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REAL ESTATE
AND
fCopyrlght. 101". by The Record and Guide Co.)
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 29, 1917
WHY CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY AND DUPLICATION
OF WORK EXISTS UNDER PRESENT LAW
IN connection with tlie accompanying
chart it might be of interest to
briefly review the events which Iiave
led lip to the present distribiuion of
autliority relative to buildings, their
construction and occupancy.
On March 25, 1911, one of the most
diiasirou5 hres, as far as loss of life
was concerned, occurred in the Triangle
shirtwaist factory, corner Greene street
and Washington place, Manhattan.
By EDWARD F. HAMMEL, C. E.. and LESLIE V. HUEER, C. E.
relative to construction, alteration, exit
facilities and occupancy, and created
an Industrial Board. Chapter 695, Laws
of 1913. attempted to amend the Fire
Prevention Law so as to avoid conflict
of authority, but this was not entirely
accomplished.
As a concrete illustration of the dis-
tunately, from the very start, instead
of endeavoring to concentrate in a
single department the exercise of the
municipality's police powers with re-
si)cct to proper supervision over the
construction, alteration and occupancy
of buildings and clothing such depart¬
ment with adequate powers, the
tendency has been to create new
bureaus and departments and to dis¬
tribute authority over buildings, always
creating an overlapping of jurisdiction.
tribtition of jurisdiction over building
construction and occupancy assume a
tenement house with partial factory
occupancy and fire extinguishing equip-
RESIDENCE BUILDINGS
BUSINESS BUILDINGS
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
FRrVATE
DMELLINCS
TENEMENTS
HOTELS
LODGING H0U5E5
TENEMENT
WITII FACTORY
OR STORE
FACTORY
DEBMnMENT
5TORE
OFFICE
BUILDING
Building v^iTH
HftWROWSOCCURiNCt
GARAGE
THEATRE
MOTION FimJRE
^HOW
CHURCHES
5CH00L5 cTc
BUREAU or
BUILDINGS
BOROUGH
CONSTRUCTION
USE & OCCUPANCY
PLUMBING
LIGHT &VEfnilATION
LLEVATORS
CONSTRUCTION
UStaOCCUPANCY
PLUMBING
UGMT&VtNIILMlEW
ELEVATORS
CONSTRUCTION
USE & OCCUPANCY
PLUMBING
LIGHT &VEKTILW10N
CXiTS
ELEVATORS
CONSTRUCTION
U5E&0CCUPANCY
PLUMBING
EXITS
ELEVATORS
CONSTRUCTION
USE & OCCUPANCY
PLUMBING
LiGMTavENTlLATlON
tXiT5
ELEVATORS
CONSTRUCTION
USE a occufv^cr
PLUMBING
LlGHTaVtNTllATlON
EXITS
LLEVATORS
CONSTRUCTION
USE aOCCUPANCY
PLUMBING
LlGHTavtNTlLATlON
EXITS
E L £ VATORS
CONSTRUCTION
U5E&0CCUPANCY
PLUMBING
UGMTaVEHTlLATION
EXITS
ELtVATORS
CONSTRUCTION
USE a OCCUPANCY
PLUMBING
UOHTaVtrOTlLAnON
EXITS
ELEVATORS
CONSTRUCTION
USE & OCCUPANCY
PLUMBING
LIGKiavtMlLATlON
EXITS
Elevators
DEPARTMENTOr
LABOR
STATE
HOURS or LABOR
EMPLOYMENT Of
MINORS
flEDKAL INSPECTION
CLEANLINESS
3AM E
SAME
ELEVATORS
SAME
PUlMBlN&aVimLN
riRC
DEPARTMErfT
CITY
U5[a OCCUPANCV
ORIGIN OF FlRtS
U5E& OCCUPANCY
FiRt EX UNO'APPL
ORiGlNOF FIRES
USE & OCCUPANCY
FIRE EJ(TINGAPPL
EXIT5 LIGHTS
ORIGIN OF FIRt3
USE & OCCUPANCY
FIRE UTI NG APPL
EXITS )r>».cTORx
ORICINOFFIRES
USES OCCUPANCY
FlRt EXTINGAPPL
ALARM SYSTEM DfiILL
EXITS LIGHTS
ORIGINOFFIRES
U5E&0C(UPANCY
F«{tXTmCAPPL
ALARM SYSTEM
EXITS LIGHTS
ORIGIN OF f IRES
USE&OCCUFANCY
FIRE EXTlNO APPL
ALARM SYSTEM
EXITS
ORlGlNOf FIRES
COIttTKULTION
USE & OCCUPANCY
FIRE tXTING APPL
fXITS
ORIGIN OF FiRtS
PROTECTION fROMfANIC
USE&OCCURANCY
flREE^TlNt APFI
ALARM SYSTEM
exit:) LIGHTS
ORlGlNOf FIRtS
USEaOCtUPANCY
FIKEXTING APPL
ALARM 5Y.^TtM
exit:) lights
origin of fires
TENEMDT HOUSE
DLFARTMENT
CITY
CONSTRUCTION
U5E& OCCUPANCY
PLUMBING
Ll6KTaVENTIL/,TlON
EXITS
CLEANLINE55
-
CONSTRUCTION
USE & OCCUPANCY
PLUMBING .
