The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-21
FIRE MARSHAL LAW
Committee Believes Bill for State Official
 Would Not Pass.

Hartford, April 21-The bill provid-
 ing for a State fire marshal to hold off1ce for four years was again con- sidered by the committee on Insurance
 yesterday afternoon. Fire Commis-
 sioner A. H. Bullard of Bridgeport,
 president Of the Fire Prevention Asso-
 citation of Connecticut, was the princi,
 pal speaker. Senator Chase, chairman
 or the committee, explained that the
 committee would not be in favor of
 any or the provisions of the old bill
 relating to detection and punishment
 or crime by the fire marshal, and that
 the only basis on which they could
 appear before the Legislature and ar
 que in favor of the bill was that of
 prevention of fire loss
 Commissioner Bullard told how he
 came to be interested in this work,
 after he had been appointed a member Of the fire board. Often, he said, the Common Council would favor some one person at the expense of the many m m mat It permitted person for polit- lca1 reasons to store and keep explo- SlVeS and other inflammable and com pustlDle substances in improper places
 Speaking of the effect of fire ordi- nances in his city he said that the council would time and time again turn down the fire marshal or chief when he attempted to enforce them. simply because the aggrieved party appealed to it.
 Referring to the fire marshal he said that he did not know specifically what advantage it would be to the State but that he was sure if he was ap- pointed to fill the position. that he could save the State a large sum of money in the prevention of fires. by causing the dangerous places to be cleaned up. He then cited several instances of fires caused by careless ness in the care of inf1ammable ma ter1als and of the difficulty experience co in forcing people to keep their premises clean, through lack of the proper laws.
 Replying to a question of the com mlttee MT. Bullard said there was not accord between the State police and the fire departments. the latter beIiev- ing the former knew nothing about their business, and that for this reason the law, if left to the State police, IS now, would not be satisfactory. What we want" said he, ''is to be able to summon in an expert from the State in case of fire, and one who would also be able to tell whether the local fire marshals were doing their duty and to hack them up in the perform ance of this''
 The committee were agreed that some means of prevention should be adopted and after considerable discus sion as to the best way this could be brought about left the matter in the hands Of Representative Fuller to have 8 substitute drawn covering the vari- ouS points made during the hearing. It seemed to be the opinion of the committee that the matter should be 1 left in the hands of the local fire | and the State police, that the | fire marshals should be given power | to enforce the regulations and that | they should be backed up by the State l police. Then after this is tried for | TWO years and should prove to be non- | a bill for a State fire | marshal could be better introduced | It was the general opinion that a bill | appointing State fire marshal would | 'ail of passage anyway at the present lime