The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-01-19
Want SAFE HOTELS.
travelling Men Are to Enforce
Certain Regulations.

} movement of travelling men to compel no
tel Iroprietors to live up to the letter
of the laws pertaining to fire escapes ans
, other prescribed protection for guests
, has been begun in Minnesota as result
| of the West hotel fire and the origina.
{ tors of the campaign declare it will soor
spread through the land The travellers
, themselves will be pledged to investi.
gate the various hostelries at which
!, they stop, and if they find houses that
are not thoroughly equipped with mod
ern protective apparatus as prescribed by
! the laws in their states or cities, will
themselves swear out complaints anG
compel the authorities to enforce the
statutes.
1t is our intention that action be
taken by the various organizations of
travelling men to bring about regard OF
| the law and alleviate the wantOn care
lessness of hotel men," said one of the
advocates of the movement today 'The
question doubtless will be taken before
the annual meeting of the Iowa State
| Travelling Mems association at Des
Moines next month and proposed at the
annual meetings of the various other
strong societies of the travelling men in
other states at their first meetings. Al
ready scores Of travellers are aoitatinc
| the matter and several prominent Off
GERS of the United Commercial Travel
ers have become interested and promised
the recklesress that subjects our breth-
rem to such peril.
'The first step of our crusade will be
a study of the laws pertaining to fire
protection Every member will be ex
pected to become conversant with the
statutes covering this subject in the
states and principal cities he visits.
Equipped with this knowledge, he will
be able to proceed intelligently and pro
duce results. Arrived at a hotel he
will LOOK it over. If its defects are oh
vious he will be expected to arrange to
prosecute.
eve believe that it is no more than
just that we bring about the enforce
ment of these laws, many of which have
lain disregarded since their passage. Real
ly, it is up to us to put them into ac
ton, for no other class is so vitality con
cerned. We are compelled to put up at
hotels and spend the greater share o!
our nights in them. We could hardly
expect any other class of people to work
for our safety. Travellers were in tn
majority of those who met death in the
West hotel fire and formed large ma
jority of the guests in the hotel that
night.
Possibly many will doubt if there is
ment. Just let a doubter accompany
one of us for week and see the fire
traps we are compelled to trust our
lives in night after night. We have Ne
other place to go. OF three or four no
tells in a goodsized city, it will be diff
fcult to determine which is the leas.
protected. The rule obtains the countr,
through even in states where strict laws
covering this very subject are found OIL
the statutes. They are now inactive
laws, and it is up to us to stir them in
to action.
"At present there are hotel laws ga
lore in nearly every state, but it will
be found that those that are enforced
or have been active within ten or twelve
years are those favoring the hotel pro
prictOr. He can force us to pay for our
meals and lodging, after we have regis
tered, whether we spend another five
minutes in his house or not. The penal
pretty good size, too, we are charged Tor
electricity we burn after midnight. 1t is
time that the hotel man give us some
return,and we'll demand it now, though
it will be no more than a just enforce
ment of the laws.
''In several states and cities there are
no laws at all, and in others the stat
utes are lamentably weak. With our
movement well under way, it will be our
further purpose to see that weak laws
are strengthened and suitable precau
tions compelled where there are no pres
ent laws governing fire protection. We
ask nothing but justice and the rea
sonable protection that we and those de-
pendent upon us deserve. Already the
campaign has won its converts, and in
dividually the travellers will boycott
hotels that do not provide protection UNI
til they perfect an organized movement
in their societies.
Final Rites Pronounced