The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-09
HALLS AND CHURCHES
MUST GET PERMITS
Public Safety Committee Drafts
an Ordinance Designed to
Protect the People.

Under the rough draft of an ord1-
nance drawn by the city building de-
partment it is proposed that the mu-
nicipa1ity shall have police control over
all churches, halls, theaters and other
places of public assemblage, and if the
measure is adopted as it will be re-
ported to the council committee the ef-
feet will doubtless be considered
drastic in the extreme.
It is proposed to give the building de-,
partment authority to issue or refuse
to issue a permit allowing the use of
given hall or place of public assem-
blage for ordinary and usual purposes.
A license will not be necessary, but
permit will be required from all, the
building inspector to be the judge as
to whether the permit should issue.
To secure a permit the owner Of the
hall or the congregation controlling
the church must make application to
the building inspector, who will go over
the plans just as though they were
for new building, gauge the seating
capacity or estimate the number of
dancers that could be accommodated,
etc. and upon the figures base his de-
mand for additional exits or fire es-
capes
Until the changes are made the hall
or church cannot be used for the ac-
commodation of more persons than
could easily reach the street in case of
fire. The possibilities of danger will be,
to some extent, estimated upon the
construction of the building and the
rapidly with which it might be con-
Sumed. E@ss-ssss5
no do fnr craf
ings where all the people are familiar
with the building, knowing the various
exits and fire escapes, such as lodges,
churches, societies and the like, but
from a general standpoint the regula-
tions must be compiled with.
Speaking of the proposed ordinance,
the first draft of which is now in the
hands of the stenographer, Building In
spector F. II. Ellerbe said to T h e
Globe:
Permit Will Aid Police.
1.-THE idea of the ordinance that has
been prepared is to put every place of
public assemblage on its merits. An in
| spection will be made when hall applies
| for a permit, and after inspection l will
issue the permit, stating the number OF
persons who are allowed to congregate
| in the hall at any one time This permit
must be hung in the hall, and will be a
| guide to the police. who will be supposed
| to see that the number specified is not
| exceeded If there should be violation,
| it will be the duty of the police depart
ment to cause the arrest of the person or
! persons responsible, in addition to which
| it will be within the power of the de-
partment to revoke the permit. With
such a measure ] believe that the situa-
| ton can be controlled and the possibility
of death-dealing fires avoided as far as 1t
| is possible.
| This regulation is directly attribu-
table to the Iroquois theater fire in
Chicago, shortly after which time the
city council appointed a special COM
mitteesso on public safety and put this
question in its charge The ordinance
that is now being submitted is a result
of request from the committee, and
| if the rough draft of the measure
proves satisfae tory the corporation at
torney will draw the ordinance and 1t
will be considered by the council. The
members of the public safety commit
tee are Assemblymen Haas, Whitcomb
and Rosen; Aid. Corning, Dahlquist
and Holt
| 1t is expected that the ordinance will
| have decided opposition if it comes
before the council in the proposed
form, as it would compel expensive
repairs of numerous halls in the city,
many of which will accommodate
from 800 to 400 people and have but
one narrow exit. It is not thought that
many of the churches will be affected.