The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-01-19

The suggestion made by State Fire
Marshal Purte1l in his annual report
lust submitted to Governor McGovern
that legislation be passed limiting the
right of municipal common councils TO
issue building permits and that a gen
eral state building law be passed and
rigidly enforced by the state officers,
will not be we'll received by many PEG
pie of the state who are opposed to the
further extension of the power OF the
state over municipalities and who be-
lieye in home rule in matters directly
affecting communities, but others who
are familiar with the lax enforcement
Of building laws in many cities OF the
state will find much to commend In the
recommendations of the fire marshal.
Should the suggestions of the hire mar
shall be embodied into bills and pres
ented to the legislature, the measures
would undoubtedly receive considerable
support and it might be that the labor
unions would throw their influence in
favor of the bills. The changes pro-
posed would certainly give Che people
of the state much better protection
than they have at present and the en-
ormous fire losses would be materially
reduced. There may be here and there
an exception but as a general rule the
conditions in most of the cities of the
= state are just about as described by the
Are marshal in his report. Either the
cities have passed rigid building laws
which their common councils either
evade by permitting special building
permits to be issued or neglect alto
gether to enforce or they have no build
ing regulations worthy Of the name.
Take the conditions right here at home
for an illustration Of the laxity the
fire marshal is trying to do away with.
Some three years ago an accident oc.
Cured In which workingmen were kill
ed and injured The circumstances sur
rounding the accident showed clearly
that it was preventable one and that
it could never have happened had there
been q building ordinance worth any
thing in the city and proper inspection
of buildings in the course Of construc-
ton. This accident aroused a demand
too strong to be successfully resisted
at the time by those who oppose any
change in the building ordinances Of
the city and the council appointed a
special committee to draw up new
building code for the city. This com
mit5ee was composed of experts in their
several lines and was made up of men
in which the people of the city have
confidence. This committee worked
faithfully, took plenty Of time to thor
oughly investigate the subject in all
its bearings and finally presented a
code of building laws for the consider
alton OF the council which is said to be
as comprehensive as any ever drawn
up In any city by those who should be
competent to judge of such matters. Tt
was not claimed this ordinance was per
feet only that it represented the best
Judgment of the special committee after
weeks and months of work and investi-
cation and it was expected that it
would be threshed out section by sec
ton on the floor of the council and
amended and revised as the necessity
Tor amendment became apparent. What
became OF it9 Nobody seems to know
exactly but it has never been given
much consideration by the council. It
was presented shortly before the pres
ent council was organized and taken
over by this council as unfinished bust.
ness, referred to committee and EVIL
IDENTIFY pigeonholed. 1t will probably
rest there unless another accident. bad
enough to arouse a demand for it, kills
or INJURIES some working men or we
have fire in which lives are lost
through faulty construction of the
building burned. This ordinance was
demanded primarily for the protection
OF the men in the building trades but
they seem content to take their chances
without any protection. No wonder the
state fire marshal wants the state tn
take mold.