Evening star., 1940-04-03
Rooming House
Licenses Asked
AsSafety Move
Difficulty Of Forcing
Fire Rules Compliance
Leeds to Suggestion

A proposal that the Districts
License Act be invoked by the COM
missioners, to require licenses for
operation Of rooming houses as q
means Of compelling landlords to
comply with District fire protection
regulations, was considered today as
q District investigation board pro-
ceeded with Its probe Of Mondays
disastrous fire at 2131 o street NV.
Informed by Building Inspector
John w. Oehmann that his ofiice
had been trying for more than q
year to compel the owner or lessee
to install fire escapes and other fire
protection equipment at a large
rooming house on lower Massa-
chusetts avenue NV, Corporation
Counsel Seal said he would ask the
Commissioners to consider requiring
licenses for rooming houses.
Maj. Patrick H. Tansey, Acting
Engineer Commissioner, announced
he would ask the fire Investigation
group to consider the suggestion at
q. conference this afternoon.
Compliance Difficult to Force.
Col. Oehmann said he was sure
there were many rooming houses
or apartments which did not have
fire protection facilities, and said
that under present laws and reRula-
tions If often was difficult to force
compliance. He added that with his
limited number of inspectors it was
difficult to check on conditions at
such buildings.
Early in March of last year in
spectors reported that the Massa-
chusetts avenue rooming house
lacked fire escapes, fire extinguish-
ers, fire alarms and other protection.
This building, of brick exterior, is
OF four stories, and, at the time,
had 81 tenants.
| Col. Oehmann said his report
showed registered letters had been
sent to the owner, containing notices
requiring compliance with regula-
tlons, but that the letters had been
returned with Post Office Depart
ment report that the addressee could
not be located at the given ad-
dresses. Col. Oehmann added that
his man had interviewed the lessee,
who had refused to build the
fire escapes and had advised the
District that the owner would not
do so.
Publication Recommended.
The case was referred to the cor
poration counsels Office last July
and since that time District agents
have sbeen seeking to locate the
owner to serve the notice. Mr.. Seal
today received a recommendation
that the notice be published in the
Washington papers. which, under
the -aw. would constitute service. It
was explained that If the owner
still refused to erect the fire escapes,
the District Government could, If
1t found sufficient money available,
erect them and add the cost to the
real estate tax bill for the property,
but this was regarded as slow and
cumbersome procedure.
Col. Oehmann suggested that the
District 60 to court to SIX an in
junction to prevent the tenants Of
the building from occurving the
premises until the fire regulation re-
qulrements are met, hut lawyers for
the District, citing eeci~ions. were
dubious of success in s;;."h a move.
This situation led to the sugges-
ton that the District could make
use of the license act. The fee
for the license, under the law, could
be no more than the estimated cost
OF inspection and regulation. It
was explained that if an owner re-
fused to comply with fire regula-
tions, the District could revoke the
license and prevent use of the build
ing till required changes were com.
pleted.
Maj Tansey has invited a num-
Der of District officials to meet with
the Fire Investigation Board this
afternoon. These include Fire Chief
Stephen T. Porter, Inspector L. I.
H. Edwards. assistant superintendent
Of police: c. G. Achstetter, deputy
fire marshal, and one or more rep.
resentatives of the corporation coun-
sells office. Members of the investi.
eating board are Capt. John L. Per-
son, assistant Engineer Commission
er; Col. Oehmann, Fire Marshal
Calvin G. LAUDER and H. A. Friede,
superintendent of fire alarms.