Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-28
Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner Favors Efficiency Bu-
reau's Report on Office.
DISAGREES, HOWEVER,
ON SUPERINTENDENT
Part Of Suggestions Already Cared
for in Pending Bill for
Appropriation,

The District government is in accord
with many of the suggestions made by
the Bureau of Efficiency for reorganiz-
ing the building inspectors ofice and
related activities. Some of these will
be effected If the present appropriation
bill is passed. Efforts will be made to
effect others by separate legislation In
future. This is the substance of a
statement made today by Assistant En-
gineer Commissioner Donald A. Davi-
son, who has charge of most Of the
Offices dealt with in the bureaus re-
port, including those of the building
inspector, electrical engineer, boiler in
spector and inspector of plumbing.
Mai. Dawson went further. He adj
mitted that most of the charges made
in the report of ineficiency were true,
instancing the fact that no inspection
had been made Of some elevators for
more than year, although the law re-
quires semi-annual inspection. But
Maj. Dawson pointed out that these
inspectors voluntarily by the various
department heads, and that the bureau
report contains no acknowledgment OF
this assistance.
I'VE are not trying to hide anything
Mai Dawson said. II venture TO say
that we are far more interested in Civ
ing the. city good job of inspecting
its buildings than is the Bureau Of
Efficiency. ] do not think 1t II alto
gether fair for the bureau to sprinc
these facts in q report as though the,
were something new, whereas they ar
things about which we told them eigil
months ago and which we are tryin.
to correct"
Dependent on Appropriation.
Passing then to the features of tn
report with which he agreed. Maj. Day!-
son said that the appropriation bill nov
in committee will, If passed, put al,
building inspectors ON annual salaries
instead of allowing some of them To
draw their pay from the contractors
whose buildings they are inspecting; 1t
will add 3 elevator inspectors, to make
possible the elevator inspections re-
quired by law; it will add is other
employees to strengthen all inspection
work, and 1t will effect reorganization
so rs to allow large amount of inspec-
ton by types of work instead Of the
present inspection by districts.
This latter reform has become reces-
sary owing to the complicated structures
called for under modern practice. In
the inspecting within certain bounda-
ries, whsther it be of frame garages or
of steel and concrete Office buildings,
there will be separate steel, concrete
and brick inspectors; separate forces for
inspecting fireproof and non-fireproof
buildings; separate forces for inspect
ing buildings under three stories, and
so forth. They will 90 wherever In the
District work Of the respective types is
being done.
AS to the, recommendation that the
electrical inspectors be transferred from
the Office of the electrical engineer to
the building inspectors ONCE, Maj
Dawson says that this change is in
yet awhile. The present task of the
electrical department Is largely the re-
lighting Of the city with modern electric
lamps, he said. When this job Is COM
plete, In year or two more, the trans
fer will be made.
Would Welcome Counsel
The assignment of an assistant cor
poration counsel exclusively to building
inspection cases would be welcomed.
Maj. Dawson said. The transfer Of
jurisdiction over public comfort stations
from the plumbing inspector to the
director Of public buildings and public
parks likewise.
Legislation Is now being drafted for
presentation to Congress to accomplish
some of the reforms suggested by the
bureau. One of these is bill to make
the inspector of steam boilers a salariedD
employee, not dependent upon fees for
the boilers inspected. as at present. An
other is bill requiring examination
and licenses for electricians who put in
house wiring and do no other electrical
work in connection with building opera
tiors. A third Is bill giving the Com
nissioners power to revoke for cause the
licenses granted to plumbers under the
present licensing act
Mai. Dawson said that the bureaus
scheme to create new job, that of
Of inspection, and to put
under him subinspectors with equal au-
thority heading the building, electrical
steam boiler, elevator and plumbing in
spection services, does not meet with
his approval. The scheme of reorgan-
ization now before the appropriation
makes the building inspec-
tor the head man. The elevator, plumb
ing and steam boiler inspectors are his
The electrical inspectors
are left for the present where they are,
with the prospect that they, too, will
eventually be placed under the building
inspectors control.