Evening star., 1922-01-31
DISTRICT INSPECTOR
FORCE INADEQUATE
Safety of Buildings Here in
Hands of Only Five
Men.

one outgrOWth OF the hnlcker-
booker disaster may be an increase in
the force of employees of the building
inspectors office.
Five inspectors, with an allowance
are charged with the task of super
vising all building operations in the
District. which is an area of more
than s;xty-nine square miles. it be-
came known today.
Three men are available to guard
the safety of all the elevators in
Washington.
Two men handle all of the fire es-
cape work for the building inspectors
ONCE. One of these men. James p.
Parry. although not paid for overtime
work, devotes several nights a week
to special inspections of theaters.
The fire marshal's Office also main-
tains a regular and systematic in
spection of theaters from a fire pre-
vention standpoint
Inadequate for Years.
Building Inspector John =. Healy
could not recall today exactly how
many years his office has been operat-
ing on that basis. but he said it was
fully fifteen years.
The building regulations require, Mr..
Healy said, that structures in course
of erection must be visited at least once
week. That, of course. does not pre-
clude an inspector from making the
rounds daily. 1t is apparent. however.
that five men, with $3.50 month for
transportation, cannot very well do more
than reach each Job once in week.
The inspection force is not the only
branch Of the building inspectors office
that would appear to be inadequately
manned.
The Office. Mr.. Healy stated, has one
engineering computer on full time and
computing and the other half to field
work.
These men must go over and check
up on the engineering calculations
of all buildings for which app1ica-
tions to build are made.
One man is available for inspection
of concrete and structural materials.
Appropriation Cut.
The building inspectors Office, it
was stated. formerly received lump
sum of $4,000 a year for the employ
ment of additional inspectors during
the busy season of the year. Not long
ago, it was said, this amount in the
appropriation bill was cut to $1,000
But either amount, one official said.
"is hardly a drop in the bucket for
the employment ~of building inspec-
tors"
Mr.. Healy observed today that it
requires such an appalling disaster
as the present one to bring the pub
lie to realisation Of the Importance
of the work of the building inspec-
tors Office.
During the past few years, when
building activities have been handi-
capped by high prices and the diff
Guilty of getting materials, Inspector
Healy asserted that his office repeat
edly has been charged with hamper
ing construction operations with So
called "red tape"
Regarded as Routine.
When nothing happens for long
time, he said, those who carry on
building operations come to look upon
the technical requirements of the
building inspectors Office as unnec-
essary and frksome. -
Some come to his ofice, he said, feel
ing that competent architects and en-
gfneers have drawn the plans, and
that 1t is only a waste of time and
useless delay to hold up permits until
the specifications have been checked.
There are times, he said, when per-
sons connected with building opera
tions come to the office and endeavor
to speed up the computer in going
over the plans. This became such an
annoyance, he said. that the door to
and persons desiring to explain mat
ters to the computer required to inter-
yiouv hin, at the uerrnit counter