LIGHT&VtNTlLATlON
EXITS CLEANLIN5
BAKERIESIN
DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH
CITY
CONSTRUCTION
MtOltAL IN5PEaiON
PLUMBING
LIGHTS VENTILATION
CLEANLINt55
5AME
Overcrowding
SAME
5AM E
SAME
OVERCROWDING
HEATING
SAME
^Mt
Same
ME at INO
SAME
DEPARTMENTOF
W\TER SUPPLY
GAS&ELECTRiaiY
CITY
ELECTRICAL
WATtf? SUPPLY
AND GA5
EQUIPMLMT
5AME
5AME
smi
5 AM £
SWt
SAMt
5AM t
5AM t
5AME.
POLICE
DEPARTMENT
CITY
STLAM BOILERS
SAME
SAME
SAME
SAME
5 AM E
MME
SAME
SANE
SAMf
DEPARTMENTOF
LICENSES
CITY
ULLUSlS
IffifTiOfv a /JLJC/f^iO/V . 5Tf?CPi0Tt1
CO>»S7ffUC7fO'<J- miuDi^
MCDiCfll INSPimON
This is more generally known as ihe
"Asch Building Fire." As far as could
be ascertained 147 girls lost their lives.
An investigation brought out the fact
that at the time the building was
erected it was constructed in accord¬
ance with then existing laws. The loss
of life was due more largely to bad
housekeeping conditions and locked
exit doors than lo the lack of exit
facilities.
Furthermore, it appeared that no ad¬
ministrative official was directly respon¬
sible, nor was any city or State depart¬
ment charged with the remedying of
such dangerous conditions as existed
in this and hundreds of similar build¬
ings, commonly termed "sweatshops,"
Such a condition naturally led to a
strong demand, not only on the part of
various welfare societies, but also from
technical and labor organizations as
well, for adequate legislation to pre¬
vent a recurrence of such a catas¬
trophe.
A retrospect of what has occurred
since 1911 prompts the writer to ex¬
press regret that thc cotirse pur<;ued
was not along difTerent lines. Unfor-
The first piece of legislation enacted
as a direct result of the Asch Building
fire was the Hoey Bill, more commonly
known as the Fire Prevention Law
(Chapter 899. Laws of 1911). effective
October 19, 1911. Under the provisions
of this act an entirely new bureau,
known as the Bureau of Fire Preven¬
tion, was created. This bureau, under
the jurisdiction of the Fire Commis¬
sioner, was given large powers, chief
of which, as affecting building construc¬
tion and alteration, was jurisdiction
over exit facilities in all buildings. This
act was subsequently amended by
Chapter 458. Laws of 1912, aud Chapter
695. Laws of 1913.
The second piece of legislation affect¬
ing building construction and occu¬
pancy was in the form of an amend¬
ment to Chapter 32 of the Consolidated
Laws (St'^te Labor Law), and was
termed the "New Factory Law." This
act. effective October 1, 1913. added
certain sections to the Labor Law (2,
50. 51. 52. 69. 79. 83. 94 and 99). giving
the State Department of Labor juris¬
diction over all factories, factory build¬
ings and mercantile establishments
ment, such as a standpipe or a sprinkler
system in the factory portion. Plans
must needs be filed in the Tenement
House Department, the State Depart¬
ment of Labor, the Bureau of Fire Pre¬
vention and the Bureau of Buildings.
A garage with a repair shop neces¬
sitated filing plans in all the above
named d ena rt ments except the first.
It was difficult to draw plans to com¬
ply with the requirements of the various
departments, and this finally accom¬
plished, during construction, duplication
of inspections was much in evidence.
After completion, duplicate inspections
as to housekeeping conditions and
occupancy continued.
These conditions caused owners.
architects, builders and real estate men
generally to voice their troubles and
to institute legislation to clarify the
situation. After failure to obtain some
measure of relief in 1915. when the first
"Lockwood-Ellenbogen Bill" failed to
become law, a further attempt proved
more successful, and the second "Lock¬
wood-Ellenbogen Bill" (Chapter 503,
Laws of 1916) was passed May 10, 1916.
(Continued on page 849)
RCCOUD AND Gt'lDC: IS I.\ ITS FirTlCTU YEAR OF CO.XTIXL'OUS PUHMCATIOX.