The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-18
UNIFORM FIRE ESCAPE LAWS
ADVOCATED BY THE STATE FAC
 TORY INSPECTOR.
would Make Enforcement of Them ln Factories Mandatory-ReeOmmends That Terms "csIIar,. "Basement" and "when Once ciosed"in Baksshop Laws be Clearly Dsnned-cond,tion of Bakeshops.

Hartford, Jan. 17.-In the annual re- port of Factory Inspector George L. Mclean, which will be submitted to Governor Chamberlain tomorrow, uni form legislation regarding fire-escape laws is advocated and the recommend ation made that at the next session of the general assembly the fire-escape laws of this state be amended so that enforcement of them in factories be made mandatory. Another recommend ation relates to the bake-shop laws. and is that the terms cellar" basement and when once closed' be clearly de- fined.
 During the year ended September 30, 1903, 1880 factories were inspected, in which 132.24S of the employees were male and 49,S57, or about one-third, were fe- male. A number of factories were found in which twenty or more persons were employed above the second floor and in which only one way of egress was provided. At one factory 14O wo- men were employed on four different
 
 fire occurred during working hours loss of life might have resulted Tn other factories the inspector reports having found the fire escapes and stairways So obstructed that they could not be used, and the tenants of such buildings were so crowded for room that they were using the fire escapes and entryways l for storage purposes. Regarding these conditions Inspector Mclean says that 1 the fault lies with the tenants, as the owners of the buildings have provided good and sufficient means of egress. The inspector mentions the R. & G. Corset company factory, of South Nor walk as the best protected large fac tory he knows of
 l Concerning bakeries, 254 of which were visited during the year, the report, after contrasting the conditions relative to location with those of 1897, says that the cellar and basement shops are be- ing gradually eliminated. To the con- i solidation of baking interests and the l requirements of the new law is attrib- uted the closing of objectionable places l Continuing, the report says:
 1 Several bakeries were found in the course of construction in basements, but the parties, being notified that this was contrary to law, located in first floor shops. It would seem that after six years of inspection and the publica- tion by the press of the requirements of the law regarding the condition of bakeries they should be known to every i one. The condition of bakeries has been greatly improved during this time, and while there will probably be found some places each year in unsanitary Econdition, by the proper enforcement of the law such conditions will be largely done away with
 Many complaints were received re- garding the ventilation of water closets. At some places the water pressure was very low during the summer months, and consequently closets situated on upper floors of factories did not flush properly, thereby creating conditions which can only be overcome by forcing
 water to a storage tank at suitable l location. Tn large factories where gang closets were found the ventilation was greatly improved by the use of 9 blower connected with a metal draught pipe leading from the main one under meath each closet seat.