The San Francisco call., 1910-04-27


"The California club and 10000 women
in this city will fight the use of ex-
pIosives on the fourth of July in order
ia protect the children Of the city from
the peril of firewOrks."-NRS. LOUIS
HERTZ. chairman civic section, Cali
fOrnfa club.
ssNhat if The fire department has to do
extra work on tho fourth Of JuIys That
won't he anything extraordinary. Those
cIubwOmen always oppose anything
Ihst's progressive" - SUPERVISOR
NELSON.
san Francisco win have a sane and
safe. q freless and hrecrackerless
fourth of July, if the combined efforts
of Fire Marshal Charles Towe. the fire
department and the women of the Cali
fornia club. headed by Mrs. Louise
Hertz chairman OF the civic section,
can defeat the bill which was intro
duced in the board of supervisors yes
: terday afternoon by Supervisor Charles
a. Nelson.
= AT the meeting of the joint police
and fire committee OF the board held
3: yesterday afternoon Nelson, chairman
= Of the committee, introduced an amend
inent 10 the existing ordinance which
prohibits the sale or use of fireworks
:of any description in the city al any
time and particularly on the fourth.
- The Nelson amendment as he de-
scribed il last evening. would simply
have the effect Of permitting the use
= of > inch hrecrackers and of half-ounce
rockets.
:. But Fire Marshal Towe is determined
that there shall be no amendment to
the law.
DEPARTMENT. NOT READY
The fire department at this time and
-. with the present unfinished condition
"a Of the fire fighting auxiliary water
system is in no shape 10 cope with a
q. fourth OF July fire. declared Towe.
and the wooden type of buildings in
- :the Mission and the Western addition
makes terribly hazardous the least lat
.itude In the use OF fireworks
The women Of the California club and
:. OF every other important club in San
Francisco. bent on safe guarding the
FIN gers. eyes and lives of the children
from the hazard Of the cannon cracker
and the sizzer and the rocket, are de-
termiRed that these perils shall not be
placed in the way of San Francisco
children this year. For the last four
years There have been safe and sane"
celebrations Of independence day, and
II is cOntended that the bloodless ira
dition shall continue. The presidents
Of l. womens clubs met with Mrs.
Hertz and the civic section of the Cali
fornia club Yesterday. and as the rep
resentatiTes Of 10000 clubwomen in the
city started 4 monster petition to pre-
sent to the board Of supervisors asking
1hat body not to adopt the Nelson
ordinance.
These women's clubs always oppose
3 everything that's progressive" declared
nl law INC
tile fact that the safe and sane" fourth
OF July movement is the really pro-
Eressive aspect of the Independence day
idea-a movement which has the in
-5lorsement Of President Taft, the gov
.crnors Of % states and the mayors of
- cities I'm the United States, including
Mayor Gayaor of New York.
+: BIAMES FIREWORKS CONCERN
Fire Marshal Towe stated yesterday
tlrat II is the influence of the Newton
company. Successors OF the California
fireworks company. which has worked
. ito get Nelson TO introduce his ordi-
dance.. Nelson denied yesterday that
. afiy agency has been working to per
- .S-lade him TO Introduce his ordinance.
-. .-+' li order tiTat the matter of amend
'lDeuts TO the nrecracker ordinance may
:.je properly considered, the police and
p. Gre committee yesterday put the bill
oyer two weeks. till May 10, when ii
will he taken up in committee and the
=. FIRST fight on the measure viii be made.
.. - 1T win be most disastrous in every
=: wa isto pass this Nelson ordinance" de-
.1clared tho fire marshal yesterday. For
-. fnuT years we have had strong law in
:efeect regulating the use of fireworks
.on she fourth Of July, and prohibiting
!: crackers. rockets, bombs and other dan
~ Eereus. devices which once were gen
=. orally used and caused irreparable dam
age IF the law is changed it will mean
that there Will be a connagration in the
city
sIUSF BE FORBIDDEN
There is no objection to the boys
firing torpedos and such noise produc-
ing things, nor TO the exhibition of set
pieces of fireworks in specified districts
under proper supervisions such as We're
given during the Portola celebration
But the indscriminate explosion and
use Of fireworks must not be allowed
under any consideration.
This city can not stand fire. and il
not prepared fora big one. which would
almost surely follow the unrestricted
use of fireworks. The Mission an,
Western addition is shingled in worl
for-the most part and would afford
starting point for fires. Then, toe
- throughout the city there are man,
buildings fn course Of construction
with open and unfinished windows an
0p0lWaNS through Whlcn rockets cOuli
fy. igniting infammable building ma
terisls. The fire department is not abb
TO cope with big fire, owing to tn
unfinished condition of the auxiliar
fire lighting system. Every effort mus
be. brought TO bear to stop the pass
age Of the Nelson ordinance
MENACE TO LIFE
Mrs. Hertz: speaking for the civil
section of the California club and tn
thousands of clubwomen represente
at yesterdays meeting. discussed tn
question last evening from the stand
point Of guarding the children.
New York. under the direction G
Mayor Gaynor, and other progressiv
American cities have taken steps {
eradicate the traditional dangers whic
have come TO be associated with tn
celebration of the fourth of July" sal
Mrs. Hertz. ITO permit fireworks mean
to expose children to the danger O
losing their eyes, their limbs and thei
lives, and that peril must not be per
niitted. The 10000 clubwomen of thi
city and the mothers and fathers o
boys and girls win take the stand tha
5 there shall be q safe and sane celebra
1ion of the fourth. We intend to carr