The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-22
All Seven Will Operate in
Ten Days or Two
Weeks.
SHOW AT NATIONAL
TOMORROW NIGHT
Playhouses Assure d. c.
Officials of Utmost
Cooperation.

All seven theaters ordered closed
by the District Commissioners last
Saturday night lin the interests of
public safety" will be operating
again within ten days or two
weeks, Engineer Commissioner Kel-
Ter said last night.
The announcement followed a Sc
ries of conferences with the theater
owners and managers and their
architects with the Commissioners
yesterday afternoon during which
plans OF the owners for repairs
were inspected by the Commission
ers and approval given for imme-
diate opening of repair work.
All OF the theaters may be made
safe by steady work in the next
ten days. Some will need addi-
ttonal repairing, but this may be
delayed safely until the slack pc
riod In the summer" Col. Keller
said.
Ready to Cooperate.
The owners and managers OF
the seven theaters have agreed in
fun to the requirements in altera-
tions ordered by the Commissioners
and have displayed a splendid pub
lie spirit in Offering to cooperate
With the Commissioners in every
respect" Col. Keller said.
The FIRST theater to open will be
vthe National, one of the two leSiti-
mate stage houses closed. The
management announced last night
that the place would be opened to-
morrow night. A large squad Of
workmen began work in the build
ing last night and will continue
their labor all today and tonight
and tomorrow morning.
We are anxious to make our
pIace safe in the eyes of experts
and want to protect the public.
We have been told We may do this
by making repairs expected to be
completed by Thursday night w.
H. Rapley. owner of the National.
said last night.
Revising Building Code.
PoIFs. the other legitimate stage
house affected by the Commits
Sioners' closing decree. will be
opened Monday. March 6. manage
ment of the theater announced last
night following a conference with
the Commissioners.
Further repairs will be made in
both theaters during the summer.
but this work will rot affect in any
wav the safety of patrons in the
meantime. the Commissioners said
yesterday.
Engineer Commissioner Keller
turned his attention yesterday to
reorganization OF the building in
spector's office and revision of the
tuilding code in an effort to block
any repetition of the Kicker
booker disaster.
Ask Eight More Men.
An appeal for eight additional
men for the building inspectors
office will be placed before the Di-
rector of the Budget Dawes today
or tomorrow. The supplemental
estimate for this increase i'm fJrce
was completed yesterday by Maj.
Carey II. Brown. Assistant Engineer
Commissioner, and placed in the
hands of Engineer Commissioner
Keller last night.
At the same time. Maj Brown wa,
ordered by Commissioner Keller to
employ two additional fiekI itspS,.
tors to be used in the inspection OF
all public buildings of the District
built prior to the enactment OF the
fireproof clause in the building coda
in 1910.
No report on the inspection o,
the twelve doubtful" theater buiId.
ings reported to the Commissioners
by the voluntary committee of five
experts who inspected all theater
buildings in the District had been
received last night by Commission
er Keller. He said that Fire chief
watson and Building Inspector
Healy had been ordered to report
on the condition of each of the
buildings as the inspection was
completed.
-Eoakestion Grows in once.
Congestion Is growing daily In
the building inspectors office pend
ing completion Of the numerous
surveys and growing demands upon
the field inspectors, il was admitted
last night by Col Keller. Practi-
cally no permits have been issued
for construction of large buildings
since the Knickerbocker Theater
disaster three weeks ago. Orders
have been issued for rigid inspec-
tion Of plans .fo- all larger build
ings, and the plans are going
through the hands of Building In
spector Hesly and Col. Keller in ad-
dition to the usual inspection of
the ONCE force
relief from the congestion NAV
only be gained through an almost
100 per cent increase in the force
OF the department. Col. Keller said
last night.
Conditions of the Office and the
increasing scope OF the surveys
planned by the Commissioners to
protect the public ftom unsafe
buildings caused the addition OF
one man to the supplemental estf-
mate. Col. Keller had first planned
to ask for seven men Eight men
are now listed in the estimate. Ave
to be expert engineers aud three
1eld inspectors.
The estimate. II approved by the