Evening star., 1923-01-16
HEALY POINTS OUT
NEED FOR FUNDS
Declares Morale of Building
Inspection Force Is
Threatened.
PAY RATES ARE UNEVEN
Temporary Men Draw More Than
Regular Workers-Urges
$4,000 Appropriation.
PAY RATES ARE UNEVEN

Employment of temporary building m
.spectors at salary greater than that
received by permanent statutory en-
ployes, whose long experience in the
District building inspectors department
specially fits them for their work. is
not conducive to maintaining the morale
of this essential Office of the municipal
government, city officials point out.
Yet the daily average wage of Sc raid
the temporary men under special APP
preparation of $4,000 for the current
fiscal year is not regarded by those in
touch with the situation as an extrava-
CANT remuneration in view of the serv-
ices performed
Building Inspector Healy, in his an
nlIal report recently submitted TO In
;lnecr Commissioner Keller, stressed the
fact that no matter how capable these
temporary assistants may be, their en-
poyment being of indefinite duration.
cannot fail of initiating to some extent
against efficiency of administration and
may, perhaps, exercise an undesirable
effect upon the morale of the organlza-
tion.
Temporary Force Aids.
The temporary addition to the build
Ing inspection force provided for the
fiscal year 1928, which covers the
period from July l, 1922. to June 80
1928, has been assigned as follows:
Four to assist the engineering or
computing force, one to inspect steel
or iron work exclusively, two as con-
crete inspectors and three as gen.
eral field inspectors. The arrange
ment enables the Office to check plans
more rapidly and to keep in constant
touch with building operations of a
major character, and thus protect the
public to degree heretofore impos-
Sible against the use of faulty ma
terials and against lax or incompetent
workmanship.
In explaining the request that sl5,-
600 be appropriated for employment
Of temporary building inspectors dur
ing the fiscal year 1924 Inspector
Healy stated:
Pre-War Status Gone.
Such policy employment of tenn
porary Inspectors. however, canno,
prove satisfactory. for the stability of
the force cannot be assured. Even
though the volume of operations now
being constructed be admitted as alb
normal, the steady and increasing
growth of Washington is an unequivocai
refutation of the idea that building con-
struction will revert to pre- war status
1T is absolutely necessary, therefore.
that the permanent force of this office
Inents. and that the salaries be raised
10 figures commensurate with the duties
OF the respective positions"
Although compensated much below
the standard of wages prevailing In
other cities of the country and faced
with construction increase which has
placed Washington well up in the list
OF cities showing phenomenal building
development since the war, with but
few exceptions. the overworked staff OF
inSnppfinn Ian RI |,
remained at it's post sacrificing over
time and redoubling its energy, in order
TO overcome the handicaps imposed.
During the past year three engi-
heerS, however, resigned TO accent
more lucrative employment with en-
glneerlng frmS-a course which they
could not reasonably be blamed for
taking, it is pointed out Recently,
also. two experienced clerks with
drew from the service because Of
The filing of these vacancies is diff
hcult, MIR. Healy declares.
Staff Same as Twenty Years Ago.
1T is believed that the public" In
spector Healy asserts, Understands
ing conditions. will acknowledge the
injustice of demanding of the build
ing inspection division of Washing
ton today an irreproachable admin
lstration. when il is realized that the
division has at its command the same
statutory. force. receiving the same
grossly inadequate salaries, as OBJ
tanned twenty years ago.
With staff of employees reason
ably required by the duties devolving
upon the office and with q schedule
il is. felt that the public will have
no Just cause of complaint to lodge
against this bureau of the municipal
government"