January 12, 1918





RECORD  AND  GUIDE





39





BUILDING   MANAGEMENT





NEW YORK MANAGERS' ASSOCIATION HOLDS ANNUAL
ELECTION —SCARCITY    OF   COAL    CAUSES    CONFUSION





LAST Tuesday the New York Building
Managers' Association held its
annual meeting, and the following offi¬
cers were elected: William T. Ropes,
of Horace S. Ely & Company, president;
Charles B. Best, with the Van Beuren &
Spingler Estates, vice-president; Lee T.
Smith, of Pease & Elliman, treasurer,
and Raymond P. Roberts, of Harris &
Vaughan,   secretary.

The following members of the Execu-
, tive Committee were elected: Bernard
IE. Martin, representing the Havemeyer
[Estate; Jerome G. Young, of Albert B.
I Ashforth, Inc.; J. Clydesdale Cushmann,
of Cushmann & V/akefield, Inc.; M. Slo-
■ man, of Bing & Bing, and R. W. Murray,
iof Douglas L. Elliman & Company.
' Just after the first of the year an
' order was received from Albert H. Wig-
gin, New York State Fuel Administra-
, tor, relative to the reduction of light
and heat for buildings. The order is as
\ follows;





Office Buildings.

1.    No live steam to be used for
heating between 7 p. m. and 7 a. m.

2.    No live steam to be used for
heating on Sundays and holidays ex¬
cept that which is necessary to keep
pipes   from  freezing.

3.    To cut down all electric light¬
ing in the offices, hallways, etc., 25
per cent.

Apartments.

1.    To discontinue all use of live
steam for laundries, refrigerating
plants, drying rooms, tubs and
vacuum  cleaners.

2.    All outside lighting to be dis¬
continued excepting necessary lights
for  areaways  and courtyards.

3.    To cut off all live steam used
for heating between the hours of U
p. m. and 6 a. m.

4.    To cut down all electric light¬
ing in apartments, hallways, etc., 25
per cent.

Hotels, Clubs and Restaurants.

1.    To cut off all outside lighting
except necessary lights in areaways
and  courts.

2.    Shut off all live steam for heat¬
ing from 11 p. m. to 6 a. m.

3.    To cut down all electric light¬
ing in all rooms, halls, etc., 25 per
cent.





Stores,  Lofts  and Mercantile Buildings.

1.    In stores, Iofts and mercantile
buildings no live steam for heating
shall be used between the hours of
6:30 p. m. and 6:30 a. m.

2.    No live steam to be used for
heating on  Sundays  or holidays.

3.    To cut down all electric light¬
ing 25 per cent.

4.    Interior show window lighting
shall be prohibited after 7 p. m. ex¬
cepting such lighting as is necessary
for protection of property.

The above recommendations
concerning heating to apply to all
classes of buildings when the ther¬
mometer is 10° above zero outside.
When the temperature is lower suffi¬
cient heat may be provided for the
protection of pipes.





light and heat in buildings. This
order is not to be construed as a
recommendation, which may or may
not be accepted by those to whom it
is directed, but it is to be considered
as an absolute order of the United
States Fuel Administration, obedi¬
ence to which is required. Of course
this does not mean, however, that
there may not be exceptional cir¬
cumstances or conditions under
which the order may be deviated
from. When such exceptional con¬
ditions or circumstances arise, and
it is desired not to comply with the
order, appeal should be made for
such authority, or the person dis¬
obeying the order must only do so
with the assurance that he will be
able to defend such action. In other
words, if the party disobeying can
make a case of such disobedience of
course no harm will result to him.
You appreciate that the only way to
cover this sort of a situation is by
a general rule, and you also appre¬
ciate that there are also circum¬
stances to which no general rule can
apply."

In its report the association makes
the following statement: "Deliveries of
coal during the past week have been
spasmodic. Many buildings have been
shut down for various periods, and the
exceptionally cold weather has played
havoc with sprinklered buildings, and it
has been necessary to drain the systems.
Coal companies offer no encouragement
for relief. The New York Steam Com¬
pany has been unable to keep up their
pressure.

"The Fuel Administration advises the
association that New York City cannot
expect much better than 60 per cent, of
its usual requirement for the balance
of the winter. This necessitates drastic
action being taken in fuel conservation.





"It is the opinion of the Attorney-
General that the Board of Standards
and Appeals has jurisdiction and power
conferred upon it with reference to Sub-
Divisions one, two, three, eight, nine and
ten. Section 79-E, of the Labor Law, all
of which relates to the number of per¬
sons who may be employed, permitted
or suffered to work on any one floor.
This section of the Labor Law allows
for additional occupants in factory build¬
ings under certain conditions over and
above those for which exit facilities are
provided.

"The Legislative Committee is still in
conference with the Real Estate Board
in relation to suggested amendments to
the Labor Law, particularly affecting
the definition of a factory, locked doors,
hot water and soap, exit lights, respon¬
sibility of agents, and the removing of
responsibility of owners and placing it
with tenants under certain sections of
the  law.

