The Press., 1890-05-15
(Hartford Post.) CONNECTICUT FACTORIES.

w. G. Simmons, state inspector of fac- tories, has been ill Waterbury several days. Last summer he inspected several manu- featuring establishments in the city. and now he is completing the list, MT. Sim mons is personally g very agreeable man, aud he goes at his work of inspections in straight forward and business like method.
 His inspection is made in reference to ventilation, cleanliness, dangerous ma chinery and water closets. He goes thro' a factory from bottom to top, and his ex- animation is thorough and searching. When he finds any changes that need to be made he orders them to be; done, and the managers are obliged to comply with the orders within thirty days.
 "But how do you know whether your orders are carried into effect or not ?" ask ed Waterbury Republican reporter of Inspector Simmons, Wednesday evening.
 1T cannot always tell, replied MT. Sim mons, "but the manufacturers generally cooperate with me and make no objection to executing my orders. ..,..s...
 "I am confident that the cases in which there is an attempt to evade making the changes ordered are exceedingly few. There are frequent changes which I sug- gest rather than order. The manufactur- CTS realize that judicious factory inspect ion is a benefit alike to themselves and to their employees The moral support that the press has given to me since my report was issued has been of invaluable aid to me. Before that time some of the manu- lecturers felt that the state was interfering unjustifably in private affairs, but the cor dial interest that the press has manifested towards my work has dispelled such ideas.
 "What changes need to be made in the e. 1ax -s.Hnv should be given authority to order the owners of buildings to provide suitable fire escapes. Throughout the state find large number of factories, hotels, halls and other large buildings which are ex- ceedingly defective in this particular, and great risk is constantly incurred. And frequently where there are fire escapes, access to them is blocked by obstacles. In my next report shall recommend an amendment to the factory inspection law, in the matter of fire escapes. a Another de- feet in the law is the lack of sufficient pro- l vision for executing it thoroughly. At present the inspector is obliged to do both the office and field work. Nearly one-half of the people of the state who have occu- patton are now employed in factories, and the last census enumerated over 200 speci-
 fled industries. Now, it is physical i'm possibility for one man to inspect all these manufactories and do it thoroughly. There should be an assistant. In Massa- chusetts force of twenty men is employ ed in the york;
 MT. Simmons says that the object of factory inspection is 10 conserve the safety and health of the employees, and that the better their safety and health are cared for the better it is for their employers. The condition of factories varies greatly ln different parts of the state. In some localities the sanitary condition is good, and in others it is abominable. Good ventilation, good sanitation, cleanliness and protected machinery tend, according to MT. Simmons thinking, to make em. ployes contented and employers prosper ous.