Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-23
Officials Agree
OnNeedtoUnite
Inspections
Revisions Urged
To End Duplication
And Speed Action

they varied on how much one
inspector should be expected to
do.
Several of them strongly urged
wholesale revision of the regu-
lations under which the District
agencies operate. They listed a
simplifled set of regulations as
the first step toward making 1t
possible for one inspector to do
the work now done by half a
dozen of them.
Most Of them acknowledged
that the inspectors now dupli-
cate each others work. The
duplicating inspection services
were analysed in detail by The
Star yesterday.
Public Unprotected.
.Supt. of Licenses C. T. Not
tingham, whose Office is way be-
hind in issuing this years Ii
censes. said the public is not be-
ing protected.
On the one hand, he said,
there are too many unnecessary
inspections. On the other hand.
places with dangerous conditions
are not getting prompt inSpec-
tionS.
With several inspectors going
into one place, he said. an in
Spector might grant a 60-day
extension of time to make re-
pairs, another might grant an
other 80 days and the License
Bureau has a violation on which
It cannot act.
1T favor consolidation of the
inspection services but it must
60 hand in hand with a Simpli-
cation of the regulations, "Mr.
Nottingham said. There are
little, picayunish things in the
regulations that have no con-
nection with the public health
and safety. They should be elm
mated.
Could Speed Licensing.
IF the regulations were sim
plified, one inspector could in
spect for many things. We could
expedite licenses. The District
shouldn't be issuing 1851 licenses
In 1858. The District should see
that places are complying with
the regulations but they are so
complicated it can't be DONE"
Joseph J. ngenfritz. deputy di-
rector of inspection, whose de-
partment has 122 construction
inspectors, said it is sometimes
hard to tell where the inspection
responsibilities Of one depart
ment stop and another agency's
responsibilities are supposed to
start.
There are now so many regu-
lations," he said, that we just
can't enforce them. If I were
asked how we're going to inspect
all the places under the ne~
tenement house regulations, I'd
have to tell you I don't know.
When we can't carry the load
we've got. they keep adding more
regulations"
Most Work Is Visual.
He estimated that IS per cent
Of his departments inspections
are visual-that is, what an in
spector can spot with the naked
eye. Further, when his inspec-
tors are checking on places be-
fore approving for licenses, they
use a check list. Under these
circumstanceS-and with simpli-
fled regulationS-the chores of
several inspectors could be con-
Solidated, he said.
William H. Cary, jr., director
of the Health Departments Bu-
reau Of Public Health Engineer
Ing with 80 inspectors, doubted
his Office is doing half the job
it is supposed to do. Unlike
some of the other officials, how
ever. he defended the practice
Of sending his inspectors over
the same ground covered by
others.
Even so, he acknowledged sew
eral areas of duplication where
the work Of two inspectors might
be consolidated. The plumbing
inspectors, he said, are interested
in seeing plumbing installations
comply with the plumbing code
and his Office is interested in as
surfing that these installations
safeguard the public health. He
said there was some chance for
consolidation there.
Seeks Wider COverage.
j. Thomas Kennedy, director
of the Department of Weights
and Markets with II enforce
ment officers. said he had already
recommended consolidation Of
the inspection services to assure
wider coverage Of the city by the
inspectors. He said there was
no reason why one of his in
SpectorS or an inspector from
one Of the six to eight different
agencies going into groceries
could not check on all the regu-
lations covering groceries.
There would be definite per-
sonal savings" he said. "but we
could upgrade the inspectors
and make sure they are better
quelified to do a variety of jobs. +"
Guy w. Pearson, collector Of
taxes, who has four inspectors
visiting stores to make certain
cigarettes carry tax stamps,
said the present variety of in
Spection services involves tire
mendouS red tape" with all
the inspectors required to I'LL out
frequently duplicating forms.
A veteran of 81 years in a
number of District departments,
Mr.. Pearson said consolidation
Of similar inspection services
was definitely possible"
Cottage City PTA