Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-17
BUILDING SERVICE
/. CHANGES PROVIDED
13 of ~ Additional Men
Sought by Dawson Are
Granted in Bill.

REORGANIZATION OF B0e DullOlnR IN
spection service of the District by the
employment of l3 OF the "a additional
men originally sought by Maj Donald
A. Dawson. Assistant Engineer Com
missioner in charge of those depart
mentS, is provided in the District APP
preparation bill reported to the House
today.
Bureau Topped of six of the new posi-
tons, and five others were left out by
action OF the House District subcom-
mittee on appropriations. The new
positions approved will require an in
crease of $33 $50 for the building in
| spectors division as compared with
current appropriations.
In urging the proposed reorganizas-
ton plan both Maj. Dawson and Col.
John w. Oehmann, building inspector,
struck vigorously at the present system,
under which the District. because of
lack OF suff1cient inspectors, is forced to
permit private builders to pay extra
inspectors on their own operations.
Salary Raises Cut.
The House subcommittee on appro-
priations cut from the bill provision
for $4,000 in salary advances based on
efficiency ratings, in accordance with
the classification act of 1923; for a first
deputy inspectors Of buildings at $AwD
per year, and for q chauffeur for Es&
chief field building inspector at 81 no
per year.
Approval Of the additional inspectors
followed hearings. at which Maj DaV-
son declared: I'VE are radically, des-
perately, in need of the increases we
ask for here" Declaring the present
force to be totally Inadequate" he
told the committee he knew of no ex-
penditure Of around $50 900 in the bud
get that would bring as great returns to
the city as the increase in inspectors.
The additional personnel approved
in committee included coming engt-
neer, at $4,000 per year, TO serve with
| the District zoning Commission, this
employee formerly being but one Of the
building inspection service engineers as
signed to this work: chief concrete
and steel work inspector at $4,000; one
senior inspector Of concrete work.
81 300; one assistant chief elevator in
spector at $4,000: two field elevator in
spectors at $4,000; one fire escape In.
apector at $4,000: five general building
inspectors at $4,000, and one additional
clerk.
Many Would BE Uninspected.
When District officials appeared be-
fore the committee to defend their es-
Inmates for additional elevator inspec-
tors Mr.. Simmons asked: What would
be the condition in your department II
we did not allow you these new en-
ployes?"
Col. Oehmann replied: ut would
simply amount to this: The situation
would gradually get worse and worse
We would get further and further be-
hind, and good many freight elevators
could not be inspected"
Mr.. Simmons-Would you continue TO
function?
Col Oehmann-We could continue TO
function. 1t depends on the manner OF
functioning Take the matter OF spe-
cial inspectors, for instance. This pro-
posed increase is suggested to overcome
the objection made by the grand jury
to what they termed "the vicious system
, of inspections" by having the inspector
hired and paid for by the owner (of the
building. In other words, he would
be susceptible to cover up any grave
errors in construction that he otherwise
would report.
In this connection Representative
Holiday asked: rs it not fact that
there are some companies who are
building with the intention Of selling
who would not be adverse to covering
up any defects in building?"
Maj. Davison--I would not want to
say it as a fact, but there is grave
danger that that might be the case.
Mr. Holaday-In lot of instances
the owner and contractor are one and
the same man?
Other Contractors Hired.
Maj. Davison-Yes. We have in
stances where the owners have hired as
their inspectors persons who had con.
tracts to furnish building materials,
possibly structural steel or some other
part of the building. The presumption
is you could not get a fair inspection
of the defects In a mans own material
that he is furnishing under contract to
builder. -,f,
Engineer Commissioner Ladue-It is
theoretical and basically wrong thine
Representative Thatcher think Il
is very dangerous practice. 5sa s.,
Col. Ladue-But 1t is the practice r
and we have been obliged to adopt Il TO,
get any sort of inspection. 7hlT
Mai. Davison-Giving us this i'm
crease Gin PERSONNEL will correct IL,
Mr.. Thatcher ~
Maj. Dawson added that he thought
the builders would favor employment
of Government inspectors. since 1t wwlllei
save them some money. None of these
men (the builders), believe, would in Il
tentionally, deliberately, start In to
build wrong" he said. IF q man has =
to decide between covering up mis-
take or putting his money in to rectify
it. of course. il is not beyond the realm
of possibilities under the present. sys-
tenn it could be covered up" eeo tBa
Mr. Thatcher-Until some tragedy re-
suits ot %
Mai DaViSon--YeS. soW II