New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-11
BY the Advisory Council of Real
Estate Interests.

Estate Interests.
With the adjournment of the Board
of Aldermen there has been tempo"
rarily discontinued legislative pro-
gramme which is unique in the annals
of building and real estate develop
ment. For the last decade the city au-
thorities have tried unsuccessfully to
revise the Building Code, with the aid
of various commissions. The proyi-
sions of the old Building Code have in
many instances been archaic, while
the entire code has become obsolete in
many respects. Possibly the principal
reason for the inability to draft a
proper Building Code was that as es n
tentative draft was prepared 1t en-
countered so much opposition that
when the entire code was completed
for passage it was defeated in the
Board of Aldermen. However, the
present Board Of Aldermen devised a
singular method for preparing the
present code by revising it chapter by
chapter, after consulting the various
interests concerned.
In this regard the Board of Alder
men has had the able and valuable
assistance of Rudolph p. Miller, for
mer Superintendent of Buildings, who
has been assigned 70 the work OF pre-
pairing a new Building Code After MIR.
Miller had prep-red preliminary drafts
they were published for general dis
cussion and criticism. so that the pro-
visions might be fair and reasonable
10 property interests. However, the
safety Of the general public hes always
been the primary consideration. The
vital significance to real estate inter-
ests of this revision was recognized by
the Advisory Council of Real Estate
Interests. Heretofore property owners
have permitted laws 20 be enacted
without Analysing them or endeavorlng
TO have them revised so that suDSe
quent burdens would not be imposed
upon taxpayers in general The result
has been that little criticism of or OBJ
lection 70 the laws affecting real estate
have been raised until after they were
on the statute books. Thus protests
against oppressive legislation have
been too late and frequently fItiie.
In ord,r that the Building Code
should therefore be framed so as TO be
equitable TO real estate interests, a
special Building Code committee was
formed by the Advisory Council. con-
siSting of recognized technical authori
ties. This committee 5 composed or
an engineer an architect and a builder,
so as TO be representative of the va
rious technical details incorporated in
the code Henry W. Hodge, of the
firm Of Boiler, Hodge & Baird, is the
chairman and engineer. Julius FRANKIE,
of the firm Of Maynicke g. FRANKIE, is
the architect upon the committee, and
Otto ". Edit, of the firm Of Mark
Edit d Son. is the builder. These
men have been IN constant consultation
with Rudolph p. Miller and have fol-
lowed i'm detail the preliminary and the
final drafts of the code. Thus, real
estate interests have been assured that
the best technical advice has been pre-
scented TO the Board of Aldermen in
their behalf
In so far as possible, the recommen-
dations Of the Building Code commit
tee of the Advisory Council have been
followed i'm the preparation of the va
rious drafts. Sixteen sections out Of
the thirty-two sections have already
been passed this year. The remainder
will be considered by the Board Of Al
dermen next year. The most important
of the proposed rCylsIOns relate TO the
Limitation Of the heights of buildings,
the problem or Ilght ana ventilation
and the need for safety devices on ele-
vators With the preliminary work
that has been done, three fourths of
the real labor of revision has been fin
ished. The ordinances that have so far
been adopted in revised form, with the
principal changes in the same, are as
follows:
Article ., on materials Of construc-
ton. governs the strength, weight and
quality of materials The specifications
for each material are brief and ex-
pressed in plain language. Wrought
IRON is not provided for, as it is no
longer manufactured for structural
purposes, but second-hand shapes Of
this material are permitted when in
good condition. The article provides
for tests under the direction Of the
Superintendent Of Buildings for new
materials or materials not provided for
specifically in the chapter. For several