i66
RECORD AND GUIDE
January 25, 1908
The Mechanics Institute.
{Continued from page 104.)
clay modeling, made up of ornamental plasterers, silversmiths,
sculptors' assistants, wood-carvers and journeymen in various
plastic clay crafts.
There exists a large demand for elementary mathematics, in
which subjects instruction is given to 230 students. The work
in science is now limited to physics and applied electricity,
but it is proposed to introduce industrial chemistry in the near
future,
A visitor to the school is impressed by the high standard of
intelligence of the students. They comprise, by a kind of se-
CLASS IN ME'CHANICAL DRAWING,
lective affinity, the cream of the young mechanic class. These
are the boys who possess ambition, and who are willing to
sacrifice the gratiflcation of their pleasure seeking instincts to
the attainment of a larger intelligence and greater efficiency.
In age they range from fifteen to forty years. They are all
employed at their various trades during the day. Those who
live in or near the city may find time to rush home for a hur¬
ried meal and then back to school promptly at 7.30. But the
large number of students resident in the suburbs have not
sufficient time after their day's labor to reach home and return
to the city. These take their supper at a restaurant and crowd
the reading-room and library of the Institute, awaiting the
opening hour of seven. The reading-room is well supplied with
trade journals, as well as magazines and other periodicals, so
this hour of waiting has also an educationl result. The extent
of the radius from which the school draws is surprising. There
are students frora Perth Amboy, Elizabeth, Newark, the
Oranges, Tarrytown, New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon, Jamaica, Far
Rockaway and the more adjacent suburbs. W^hen one con¬
siders the late hour at which a student at one of the more dis¬
tant points reaches home at night, and the hour at which 'he
must arise in the morning in order to report for duty at his
work, the incident sacrifice is impressive.
One is also impressed by the personnel of the teaching staff.
Three of the instructors in arcliitectural drafting are members
of firms of architects, the instructor in sheet-metal drafting
is the author of the standard, authoritative book on this sub¬
ject, there are a number of chief draftsmen, and also three
of the staff of Columbia University- At a recent exhibition of
MODELING CLASS,
the National Arts Society each one of the teachers in free-hand
drawing had one or more paintings displayed.
The Executive Committee is composed of the officers and the
chairmen of the various committees, with the first vice-presi¬
dent as chairman. Each committee bas charge of one of the
activities of the Society and meets monthly. The School Com¬
mittee has full charge of the entire work of the school. It
appoints a school director, who is held responsible for the suc¬
cessful conduct of the school. He carries on the active admin¬
istration and submits to the committee all recommendations
for the appointment of instructors,, the equipment of classes,
the extension of the work, etc., for approval.
Any one who has, at any time of his career, been a mechanic
or tradesman is eligible for membership. There is an initation
fee of one hundred dollars, and no dues. The present member¬
ship, about 450 in number, is composed largely of men prominent
in the building trades of the city. The ofBcers for the year 1907
are: Hugh Getty, president; Frederick R. Usher, vice-president;
"ft'illiam J. Hoe, second vice-president; Richard T. Davies, sec¬
retary-treasurer. The members of the executive committee
are, in addition to the above officers, Charles T. Galloway,
Robert Christie, William C. Smith, William S. Miller, Thomas
J. Drummond, John H. MacDonald, Robert Christie, Jr., John
H, McCullagh, John M. Mossman, William B. Hand.
The revenue of the Society is quite definite and limited, and
is fully utilized in conducting its various interests. An added
endowment would permit of a considerable extension of its
practical philanthropy, especially in the line of its school work,
in which alone it could give instruction to from 2,000 to 2,500
students instead of 1,700, its present Ihnit. This limit is set
by the present revenue and not by the size of the building, as
there are still a number of vacant class rooms that cannot be
used owing to lack of sufficient funds to pay the salaries of
additional instructors.
New Building Code Up Again.
REFERRED BACK TO THE BUILDING COMMITTEE WITH
AUTHORITY TO APPOINT A NEW COMMISSION.
At the meeting of the Board of Aldermen, January 21, the
following resolution (No. 08) was presented:
By Alderman Kenneally-—
Resolved, That in pursuance of section 407 of the Greater New
York Charter, the Building Committee of this Board be. and hereby
is, directed to prepare and report to this Board, a building code in
amended and revised form, providing therein for ali matters con¬
cerning, affecting or relating to the construction, alteration and
removal of buildings or structures erected or to be erected in the
City of New York; and be it further
Resolved, That, for the purpose 0! properly preparing the build¬
ing code, the said committee be and hereby is, authorized to appoint
experts as follows: Four architects, four engineers, one of whom
shall be recommended by the New York Board of Fire Underwriters;
five builders, one mechanic, two plumbers and one legal expert,
each of whom shall be a resident of the City of New Y'ork, and shall
have been engaged not less than five years in his respective calling.
Tbe said Commission to revise the building code shall consist
further of the several Borough Presidents or their respective Super¬
intendents of Buildings, when so formally named, and tbe Chief of
the Fire Department of the City o£ New York; and it is further
Resolved. That the said committee be and it hereby is, authorized
to appoint a clerical force necessary to the proper conduct of tbe
business of said Commission; and it is further
Resolved, That any and all resolutions or ordinances or parts
thereof, inconsistent or confiicting witii the provisions of this reso¬
lution be, and they are hereby repealed.
Tire Vice-Chairman moved that the third paragraph be stricken
from the above resolution.
W^hicb motion was adopted.
The resolution was then adopted, as amended.
Then by resolution (No. 103), offered by Alderman Brown, the
building code reported to the Board of Aldermen at its meet¬
ing on DecembM- 2 was referred to the Committee on Buildings
for its favorable consideration.
It will be observed that a number of tbe members of the old
commission are reappointed under the resolution. The other
members are expected to be named in a report to the Board
of Aldermen at its next meeting.
Points on the Material Market.
Soil pipe is from five to ten per cent higher.
Staple lines in tinware have been reduced in prices to dealers
from five to eight per cent.
Sash weights are quoted at $25 to ^â– 28 per ton. which is con-
:^idered a fair market at this time.
The Seaboard Cement Company, of Catslvill, N. Y., is about
Lo break,ground for a new cetnent mill near the village.
Miiliken Bros, have obtained the sub-contract for the steel
work for the reconstruction of the old Custom House for the
National City Bank, some 3,100 tons.
This present year resembles inC4 in its building conditions;
and. 1904 began softiyj you remember, just after the great
strikes of 1003—and ended in a roar.
The Jersey shore will take excepttonal quantities of building
material this season. At Bayonne a'one it is estimated that
fully five hundred buildings will be erected.
The twenty-second convention of the National Brick Manu¬
facturers' Association will be held at Columbus, O., Feb. 5 to 8,
1008, with headquarters at the Southern Hotel.
This is remarkable weather for winter, so mild and bright.
Outside mechanics have rarely seen better working weather
at this season^and if they only had plenty to do. P. S.: This
was true when it was written.
Manufacturers' prices on building hardware are in for a
general reduction of about ten per cent., with but few lines
excepted. It is understood that the associated factories have
so decided. .
Bankers say that money for real estate loans will be more
plentiful in the spring, on a basis of fifty per cent, of assessed
valuation;'and then gradually easier. Savings banks will give-
small borrowers the preference.