Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-03

does not seek to weaken his allegiance
or disregard these duties. But each
community has it's own social customs
and its w particular business prob
lens, which are no concern of its
neighbors or the State. When it has
achieved the power as well as the right
to govern itself in these matters the
chief cause of municipal maladminis-
tratjon and inertia will have been re-
moved.
Better Safeguards Needed.
1.-THE recent fire in u factory building
which resulted in the death of twenty
five human beings should convey an
awful warming. Whether or not there
was official or individual neglect Of ex-
listing regulations 1t is perhaps too
early to say. but one fact seems clear.
We, as a community, have not been as
insistent as we should in the matter
Of protection against such disasters.
We have been taking chances with hui
man life. The recently enacted build
ing code, which has been urged for q
number Of years, is a great improve
ment In many directions, III 1t does
not V the whole field. Let us ear
nestly strive by securing the enact
ment of local ordinance or State law to
ni"he sueh ainehofnent as Is IN our
power.
III TINS cohnection l mlgh remark
mat the new building ode, while in
niany respects admirable, does not, In
my opihloh' suinciently safeguard the
workmen employed in the erection of
buildings. | refer particularly to the
hace ina cafold1ngs on buildings are
apparently not required to be ade-
quateiy guarded. AS l understand that
d NUMBER Oh more or less formal
amendments TO the code viii be neces-
sary immediately, this point may be
taken unoer consideration with advan-
tage.
L renew the suggestion made In my
iast annual message that steps be
taken Tor a comprehensive study of the
general topography and layout of the
city with a view to the ~replanning Of
streets wherever necessary. Replan-
ming In some sections viii be an abso-
iute necessity before long, IL It Is not
now, and nothing Is gained by delay.
IN ract every month may be said to
increase the cost.
IL IS with a feeling akin to humilia-
II OaA
ineasre provision IN the way of bath
houses II Fairgrounds, despite my
peate urging and despite an I'M
uoupted overwhelming public sentiment
LOT a better condition of affairs. The
existing bathhouses of the city, poor as
lhey are nave peer closed by the
board OF street and Water Commits
of funds. while the few nlayorounds
"hlch we nave, and which are not ade-
quately equipped, are not owned by the
Guy. put merely rented. Surely this
conultlon ought not continue. I sin
cereiy nope mat the effort made at
trenton last year to transfer the bath
houses from the custody n control
OF the Board OF street and Water Com
mlssioners to the Board of Playground
Commissioners will be renewed and will
be successful at his session of the
Legislature.
Furthermore, | would recommend
h a the law permitting the issu-
ance Of bonds for bathhouse pur-
poses be so amended as to permit also
of the purchase of land for Fairgrounds
n the erection of combined bath
houses n recreation buildings. 1t
seems to me that it requires no argu-
ment to show that the placing of these
allied functions of municipal social
activity in the charge of one board will
not Only saw money to the city, bu