The Irish standard., 1906-01-13

provides that "any building or struc-
ture kept, used or maintained or adj
vertised or held out to the public to be
an inn. public lodging-house or place
where sleeping accommodations are
furnished to the public, whether with
or without meals, shall be provided
with more than one way Of egress
from each story or floor. leading d.
rectly to the ground, and such ways Of
egress must at all times be kept free
and clear Of any obstruction and in
good repair, ready and suitable for i'm
mediate use. Each outside bedroom
or sleeping apartment on any, other
than the ground floor of any building
or structure kept. used or maintained
as, or advertised, or held out to the
public to be an inn, hotel, public lodg-
ing-house or place where sleeping ac-
commodations are furnished to the
public, whether with or without meals,
shall be supplied with and there shall
be kept at all times in plain sight in
such bedroom or sleeping apartment
and securely attached therein and
thereto hempen rope of not less than
three eighths of an inch in diameter,
d -
the ground, and of sufficient strength
to sustain a weight and strain of at
least five hundred pounds" We have
also city ordinances which make SINH
lar provisions for the safety of people
in high buildings. 1t is needless to
say that these provisions were disre-
garded in the case Of the West Hotel.
An examination of the other hotels in
the city preceding the fire would have
disclosed a similar neglect. No doubt
by the owners Of hotels to provide for
the hurried inspection which state and
city officials will MAJ, as a result of
the calamity which las overtaken the
city.
It is not surprising that there is
among the lower classes a growing
disrespect for law. They have the ex-
ample set to them by the wealthy and
the influential. The man who on sum-
mer evenings takes up his stand upon
the street corners and breaches his
socialistic doctrines to all who will lis
ten may rightly answer to the police
man who runs him in for attracting
a crowd, that the leading citizen zyho
has just passed in his automobile is
exceeding the speed limit on tbs prin-
cipal business thoroughfare Of the
city! The people themselves are to
blame for the situation. They could,
if they would, compel yublic officials
to enforce the laws. Public opinion
should make it popular for leading
citizens to obey the laws. The poor
unfortunate who steals from depart
ment store to clothe her children or
satisfy her vanity is small offender.
indeed, compared with the leading citi-
zen whose greed and disrespect for
law daily endangers the lives of hum
dreds entrusted to his care. There is
h i'm hn toll IN
do besides raising storms of dust
about saloons and other similar issues
simply for the purpose of concealing
real dangers and difficulties.
Life in a crowded community, such
as large city, is subjected to dangers
enough without adding therto the dan
gers occasioned by the misdemeanors
and crimes of leading citizens. People
who live in city must Of necessity
trust their lives and their health in a
sary for us to travel upon streetcars,
to cross bridges, to ride in elevators
and to walk upon sidewalks, UNDER
meath signs and overhanging wires
charged with deadly fluid. We cannot,
each for ourselves, determine whether
bridge Is safe or a wall sound, or
whether an electric current is properly
encased. Nor are we chemists, able
to pass upon the healthfulness of the
food and water that is provided for
our use. We have public servants
supposed to be experts whose duty it
Is to look out for these matters. In
the country districts each man is in a
great measure his own protector. He
is not exposed to the dangers arising
from living in crowded communities.
The ineff1ciency and criminal neglect
of Our public servants leave the people
of the city in most instances with no
other or better protection than the
man who lives in the country. How
many calamities brought on by crimi-
nal neglect must we have in Mime
apolis before the people will awaken
to their duty and insist upon their
public servants doing something to
earn the money which is paid to them
Will we ever have public servants in
Minneapolis who will insist upon lead