Evening star., 1922-12-29
0NLy9TO|NSPECT
ALL D. c. BUILDING
inspectors Have 200 to 800
Jobs at a Time to Be
0verseen.
MORE MEN ESSENTIAL
Shortage in Healy's Office Requires
Peacemeal Checking of Plans.
Pay Scale Criticized.
MORE MEN ESSENTIAL

The entire District of Columbia is
divided into only nine areas for field in
spection work by the building office. CIV
ing each inspector more work than Off
Gals OF the office believe one man should
handle
One official of the building office de-
clared today that most of the inspectors
have between 200 and 800 Jobs to follow
up at a time, whereas 100 is regarded
as a reasonable number to be under one
mans scrutiny.
One man is assigned 10 the whole
area west of Rock Creek, while another
is charged with everything across the
Anacostia river, largely a frame house
district.
Outlying Districts Large.
In the congested downtown section
the inspection districts are small, but
all OF the new outlying developments.
where most of the building activity is
in progress, is divided into a few very
large inspection zones.
II a row of ten or twenty new
houses is being erected on one per-
init they are carried on the inspectors
each house in the row with the same
care as though he We're assigned to
ten or twenty separate and distinct
permits.
Although one plan is followed for
all of the houses in a large opera
fion, the inspector cannot go through
the end house and say that the entire
row Is being constructed according to
the regulations, it was pointed out.
More StiIl Needed.
These facts would Indicate that even
with the ten per diem men employed
this year out of the special appropria- :
ton of $4,000 allowed by Congress
following the collapse of the Knick
crbocker Theater. the building office
still is in need of more employees.
A report just submitted to Engineer
Commissioner Keller by Building In
spector Healy shows that on Decem-
Der % the office had plans for twenty
five big buildings on file to be check
ed. One set of plans had been on file
since September =. the report showed
In order to reduce delay in per-
mitting contractors to begin work or
handling important plans In piece
meal fashion.
Check Plans Piecemeal.
Instead Of keeping computers or
one set of blueprints until they are
checked completely, the building Of
flee approves the foundation and
passes on to another big job. The
computers then aim to check the rest
of the plans as the work progresses
An increase in salaries is regarded
by officials of the building office as of
equal Importance to the employme mt
OF more men. Especially is this true
of the veteran inspectors on the per-
manent statutory roll. who are re-
ceiving approximately 81 a day less
than the temporary men employed
this year on per diem basis.
Receive But 81 800 Yearly.
Practically all of the old inspectors
are getting $1,360 per year, while the
new inspectors are being paid Sc a
day. The higher officials. from the in
spector of buildings down. also have
been listed for salary increases by the
Commissioners in the past.
The committees of Congress have
taken the position for several years.
however. that increases for statutory
employees Of the District must await
the enactment of the reclassification
law.
Men in the building Office are be-
Ing paid less than many of the me-
chanics whose work they must pass
upon" said one official today, dis
CuSSing the salary question,