Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-11-29
LEGISLATURE
is CENSURED
Factory Commissioners Bry-
ant Discusses Newark Fire.

Trenton, Nov. 29:-After examin-
ing the records of the Department of
Labor, Commissioner Lewis T.
Bryant made a statement yesterday
afternoon regarding the fire protec-
ton Of the building at 216 High
street, Newark, in which more than
a score OF lives were lost In the fire
of last Saturday. From the records
it appears that no less than five or
ders have been issued by the depart
ment upon the owners or occupants
of the building relative to fire pro-
lection.
More than four years ago the de-
partment ordered a fire escape on
the front of the building, which was
erected in compliance with the pro-
visions of the present law after con-
siderable delay and following a
threat that if the order was not COM
piled with legal action would be
instituted by the attorney general,
During the past five years no less
than five inspectors of the depart
ment have inspected the building.
and since the erection OF the addi-
tional escape and the construction
of inside steps to the fire escape
landings, no intimation has been
given that the building was not
properly provided with exits.
From the information as to the
circumstances attending the fire the
department is not able to say wheth-
er additional fire escapes might have
averted the catastrophe OF whether
the present escapes were used to
their capacity. In either event, it is
claimed that the building was equip
ped in full compliance with the pro-
visions of the law, and that there
was no authority by which addition
al fire escapes or fire protection
might have been compelled.
.,, Assistant Prosecutor Frederick r.
Lehlbach called on Commissioner
Bryant for information regarding
the fire protection on the building,
as a part of the investigation which
the prosecutors office is making to
determine the responsibility for the
loss of life.
The statement concerning the fire
madeAby Commissioner Bryant shows
that in addition to the inspections
made of the building and the subse-
quent orders regarding the safety of
the employees, the Department of
Labor had every eason to believe
from the recommendations of the
inspectors that the means of escape
from this building in case of fire
were adequate for the uses to which
the building was put, the nature of
its construction and the number of
its inmates.
The last report of inspection made,
on September %, 1910, showed that
the fourth floor of this building was
occupied by Wolf & Company, with
seventy-three employees. The An
Choir Lamp Company occupied the
third floor, with seventeen employees.
The Newark Paper Box Company &C
cupied the second floor, with fifty
four employees. On the first floor,
John Bleveny employed sixteen per-
sons, and Drake & Morrison employ
ed thirty persons, making a total of
100 employees in the building.
Commissioner Bryant goes on to
state that SO far as the law clothed
his department with power, such
conditions as the recommendations
of the inspectors showed to deserve
consideration, were made the subject
of proper orders. Every recommen-
dation made by any of the inspectors
was made the basis of an order, and
In all cases these orders had been
complied with prior to the date of
the fire.
Continuing, Colonel Bryant says:
81 have repeatedly called the at
tention Of the legislature to the
necessity for change in the law
which would allow the commissioner
to enforce more adequate fire protec-
ton and give him some discretion
to order the installation of addition
al protection in cases of apparent
hazard, the law remains today as it
was originally passed in 1904. No
complaint as to the condition of this
building or the adequacy of it's fire
escapes ever reached this depart
ment from any source.
81 deplore, as does every citizen.
such a disaster, with it's unfortunate
consequences, as occurred in this
particular building. So far as could
be anticipated under the law. ade-
quate protection had been afforded.
If. in the light of subsequent events,
the protection was not adequate, the
fault lies in the law Itself, ana not
in it's administration"