Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 94, no. 2416: Articles]: July 4, 1914

Text version:

AND BUILDERS NEW YORK, JULY 4, 1914 biSilHIMilliliiiiilli w THE GOVERNOR PROMISES RELIEF FOR OWNERS | The Next Legislature Will Amend the State Fire Prevention and Factory Laws— Kings County Grand Jury Brings in Presentment Against Inspection Evils. I liiiilllliliiliii^^^^^ .....IliiiiM^^^^^^ .....liillllillliM .....iiilllilill!l!liMiIII|li IT has just developed that Governor Glynn has for some time been quietly weighing the whole situation as regards the labor laws in their relation to expensive structural changes to build¬ ings throughout this State, and has come to the conclusion that in many particu¬ lars these laws are unnecessarily severe. The Governor's attention was turned to this matter by complaints which for some months have been pouring into his office. These complaints have come from manufacturers and real estate owners all over New York State, but especially from New York City, where most of the orders for structural changes have been issued and where the laws have pressed most heavily. In the position which he tnkes on this tnatter. in a statement given out at Al¬ bany, the Governor vindicates the atti¬ tude taken by the Real Estate Board of New York in its efforts for reasonable amendments to the labor law. He sav'-: "We have already placed New York far in advance of many other States of the Union in the line of progressive leg¬ islation to meet the justified demands of the toilers of our State. The State Fac¬ tory Investigating Commission heard the cry of the mass of men and women toil¬ er's and was responsible for the enact- ment of remedial measures that guaran^ tee to the factory employees the right to live as well as the license to work. As a result of the new laws secured by the Factory Commission, many factory buildings were practically remodelled so that now their occupants are given healthful surroundings. The result has been the manufacturers get better work out of their employees, because they are healthv and cheerful, and the cemeteries and tuberculosis sanitariums are the only losers.'* Has Gone Too Far. The Governor makes it plain that there should be no laxity in the care of the factory employees throughout the State. On the other hand, he thinks ^he pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. He says: "I do not believe in legislation so rad¬ ical that it means an attack on the valua¬ tion of real estate or driving out of our State manufacturing concerns or other large business enterprises. Real estate owners tell me that strict compliance with some of our laws would mean re¬ construction of their buildings; while others insist there is such a general mix- up of orders from State and local ait- thorities in New York City, that it is often a question as to whether an order given by a local authority today will not be rescHided bv State authority tomor¬ row. It has also been stated that in¬ spectors from the Department of Labor in New York, and attaches of the Fire Prevention Bureau and the Industrial Board, are seemingly pulling against one another in their work of building super¬ vision and inspection, to the end that the real estate owners and the manufactur¬ ers are often in serious doubt as to just where they are at." The Governor commends the work of Governor Glynn, seeing the injury that is being done to the majority of the people of the State, directly or indirectly, through ill-advised fire-prevention and factory laws, frankly avows it and virtually promises to have amendments made by the next Legislature. The Kings County Grand Jury has set the courts in motion against those responsible for continuing the public annoy¬ ance and official extravagance re¬ sulting from the over-inspection of buildings. the State Factory Investigating Com- niission and especially its energy in ar¬ ranging hearings in New York and in other large cities of the State in order to bring out, as it is doing, facts and suggestions on the workings of the law. The Governor adds: "That these hearings will be fruitful of excellent results is beyond question, and I feel that enough information will be gathered to make certain a solution of this great industrial problem, which will be as fair to the real estate owner and manufacturer as we are so zealously insisting it should be for the men and women workers of the State." Comment by President McGuire. Commenting on this statement by Governor Glynn, Laurence M. D. Mc¬ Guire, President of the Real Estate Board of New York said: "The conclusion reached by the Gov¬ ernor is the inevitable conclusion bound to be reached by everyone who gives serious consideration to the way the drastic features of the law have been working in New York and throughout the State. "The purpose of the Labor Law was to make life safe and work more pleas¬ ant for factory operatives. This was a laudable purpose and every humane per¬ son will uphold it. But zeal has carried some of us too far. This whole thing must be brought down to a practical plane. We must have safety without confiscation; fithout conflict of author¬ ity; without needless expense that in many cases has reached practically the point of confiscation. "We must have, as I infer from the Governor's language he wishes us to have, a rational law rationally adminis¬ tered. Any other kind will ultimately be as harmful to workers and operatives as it will be to owners." Hearings by the Industrial Board. Real estate owners generally, and par¬ ticularly owners of factorv buildings, will be interested in several public hear¬ ings to be held next week by the Indus¬ trial Board at its offices, 381 Fourth ave¬ nue. The first subject to be taken up by the Industrigil Bo4r4 will be the proposed rules and regulations relating to the construction, guarding, equipment, main¬ tenance and operation of elevators and hoistways. Tliis hearing will begin at 10 a. m., Tuesday, July 7th. The hearing on VVednesday will begin at the same hour and will be on the pro¬ posed rules defining fireproof and fire- resisting materials and describing cer¬ tain specifications relating to construc¬ tion. These matters are all to be taken up in the report of the Industrial Board's Committee on Fire Hazards. On this committee the Real Estate Board of New York was represented by Alfred R. Kirkus and later by George W. Olvany. On July 7 and 8 at 3 p. m. will be held public hearings on three propositions of the Industrial Board. The first is for the amendment of what is known as Regulation 2, which makes certain severe requirements for the enclosure of stair¬ ways. Proposition 2 is to amend the Board's Regulation 3 so as to substitute the words "fire resisting" for the word "in¬ combustible" applying to stairway en¬ closures in factory buildings in which articles of a combustible nature are kept. Proposition 3 is a proposed new rule wiiich will correct a provision of the law that has given a great deal of trouble to owners of factory buildings. The pro¬ posed new rule reads as follows: "When, in addition to the required ex¬ its of any factory or factory building, there exist one or more outside fire-es¬ capes not constructed in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Law relat¬ ing to fire escapes, such fire escapes may be retained without being changed to conform to such provisions, if steps are taken, satisfactory to the Commis¬ sioner of Labor, to prevent their use as a means of exit." Grand Jury Presentment. The courts are taking cognizance of the unfair burdens that have been put ui^on property owners. Among the in¬ dictments handed up this week by the Grand Jury of Kings County was a jjresentment to the court in which it deplored the "foolish, ridiculous and useless system" of building inspection now in vogue in the Greater City and in the Borough of Brooklyn in particular, and urged the assembling of the au¬ thority of inspection in one or two de¬ partments instead of eight, as at pres¬ ent. Judge Fawcett. in accepting the pre¬ sentment, congratulated the members of the jury on its timeliness, as the mat¬ ter has been taken up by manv civic bodies and is now receiving the atten-. tion of the authorities at Albany. The presentment reads: "The Grand Jury of the County of Kings for June. 1914, deems it its duty to protest against the great burdens that are put upon the real estate own-* ers of the Countv of Kings by fhe muT- tiplieity of inspections of the various departments of the city, 'and of the foolish, ridiculous, useless system that goes with it, which menaces the progress of the Greater City_ and the Borough of Brooklyn in particular. 'There i? jiq question -^bout this fact-