward D. Jackson, Samuel Gompers
Mary Z. Dreier, Charles VI Hamilton
Cyrus ". Phillips, Simon Brentano
Laurence VI. d. Mcclure. Abram
Elkus, chief counsel; Bernard l.
Shientag assistant counsel; Howard
3. Woolston, director Of wage investi.
cation; Albert II. y. Baron. assistant
director, and Frank A. Tierncy, secre-
tsry.