The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-08
Offices of Building Inspec- tor and Plumbing Inspec- tor to Be Parts of Engi-
 neering Department
HEAD OF MATTHEWS FAILS TO FALL AS HAD
 BEEN SC EDUL ED
Departments Will Be Operated by Chief Clerks Under Julian Ken drick-May Employ Either
 Matthews or Eckerle if
 He So Desires

Consolidation of the offices of building inspector plumbing inspector and city engineer yesterday was decided upon by the board of city commissioners.
 Julian Kendrick, at present city engi- neer, will be in direct charge of the com .bined departments. The services of Plumbing Inspector Charles Eckerle and Building Inspector w. o. Matthews will be dispensed with.
 MT. Matthews, who for the past few weeks has been much in the public eye. is not to be dismissed on account of his alleged responsibility for the Steele Smith wall disaster. In answer to questions of reporter. both Judge Lane and commis- sioner Ward stated they could see no ob- jection if MT. kendrick should decide to name MT. Matthews assistant building n- spector, to have active charge of the of- flee under MT Hendricks supervision.
 Commissioner Weatherly stated he would vote against such a selection by Mir Kendrick
 MT. Kendrick will have assistants or chief clerks who will be in active charge of both departments but he will be in di- rect supervision of and responsible for their conduct of official affairs. It is gen. erally understood, however, that both MT. Eckerle and MT. Matthews will not seek these positions.
 That the consolidation of the depart ments and consequent increase in the au- thorty and responsibility of the city en- gineer will be reasonably satisfactory is the hope expressed in the formal state ment issued by the commission. May Restore Hendricks Salary MT. Hendricks salary which formerly was $50oo but in the last retrenehment of 1 the commission was cut along with other city officials to s42OO, may be raised back to 5000. This has not been done, but MT. i Weatherly said it was possible and would probably be discussed in the near future. 1 The salaries of building inspector and plumbing inspector, which were $l50 peI month each. will, Of course, be eliminated 1 The commissioners have not yet dis cussed the question, but when quered i they admitted that logically the consoli- dation of the street department and the 1 city electricians department with the l other three would follow. They stated that after observation as to how the present consolidation worked they probaly would
 take up the question of bringing the re-
 maining two departments under the city engineers supervision also.
 1 Mr. Matthews has been building inspec- l tor for many years and has been regarded | as an efficient and able official. Since tht | Steele-Smith wall disaster he has beer
 much in the public eye some claiming he | was responsible and others just as ear nestly contending he was not. l MT. EclSerle has been with the city nearly 10 years. He has been contemplat I ing resigning for sometime, it is stated | but did not desire to do so under fire l and was waiting for the plumbing contro versy to clear up. The consolidation oi | his office under the supervision of the cit, | engineer, however, affords him the oppor
 tunity.
 Commissions Statement | It is stated that both men will relinquist
 their official duties about May 30 and thu | new order of things go into effect June l The official statement of the matter | drawn up by Judge Lane. but passed or by the other two commissioners and is | sued as the official statement of the board is as follows:
 "The city commissioners held a con | ference this afternoon to consider va rious views that have been produced
 before the commission in reference [, the building inspector, plumbing in spector and the new plumbing law | which has been in effect since aboI | February 1.
 After due consideration and consul
 tation the members of the commission
 reached the conclusion that it woul,
 be best for all concerned to place tn
 offices of building and plumb ing inspector under the supervision o
 the city engineer. The commissioner
 reached the conclusion that by doin.
 this considerable saving and expens
 will be accomplished since it may b worked out that instead of havin.
 separatr clerks for the several depart ments nanfed above it may be possibl to dispense with several men and a
 the same time it may be possible tha arrangements can be effected so tina
 one permit and one fec may be col : lected instead of two or more, as a present.
 "The complaint has also been mad as to expense of building and plumb
 Ing laws and it is the desire of tn commission that these laws be so su
 (Continued on page Eleven)