Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-22
SANITARY ENGINEER
FAVORED AS CHIEF
OF HOUSING SYSTEM
Social Agencies Will Urge
Appointment Of Expert
Under the Bill Recently
Passed and Awaiting the
Governors Signature.

The appointment Of sanitary engi
neer with comprehensive knowledge
OF housing conditions in Philadelphia, is
favored by social agencies as head Of the
new Division OF Housing and Sanitation
should Governor Brumbaugh sign tho
compromise housing bill. which was
passed by the Legislature May 10. The
bill is now before the Governor. lie has
30 days In which to sign the bill
The Division of Housing and Sanitation
will be under the jurisdiction of the De-
partnent Of Health and Charities The
old Division Of Sanitation will be abol-
iBhed. The head OF the present Division
OF Sanitation Is James r. McCrudden. His
salary Is $1,000 year
He Is a relative by marriage to Chair
man John p. Connolly. of Councils
Finance Committee. Another bureau
which will be abolished is that of the
Division of Tenements, OF which Arthur
Il. Buchhoz is the head. Buchholz is a
son of Select Councilman Edouard Buch-
holz, OF the 10Th Ward
Both McCrudden and Buchholz are Or
ganizatioh men. Just what positions they
will be transferred to after their depart |
ments have been abolished is not known. |
After the new Division of Housing and |
Sanitation has been formed 1t will be |
necessary for Director Zlegler to 20 be-
fore Councils to ask for appropriations
with which to operate that department
Political reports today had It that some
OF the obstructionists In Councils may
again show their hand when Director
ziegler makes n request for appropria-
tionR. II is said that requests for appro-
priations may be met with refusals un-
less the Organization can be assured that
Buchholz and McCrudden will be looked
after.
The chief feature of the compromise
housing bill. according to members of the
philadelphia Housing Commission and So
ctal agencies Interested In housing condl-
tions, especially In the South Philadelphia
section. Is that the city Ia permitted to
send inspectors to nsanitary dwellings be-
tween the hours of o'clock in the morn
ing and o'clock in the evening
Under the "toothless" Gransback bill,
which the Organization tried to jam
through the last Legislature, no such
provision was made. For years II has
been the custom for owners of tenements
in different parts Of the city to refuse '
admission to housing experts and inves-
tigators employed by private bodies to [
their houses. Under the present law Just s
passed by the Legislature any person +
who attempts to prevent an inspector to
enter tenement for the purpose of | r
HhdhilB an HNeStlEatlOn can ne arrested n
and be prosecuted for misdemeanor /,
Advocates of better housing expressed
the opinion today that many improve
ments in housing conditions will take ii
place in Philadelphia before end of this c.
year. Some of the provisions in the IL
present bill as passed call upon D.
landlords not to overcrowd their dwell a
ngs to eliminate. fowl from houses, not u
10 manufacture things in tenements, and y
llso give the city the right to order d
landlords to make certain repairs ci
Bernard ]. Newman. executive secre-
tary of the Philadelphia Housing Com Of
mission today made the following state u
ment W
The present housing bill is better than fl
he toothless" Gransback measure. I III
eel confident that many improvements m
Will follow as soon as Governor Brum.
augh signs the measure The bill is er
ow before the Governor. He has 20 days hs
? which to sign the measure which has of
ready been passed by the Legislature" fu
Many new inspectors will be added to IN
ie new Division of Housing and Santa tr
on after 1t has been created. None of Ao
ne appointments as yet have been an =
ounced.