New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-09
ian IN the prevention Of fire disaster1

ton on the prevention OF fire disaste1 us
members have been in conference LOT VI
last two or three weeks with various o.ncl
bodies OF citizens and committees IN 49,
York IN an attempt 70 promote ,ho,o "a
Investigation OF the existing conditions anu
m ohta}n eventually. effective remedies ior
AS result OF this investigation we are
deeply impressed with the need OF rs
Iative in1,jiry. The situation OF the tacl1, ,
workers in the tall buildings or ms GIes s
presents an emergency which Is niue
than appalling Within very brlei per- ~
OF time the character ~ large potTrsSV a Civ
the city has charged completely; Inc ~
is being flled with huge buildings CG,i
structed ostensiby as loft buildings. "ni os
are Immediately converted 10 lsCto,. Q
without any adequate salesua ,.norsties here
frankly admit that under existing laWs me- :,
are powerless TO remedy the. situatlon ~
which thousands Of workers In mes Ia. a.
tories are placed in daily peril OIL the'
lives. ~ ,,,,-o, oc
The great majority OF these buildings DC,
cupied as factories are literally DEAN tI -
In case of fre. The helplessness OF !he J.. :
Department 10 deal with the situatioh uil
der prerent conditions is nov 80 clean,S
recognized and Is so alarming 10 the Worh,
ers themselves that even an lhslsnlnc dis'
fire may become the occasion OF a III
astrous panic, az actually happehe" oi'''
Yesterday In CROSBY street. go.
AT the same time, II Is not an easy ma 70
ter to determine the kind or scope OIL 20
lation which Is necessary TO put an EN- -
this intolerable situation. The exlstns
laws are many and complicated: NO lers
than four municipal or state oinceIs ma "a,
partial and somewhat conflicting JurlsuiC
ton. MANY difficult problems ol cons aaro
ton and engineering must be solved. are
must be taken to avoid unnecessary hariI,
70 great property interests. Reckless ann
i'll considered legislation would nov on.
create much unnecessary harosnlp ~.
account OF the
delay opposition and unnecessary litigauoii
that II would surely provoke.
| am Informed that up to. the present tiins
no lees than thirty bills have either been
actually introduced in the Legislature
hearing upon this subject or are about to
be introduced. Some NJ them are very likeis
but in my own opinion and in the unani-
nous opinion OF the executive committee
of the Committee on Safety no compete
or permanently satisfactory solution can De
reached without careful lessla,lVe nv
tigation. with power 10 inquire into the MAJ l.
ter fully and carefully, 10 welgn ana de-
tormine between conflicting Views and in
terests. and 10 recommend legislation Which
will he mature and well considered.
7 sincerely hope that YOU viii recommend
TO the Legislature such an inquiry No
subject is Of greater importance 70 the STATE
than the welfare Of ii ose OF its citizens en-
gagged i'm la Dor In factories. There are sew
eral hundred thousand OF such factory
workers I'm the cit yof New York, whose
welfare I'm this important matter or hre
protection is in need Of prompt. intelligent
and effective legislation. | most earnestly
and respectfully urge you TO bring the mat
ter 70 the attention of the Legislature with
out delay.
Very respectfully yours.
HENRY i. STIMSON.
Mr. La Fargo spoke Of the architectural
and structural phases Of tho subject. and
pledged the best efforts Of his association
and the efforts Of many individual archi-