Evening star., 1946-02-17
Building Code
Violations Face
House Scrutiny
Oehmonn's S Charges
On Resiening Bring
Demand for Report

Concern over maintenance OF
proper building standards in the
District yesterday provoked an in
quiry by Chairman Mcmillan of the
House District Committee, as units
of this group completed arrange
ment for hearings on two other cur
rent problems-slums and hours OF
work for firemen.
Noting the application for retire
ment by Brig. Gen. John w. Oeh-
mann, District inspector of build
ings, who said he was tired OF
defending municipal regulations
Chairman Mcmillan called on the
District Commissioners for a report
on the situation.
Representative Mcmillan wrote to
Commissioner Mason:
Il would appreciate 1t if, at your
convenience, you would advise me
If there is tendency in the District
to break down the Builders Code.
Complaints Received.
Il have had several complaints
from people living in the DISTRICT
sating that the code was not being
strictly adhered to by the contrac-
tors.
I note in today's papers a state
ment made by Gen. Oehmann that
he had been making desperate
fight to keep the contractors from
breaking down the builders code.
L would appreciate your having
the proper officials in your organ
ization check into this matter and
let me hear from you at your con-
venience."
Representative Hebert, Democrat
of Louisiana, chairman of the Dis
trict Subcommittee on Police and
Firemen, announced his personal
approval of the bin to give District
firemen an eight-hour day, 48-hour
week. Certainly, I am for it," he
declared. They ought to have a
decently limited work day and week
and as to the cost, that is another
matter that will be developed later"
Firemen's Hearing Tuesday.
Hearings on this measure, which
he introduced at the request OF
organized flremen, will be opened
Tuesday at 10 am. before the
Hebert Subcommittee of the House
District Committee. 1t calls for es-
tablishment of a third platoon in
the Fire Department, which would
require employment of more than
400 extra flremen at a cost of more
than 100000 year.
Chairman McGehee of the Judici-
ary Subcommittee of the House
District Committee is scheduled to
reopen hearings Thursday morning
at 10 am. on the Senate-passed
$40, 900, 900 10-year program for
clearing and redevelopment of
Washington's slums and other
"blighted areas"
So far no definite date has been
scheduled for the beginning of
hearings on the 1947 budget of
the municipal government, which
now calls for a precedent breaking
outlay OF $6l ,5000OO.
These sessions now are expected
to begin next Thursday or Friday,
with the possibility of additional
brief delays to permit some mem
bers, notably Representative Stefan,
Republican, Of Nebraska, the rank
ing minority member of the Dis
trict Subcommittee, to complete
study of other appropriation meas
ures to which he is assigned.
When the District hearings be-
gin, special attention will be de-
voted to extra costs placed on Dis
trict taxpayers by reason of the
fact this is the National Capital,
members have indicated. This
would include higher costs here of
street and water services, share of
Federal court costs and free tut
ton for students who are children
of persons living in Maryland and
Virginia areas.