The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-20

One Of the greatest drawbacks to real
eetate ownership is likely 10 be removed
soon as the result Of agreement by
Mayor Mitchell. the Borough Presidents
and other Members Of the Board oil
Estimate and representatives OF real
estate and business organizations on a
form Of q bill intended to consolidate
the inspection functions OF city and
state departments which have to do
with building construction. alteration
and structural changes. Ever since a
aumber Of girls lost their lives In a local
factory fre several years ago various
boards and commissions have been
created In addition to already authorized
authority TO inspect buildings for n
purpose or another. until at this time no
less thar eight independent authorities
make INSPECTIONS. their jurisdiction not
clearly defined and their powers fire.
Quently overlapping
The bureaus Of building In the various
borouehs have been all along the legal
authority over buildings In New York
city, but tn. Tenement House Depart
ment reserved under the law authority
over the state Labor De-
partment and the Fire Department held
power TO inspect and order necessary
changes In factories, the Fire Depart
ment and the Department of Licenses
have authority 20 inspect aud make
rulings in regard to theatres and other
buildings OF u semi-public nature the
Department Of Health can by law In
spect and order structural changes In
any building where such changes ma
seem necessary. The Police Department
inspects boilers. and the Borough Presi-
dents have jurisdiction over sidewalks
and vaults.
Under such divided authority. with
eoIne departments making rules which
frequently clasled with rules Of other
departments. builders found complain -
',tth all orders impossible and owners Of
buildings frequently have been put 70 IL
20 prevent their tenants being driven
GU, and their buildings smut up. II was
.his condition that brought abou: the
formation Of The conference committee
OF real estate and commercial orsaniza-
lions for consolidating various depart
ments now having jul, sdict!ou oNer
buildings ~ New YORK ny, o' Nhic.
Alfred r. kirkus is chairman. a sub.
committee cf this Organization consist
ing OF Nj kGNus. Laurence Mcclure.
president 81 the Real Estate Board, ana
George W ONauy. s1ursei, nave worked
for two months with th- MAYOR, MEM
hers Of the Board OF Estimate. Fire Com
missioner .AdaLson anG others TO and a
SAdA "a ''HsNhsNA $500 - N"'N "
ceeded after mos, persistent appli alton
"a the problem through almost daily
conferences. but only after compromises
were reacted on demands which ON
uletely upset all former attempts at in
0pection consolidation.
Speaking Tor his committee Mi k.rkus
said yesterday that il was aup-d IN the
hrst instance TO consolidate under one
department all Inspection functions o.:
al ,ss.. 80 49, .A.aY 80 ,,,s- lac ,1..
complete consolida tion was seen to be
impossible after the iirst conference with
the Mayor. That conference. was held
IN response TO an invitation from Mr..
Mitchell. who. through an investigation by
Commissioner Adarn>ou. wts Convinced
Of the necessity ;cr consolidation. At
that meeting the Mayor said that he
favored consolidation under borough au-
'hor.tv because he felt that u central
city department having jurisdiction over
~ iu'SNg construction was "A political
impossibiiity A. this time and that rather
than stand m the way o. a much needed
betterm.Ut he would work iur the Dor
ough plan. That settled tn. matter OF
iur'sd!c'iou.
The Mayor. however, agreed TO ia.
borough plan only on condition that IN
Spect.on of buildings after ,omplet OF.
Cor TIE purpos. OF protecting lie n
pEDDclN. pt u'i'btN'N W Alt ~ lf-
partment. This met with the approval
OF the conference and mas been made a
feature OF tn. proposed Law
At that meeting those Interested a.
tenement house betterm"ut, represented
by Robert W be Fore and Alfred r.
Waite. declared thems.lN,- uIaTrribiy
opposed to n plan for consolidation
that contemplated any change ~Hats"-
ever in the powers. jurisd ct'on or scope
" 49, 1rn.f IlAtsE Nm nat,
They declared az urgent necessity
existed FOR consolidation ~ most IN
spectlng departments and SAIL that tn"y
would work for sUch consolidation II u
dii mot inclrde the Tenement House De
partment. They even promised a closer
working between the build nc bureaus
and the Tenement HOUSE Department
but they declared that the absorption 81
that department into a genera INSPECT.
ing department would be a step back
ward toward old time tenement con-
ditions and that they could not counte-
nance II. The result was that the Tene-
ment House Department Wa left out az
the plan Of consolidation.
When other angles of thu c5n~blida
ton problem were studied reasons were
found FOR leaving Other minor inSpec'
lions where they now are. For instance
the inadVisability was seen -: takinl
from tHt Il'tiAI ! h''4'' ''Fl' 'N'i
Of properties whore sanitary conditions
are not right. Because experts IN IA,
Fire Department are best qualified 4
pass Judgment on plans for buildings
mean, for conbustib,e storaec. !nsp"C'
tion .. such structures was left I'm tn,
Fire Department as also was the 'nspec'
ton Of FIRE e~xtineuish!ne apparatus. II
also was decided to transfer from the
Health Department TO IN" Tencmet.
House Department the duty or inspect
ing bakeries in tenement houses, In
spect.ion OF piping and wiring for ga
ana electricity was left with the Depart
ment of Water supply. Gas and Elec'
tricity. That department has largel,
relied on inspections OF the board %
Sre underwriters without which no build
ing can oa insured, and II was thouIh
unnecessary FOR the city 10 go t" fur
Their expense for independent inspection
when the underwriters do IL without COS
10 the city.
Having agreed OF these modification.
Of the original plan of universal con