The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-01-04
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1917.
Municipal Building Regulation.

Kenosha has a new municipal depart
ment. Up in the City Hall now there
is full fedged department to regulate
the construction Of buildings in the
city. The building inspector, the
plumbing inspector and he also is the
electrical inspector-are on the job
and the new department with the
proper cooperation from the people OF
the city should be made one Of greatest
value to the man who builds houses
and the man who lives in them. 1t is
not a movement which promises to
make any great addition in the city
funds. In fact, the officials will be
pretty well satisfied if the funds re-
ceived for building permits and inspec-
tions are sufficient to pay the cost OF
maintaining the department. Ever
since the days Of old Southport, build
ings have gone up here without any
idea Of modern ideas Of inspection.
Efforts have been made to secure such
inspection for more than decade, but
always some one thought that the city
was getting "nosey" and poking its
nose into the business Of the private
individual. There is no reason for
people to get the wrong idea of the
building department of the city. 1t is
not it's purpose to add expense to build
ing, but to make building more safe.
The man who spends his savings to
build home is entitled to get the
greatest possible return for his money;
ne is entitled to have home which
will be more than a house.
There are certain things which go to
make up modern home comfort and
modern home sanitation. They are
vital things in building. 1t is these
things that the new building depart
ment Of the city is going to insist on
The small fee that is going to be charg
ed for building permit is small
amount to pay for the insurance Of q
home rather than house Taking
death traps out of buildings is going to
be one of the functions of the new
department. 1T is going to see that
buildings erected for the use Of the
public are made safe. 1t may make ex-
cursions into the realm of economy
and insist that certain unsafe build
ing materials be eliminated. It may
be able to show some builders the
falsity of what he believed is economy.
Some times few dollars saved means
q lot of dollars lost in the paying of
larger insurance rates.
1t is just possible that the building
department. can save for Kenosha
builders a lot more than they pay for
permits, Electric wiring in Kenosha
has come in for q lot of criticism from
state inspections. Bad electric work
has caused lot of fire losses in Keno
sha. Lack of proper sanitation in
houses has undoubtedly caused lot of
deaths and brought a lot Of doctor
bills for Kenosha people to pay. The
new method suggested in the City Hall
is the modern way of doing things.
The inspection planned is not going to
be made nuisance to the people. 1t
should be made a benefit.
Real results from this work can only
be attained through cooperation. The
building inspector and his aids will
undoubtedly do their duty and they can
best do this duty with the cooperation
of the man who pays for the building
and the man who actually drives the
nails and puts in the wires and the
plumbing pipes. The success of the
whole movement is going to be depen-
dent upon the spirit in which it is re-
ceived by the people.
What the officials of the city want is
for the people to understand that the
building department is for the benefit
of the people and not just another
bureau to provide salaries. Just as
soon as the building code is in success
full operation there is another work to
do. There must be "housing code. +"
Just at present housing conditions in
Kenosha are subject to lot of cri-
ticism Men and women are being
huddled together in narrow walls.
Little children are not getting the
chance for healthful surroundings for
their development Another F'Shame
of Kenosha'' is the fact that there
has not been official cognizance of the
lack of supervision over housing condi-
tions. With new year in which to
start big movements, one of the first
should be something which will proper
solve the problem. Many of us do not
know how the "other. half live. Of
fcials understanding of the doings that
are being practieed upon some of the
people, will undoubtedly go long way
toward bringing better regulation. The
building department. and the housing
department must work in conjunction.
Just as soon as the building department
is fully established the time has come
for the taking up of the other and
greater problem,