Research

Scope and Content Note

These records concern the commission's preparation of proposals to consolidate New York City building inspection agencies to reduce the number of inspections necessary.

The series contains: draft invitation to a conference on the issue; draft and printed leaflet of questions on what type of legislation should be enacted; manuscript draft and typed list of extracts of answers to a questionnaire regarding the establishment of a separate building inspection agency (the questionnaire and complete answers are published in Preliminary Report of the Factory Investigating Commission, Vol. I, 1912); draft letter arguing against establishing a separate inspection agency, printed plan and bill proposals, and typescript drafts of various plans to consolidate inspection agencies and minimize the number of inspections necessary; publications with articles on building inspection or construction; and lists of questions, one with answers included, prepared by the New York Society of Architects to ask of the Bureau of Buildings. Early in its investigation of factory working conditions, the Commission became aware of the inadequacies in the system of inspection of buildings. Many of the Commission's recommendations for improvement became law in 1916 (Ch. 503). The Commission's proposals and a summary of its study of building inspections was published in Fourth Report of the Factory Investigating Commission, Volume 1 (1915).