Evening star., 1942-01-03
Striicter Rules
For Restaurants
Expected Here
Drastic Health
Laws for Rooming
Houses Adopted

New and more stringent restaurant
regulations have been proposed by
Health Cfficer George c. Rutland
and are expected to be adopted soon
by the Commissioners - q sequel to
the drastic boarding and roominS
house rules promulgated yesterday.
District officials said today.
To permit proper policing Of the
two new sets Of rules, which are
designed to promote public health
and safety, DR.. Ruhland revealed he
is asking an increase in funds to
permit the hiring of "a additional
inspectors, on deficiency basis 50
they may be put to work soon.
The health officer estimated II
additional inspectors would be need.
ed for investigation of boarding and
rooming houses and 20 more food
inspectors to meet needs Of inspect
ing the increased numbers Of restau.
rants and boarding houses.
Effective in 30 Days.
The new boarding and rooming
house rules are to go into effect in
80 days.
They give the health officer or his
agents the right to enter any lodg-
ing, rooming or boarding house. at
all reasonable hours for inspection
purposes.
Under the authority Of the Dis.
trict's license law, owners Or man.
ayers of lodging houses in which
sleeping quarters are provided to
accommodate four or more tram
sients. and less than 10 are required
to obtain an annual license at $40.
and owners or managers Of all room.
ing houses having sleeping accom-
mediation for four or more perma-
nent roomers, and all boarding
houses containing sleeping accom-
modations for four or more persons
are required to obtain an annual IS
license.
Among the new rules were the
following requirements:
Overcrowding-No room shall b
used for sleeping purposes unless 1t
has at least 400 cubic feet Of aiY
space per person.
Lighting-No room shall be used
for habitation unless it has one or
more windows opening to OUTSIDE
air and equivalent in glass area to
at least 12l. per cent OF the floor
area of the room. Such rooms must
be provided with artificial lighting
reasonably uniformly distributed so
as to provide illumination OF an In
tensity OF 6-foot candles for general
habitaticn and 10-foot candles Tor
reading or similar tasks, measured
at a distance of 80 to SO inches
above the floor.
Heating Regulations.
Heating-No room shall be used
for habitation that is not maintain
ed at a temperature OF at least 10
degrees between am. and 10 pm.
whenever occupied.
Ventilation-No room shall DO
used for habitation that is not pro-
yided with an openable window area
for ventilation purposes OF at least
g.. per cent of the floor area, except
that mechanical or positive" ven
tilation systems may be substituted
for or supplement natural ventila-
ton using openable windows. When
mechanical ventilation systems are
used. rooms shall be provided Win
facilities for at least three air
changes per hour.
Screening-No room shall be USED
that is not provided. during the ny
and MOSQUITO breeding season with
screens of at least 16 meshes to the
inch. 50 maintained as to prevent
effectively the entrance into the
building of flies and mosquitoes ana
the dwelling shall be provided wltn
outside screen doors, which snail
open outwardly and be self-closine,
except that an effective means otner
than a screen may be substituted II
approved specifically by the heaiV
officer.
Bedding Requirements
Bedding-No room shall be used
for habitation and sleeping that IS
provided with mattresses made OF
moss, sea grass, excelsior. husks or
shoddy. All bedding must DO
thoroughly aired, disinfected or
otherwise kept clean. Clean pillow
slips and sheets must be provided at
least once a week and clean set
must be provided each succeeding
guest.
Vermin-No building shall be
used if that building or any part OF
it or its furniture or bedding Is nos
maintained free of vermin.
Toilets, bathrooms and lavatofles
NO building shall be used IN whicn
water closets, bathrooms and show.
ers are not located in compartments
or rooms separate from living quar-
ters and provided with light ana
ventilation in accordance with
plumbing regulations of the District.
In every building any room or com.
partment containing water closet
or urinal shall have at least II
square feet of floor area and at
least 100 cubic feet of air space Tor
each water closet and each urinal.
The floor of every water closet and
bath compartment shall be water
tight with tile concrete or other
waterproofing material. Such water
proofing shall extend not less than
1 inches up the vertical walls OF
the compartment. Openings to
shower compartments shall be pro-
vided with waterproof curbs not
less than 1 inches high. Walls OF
shower compartments shall be con-
structed of impervious materials.
Bath Facilities.
Separate toilet and bath facilities
must be provided for each 10 occu.
pants. Individual bath and face
towels Of adequate size must be pro-
vided at least twice weekly and .
clean set provided for each sue.
ceeding guest. There was general
order that all toilet and bath fix-
lures must be maintained In . sani-
tary condition.
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