"At a meeting of the Board of Hazard¬
ous Trades, Fire Department, held on
December 29, the following resolution
relating to the modification of stand
pipe requirements as to hose was
adopted and approved by the commis¬
sioner :

"Matter of request of the New York Build¬
ing Managers' Association, 31 Nassau street,
for waiver of requirements for hose in cer¬
tain buildings. This matter had been con¬
sidered by the Board at a previous meeting,
after which it was agreed that tbe applicants
could present a list of the buildings in which
this waiver was requested. At the meeting
today Chief Hammitt presented a letter from
Mr. Arthur C. Bang, Chairman of the
Department Orders Committee of this asso¬
ciation, submitting premises 681 Fifth ave¬
nue, 404 Fourth avenue, 154 West 14th
street, 209 West SSth street and 594-596
Broadway for consideration. Chief Kenlon
.stated that before acting upon the request
it would be desirable to have a complete
inspection made of each building, whereupon
the matter was referred to the chief of
department for further investigation and
report."





NON-CONFORMING USES.
(Continued from page 38.)
determine   whether   they   may   be   ex¬
tended throughout the building or into





another  building.    It  must  define   how     ^^^^^ distinctions.





Under the heading of business we
might exclude from a residence zone
all kinds of new trade occupancies in¬
discriminately, but when we have to
deal  with  existing  uses  we  must   seek





far a non-conforming occupancy may
be changed into another.

So, too, it must grade its industries
and uses, to which property may be
devoted, in accordance with its own
special requirements. The order of
nuisance values, appropriate in a manu¬
facturing or mining city, might not be
appropriate for a town in a farming
center.

At the head of the list for a city like
New York would appear generally
those industries which are most ob¬
noxious on account of the emission of
noise, dust, odor or gas. Next in order
might be placed the storage or hand¬
ling of materials that are offensive for
like  reasons.

A third class of industry might in¬
clude   manufacturing   which,   as   a   pro-





In a first group of the more objec¬
tionable classes might be put the whole¬
salers, the storage warehouses, those
stores that have some manufacturing
accessory to them and stores selling
products offensive by reason of dust or
odor.

In a second group might be placed
other business occupancies, especially
those that serve their immediate locali¬
ties.

In all this grading of nuisance values,
or inappropriateness, we must keep^ in
view this question of local necessity.
We can be more lenient towards those
occupancies which are a convenience to
their neighborhood than towards those
that serve a distant population.

The method of classification I have
outlined may appear to lack simplicity.





ce^ss,^   might    be^^ V,",°^^!f^'°r.^,^!^^   J^,"^     No   doubt    simplicity   is   much   to   be
__.i                        „    .*.r.  ^,,«   ^o^ ,t,^   «^       desired   and  should  be  a  characteristic

of every zone law, but simplicity in
wording may involve complexity in
thought; may lead to endless doubt. In
the real estate field nothing is so deadly
as doubt. It enervates the whole life
of a community. It depreciates values;
it hampers sales; it makes mortgage
loans  unobtainable.

Simplicity of restrictive classifications
may be required by the necessity for
having   some   restriction   adopted   and





which, because of its size, carting,_etc
might  not  be permitted in  a  restricted
district.   It would usuallyhave no rela¬
tion   as   a   producer   to   its   immediate
neighborhood.

There is a fourth class of industry,
etc., which would fall into one of the
above classes if we considered only its
nuisance features. It may be, however,
of local necessity.    It may be a garage





There was some question in the minds      or    stable,   for    instance,   offensive   by

of   some   members   of   the   association      reason of noise and odor and as objec-           .                                              .     ,  ^   ^„,.

whether the order was to be construed      tionable  as  a  slaughter  house  of equal     having   some   restriction   acoptea   ana

as a recommendation or to be considered      si^e.    But the garage or stable may be     havmg it  sustained  by the  cou/^s^"^

absolute.   In order to clear up this ques-     needed  as  a  convenience in  the  neigh-     perhaps you will have to bow to ^^ ^^^

tion   a   letter   was   sent   to   State   Fuel      borhood,    while    the    slaughter    house     a time     But once a zone law has been





Administrator  Wiggin,  and the  follow¬
ing is his reply:

"I have your letter of today with
reference to the order dated Jan¬
uary   2   affecting   the   reduction   of





might as well be a mile away.    In this     enacted,  and  once  a  city or  town  has

da!s  of  local  conveniences  might  also     become educated to  the  advantages  of

be  included  the  small  shops  conducted     such a law   nothing should stand in the

by  mechanics  for  the  repair  of  build-     way of a clear, lofl^al^and appropriate
ings, furniture, etc.





issification of existing occupancies.





RECORD   AND   GUIDE   IS   IN   ITS   FIFTIETH   YEAR   OF   CONTINUOUS   PUBLICATION.