Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 93, no. 2406: Articles]: April 25, 1914

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REAL . ESTATE AND ^^ BUILDERS NEW YORK, APRIL 25, 1914 it .,!;:;=■: .■,!,,, • ]■ ... i..........IIIII.......Ill.......ij......:......;jii......jiiiiii...........IS.............I......i!.........I........I.........iiiii.....'......''11]......['.....I......iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiS3.....iiiiiiiS!: ■■■ s:....."s.......■......s.....HI...........>.......iiiaiaiiiBiiM^^^^^^^.....i'......iiasai:.....i:i.............aiiiaiiiiiiii' REAL ESTATE BOARD'S NOTABLE VICTORY iiiiiiii;ii;iF«i:ii Drastic Factory Laws For Low Buildings Modified By New Legisla¬ tion—How the Amendments Were Obtained and What They Mean. ,111;, .1' I........iillillilliillllilllllillllllllillillllli.:iWlillllillll!lili ........Iliillillllilllllilliiiiiiillillllililli THE biggest victory that has been won by the real estate interests during the past ten years was gained through the untiring efforts of the Real Estate Board to secure amendments to the drastic labor laws that became oper¬ ative October 1 last. These laws, passed last year after the State Factory In¬ vestigating Commission had filed its re¬ port, were particularly severe and dras¬ tic, as they related to comparatively safe ' four, five and six-story buildings. Un¬ intentionally the laws as they wei-e en¬ acted meant confiscation of equities in many small store and loft structures', buildings that are practically safe, but which, because the definition of a fac¬ tory "is a place where one or more persons are employed at labor," are brought within the scope of the law. They were placed in the same class as factory structures, like the Triangle Waist factory. The burning of that building, and the resultant loss of life, were chiefly responsible for this legisla¬ tion of 1913. The Real Estate Board encountered stubborn opposition at every move when it began to seek relief. The opposition came mostly from self-constituted bodies of uplift workers who were insistent that no change in the law was necessary. But the moment the SFate authorities com¬ menced to enforce the laws a strong sentiment against certain provisions that were both drastic and unfair swept over the city, and was shared by both owners and tenants. Protests were raised on every hand, and it only needed a power¬ ful body, such as' the Real Estate Board of New York, to take up the fight and secure the desired results. Early in March President McGuire called a meeting of fifteen real estate men to discuss ways and means of se¬ curing amendments. The situation was discussed, and a special committee con¬ sisting of President Warren Cruikshank and Chas. F. Noyes was' appointed, with authority to handle the subject. At the meeting of fifteen there were present: Charles F. Noyes, Albert B. Ashforth, Frank Lord, of Daniel Birdsall & Co.; Gerald R. Brown, of the Equitable; W. T. Ropes, of Horace S. Ely & Co.; Lau¬ rence M. D. McGuire, Lawrence B. Elli¬ man. of Pease & Elliman; Chas. D. Cone, of Douglas Robinson, Chas. S. Brown Co.; Alwyn Ball, Jr., of Southack & Ball; F. M. Hilton, of Wm. A. White & Sons; M. J. Engel, of the Central Iron Works; James Walker, of Wm. C. Wal¬ ker's Sons: Lewis D. Sartlpson, Warren Cruikshank, of the Cruikshank Com¬ pany. The special committee immediately took up in an active way the matter of securing necessary relief from the Leg¬ islature, and received much valuable as¬ sistance from the Industrial and Build- in<» Codes' Committee of the Board, of which committee Mr. Noyes is chair¬ man. A hearing before the State Factory Investigating Commission was secured about the middle of March, and while it was thought that only a few would be present, more than two hundred real estate men, representing not only the CHARLES F. NOYES Chairman Industrial and Codes Committee. Real Estate Board but the United Real Estate Owners, the Merchants' Associa¬ tion, the American Institute of Archi¬ tects and several engineering societies appeared at this hearing. The State Factory Investigating Com¬ mission and Abram I. Elkus. its counsel, recognizing the tremendous sentiment against the legislation as it affected low buildings'—those of four, five and six stories—immediately co-operated with the real estate interests, and several conferences were held between the spe¬ cial committe of the board, the counsel of the State Factory Investigating Com¬ mission and the Industrial Board. The result of these conferences was that the amendments were finally passed on March 27, the day that the Legislature adjourned. The Governor has now signed both bills. Great credit is due to the committee of three having charge of this legisla¬ tion, as well as to the Industrial and Building Codes Committee. Alfred R. Kirkus and William P. Bannister also worked hard for the Real Estate Board to accomplish the desired res'ults, as did also Alfred E. Smith, Democratic leader of the Assembly, and the Hon. Robert F. Wagner, majority leader of the Sen¬ ate. In this connection it is of interest to real estate owners to know that Mr. Kirkus has been placed on one or two committees by the Industrial Board, and from now on the Real Estate Board is to be represented in all matters of im¬ portance that come up before the In¬ dustrial Board. Special credit is also due to Mr. E. A. Tredwell, who has al¬ ways taken a profound interest in this phase of the board's work, both during his term as president of the board, and more recently as a member of the Fire Hazards Committee of the Industrial Board. The Industrial Board, consisting of Maurice Wertheim, Pauline Goldmark, Richard J. Cullen and Charles C. Flaesch, is doing everything it can fairly to interpret the laws, and it is thought that this board will be practical in all of its interpretations of the law. The amendments secured not only re¬ lieve the owners of buildings five stories or less in height from costly structural charges, but place the responsibility for proper ventilation, etc., in factories upon the tenant, instead of the owner. The following are the amendments: .Senate Bill Print. 1670 Int. 1223: Fire escapes can be used as a required means of exit on buildings of five stories or less in height, except when in the opinion of the Industrial Board they do not furnish adequate means of escape from fire. Fire escapes on buildings' over five stories in height may be used as the re¬ quired means of exit, when in the opin¬ ion of the Industrial Board they can be safely used. Interior stairways, serving as a re¬ quired means of exit, do not have to be enclosed in buildings of five stories' or less in height, unless the Industrial Board, because of conditions, deems it necessary. Window frames and sashes can be covered with metal instead of being of metal. Senate Bill Print. 1670 Int. 1224: These amendments are summarized as follows: Openings in elevators and hoistways' can be provided with a gate of suitable height instead of a 6 ft. gate as for¬ merly required. Fire-escapes erected on buildings con¬ structed before Oct. 1, 1913, of five stories or less in height, need not com¬ ply with the new laws as to the cut¬ ting down of openings to the floor and the construction of such openings are to be governed by the present law ap¬ plicable to fire escapes. Persons operating factories are now compelled to look after the ventilation instead of the owner. Persons operating factories are now compelled to provide dressing and emer¬ gency rooms instead of the owner. Water closets may have suitable ducts' leading to the outer air, as well as win¬ dows. A Hearing Called. The New York State Factory Investi¬ gating Commission, of which Senator Wagner is chairman, will give its first public hearing of the present year at Citv Hall next Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock. A series of questions' have been sub¬ mitted to property owners concerning the fire hazard in mercantile establish¬ ments, so as to guide the commission in drafting its recommendations. Among the questions asked are these: 1. Shall all vertical openings' between floors be enclosed in fireproof partitions.