Evening star., 1922-05-27
CITIES influenced.
BY BUILDING CODES
Growth or stagnation De-
pends Upon Aiding or De-
laying Construction.

1
have had much to do with the growth |
or stagnation of cities Of the United
States have been complied by the Ma
tional Lumber Manufacturers Asso-
citation. according to Dudley F. Holt
man of this city. in charge Of the
| associations technical and research |
department.
One Of the necessities that con-
fronts business in all forms is the
elimination Of the many sorts OF In
fiation which have loaded it with nom
ou ONE Of he p
construction industry is the cost of
unwise and unjustifiable building re-
strictions. These often add so much
! fields. The National Lumber Manu-
facturers' Associations technical and
ing municipal ordinancess relating to |
buildings for the past two years and
has accumulated data concerning
en in she eoahsaa be WfS mora than
5000 population. The files are kept
from becoming out of date by means
OF well ORGANIZED system of reports
'"rhe data reveals a vital connection
between building codes and the
]growth or non-growth and the direc-
iticn and nature Of the expansion Of
lthought-out building law stimulates
building and carelessly drawn one
represses 1t. Some section Of law
may operate needlessly to check
stimulate it in another. thus in
equitably altering real estate values
and sometimes creating an eye,sore
district in what should be desirable
isection. Sometimes an unintelligentiy
shaped building code puts a blight
nn a xVhnla nffv Thara has
been too much of a tendency to look
upon building codes as penal statutes,
the primary object Of which Is to
keep some one from doing something;
whereas an ideal building code should |
aim at encouraging performance and
should be positive instead of mega
tive, promotiye instead of restrictive.
The old doctors always looked at
Ipatient's tongue first Of all. II there
lis anything the matter with the
physical growth of your town you
had better examine your building
code, or the place where there ought
d to be one. before proceeding further
with The diagnosis.
Building Laws Should Act.
Every building law should be con-
sidered as building service for the
n protection of the owners and occu-
pants of the buildings And as an aid
Ito builders rather than as a restric-
ltion imposed upon them. 1t should
aim at the minimum expense consist
lent with safety and dependability OF
lconstruction. 1t should be sufficiently
flexible to allow for individuality and
lselection of design and materials, for
ECONOMY and for adaptability TO
lchanging conditions. 1t should not be
ltoo definite and detailed. lest 1t lose
a part Of its possibilities for good ana
;unduly hamper private initiative and
| enterprise. It should be compro-
tmise between the necessity Of telling
1.-THE public what Is required of it and
of having brief flexible document
Ifor purposes of administration.
| "The lack of ordinances regulating
construction in the majority of the
cities of this country is astonishing.
are e1es IN 5n1f of oo
more Our information indicates
that only 41o. or 27. per cent. have a
building law, and ina In all prona eiii1y
charter. Other cities claiming codes
have what is merely set Of restric-
the Gre limits In the majority of
cases. where fire limit restrictions
only. prevail. the ordinance merely
such limits and REQUIRES that the
buildings erected therein shall have
|incombustible walls and roofs. They
able height Of buildings. They say
nothing about maximum areas be-
tween fire walls, nor do they mention
the character of interior construc-
ton. Any kind Of f1retrap interior
may be constructed and it may cover
any area, as long as the exterior
walls are masonry walls and the
roofs supposedly incombustible. In
all probability. these kinds Of laws
cent of these 1,47s cities.
Many Codes Hamper.
There are 259 cities with a popu-
lation Of more than $4,000 and only
223, or 80 per cent! of these cities
give evidence of having building
code. Thirteen, of these cities have
codes with no enforcing officer. while
twenty-three cities have no code
whatever. but do have a building in
spector.
of from 10000 to $4,000 only 11e. or
twenty-six Of these have no officer to
enforce it. OF the total of 739 cities
with population ranging between
5000 and 10000. only eighty-one. or
9 per cent, have building laws. and
twenty-five of these cities have no
means of enforcing the law.
= "A number of the cities which have
codes have no copies available for the
use Of the public or for the use Of
contractors and architects. Some Of
these regulations are hidden away
in the minutes Of the council meet
ings. A man who erects a building,
or who has the supervision of the
construction Of building in hand.
to determine what regulations he is
fo coYnn1v with -