Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-28
STARS APPEAL
To SAVE LIVES
CAUSES ACTION
Committee Reports Balentine Bill
Providing for Protection
in Factories.
HOUSE EXPECTED TO
ACT IMMEDIATELY
Senate to Follow Promptly, Civ.
ing Governor Measure Be-
fore End of Week.
[rrcm a stsff Correspondent j


TRENTON, March 2s.-Responding
to the Newark STARS appeal for the
enactment of a law to protect the lives
of factory employees, the House COM
mittee on labor and industries last
night promptly reported the Balentine
bill, which was at once passed to Sec
ond reading.
The Assembly will probably finally
pass the measure today, and if the
rules are suspended it might go to the
Senate at once, pass that body and
be in the Governors hands before the
end of the week.
Legislators See Need of Law.
The legislators seem keenly alive at
the moment to the necessity for passing
some law that will protect human life
in factories. Public opinion is aroused,
in fact 1t may be said to be intamed
by the celerity with which officials for
get the frightful lesson of the Newark
fire.
The STAR sounded true note of
warning in it's issue of yesterday. 1t
reminded the legislators that 1t had
been engaged for twelve weeks in fam
ciful legislation. 1t urged the Legisia-
ture to do something and to do II
promptly, and not wait for further
ghastly human sacrifices.
Appeal Acts as Spur.
Nj -.
members of the Legislature last night.
1t now looks as if the bill would become
law before the week ends.
When Colonel Lewis T. Bryant, COM
missioner of labor, was requested for
| information as to what his department
had done since the High street fire
| in Newark in the way of better condi-
tions at factories SO as to enable eni-
ployees to escape without injury in
case OF fire, he said:
Approximately 200 fire escapes have
either been completed OF are in course
| of erection in the city of Newark since
| the High street fire.
"A very comprehensive act rela-
| tive to the protection of operatives
| in factories against the dangers Incl
| dent to fire and panic has been pre-
pared by the commissioner of labor,
with the advice of the assistant attor-
| ney-general. 1t provides for the ap-
proval of the commissioner of labor,
| with the assistance of State archi-
| tect for all new factory buildings
more than two stories in height, or
certain types of alterations to buildings
| already erected. These new buildings
| are required to have their stairways
| enclosed in fireproof material running
| from the foundation to and through the
| roof with suitable fire doors provided
| for the entrance to stairways, and to
| have elevator shafts enclosed in fire.
proof material in a similar manner to
stairways, and to be provided with
| proper fire doors.
To Prevent Fires Spread.
New buildings are also required to
haves 1tain methods of egress. which
sha tnclude both inside stairways and
| outside fire escapes. Provision Is also
| made for requiring certain additional
means of preventing the spread of fire.
Factories more than three stories IN
! height, irrespective of the number of
operatives employed therein. are re-
quired to have at least one fire escape,
and such additional number of fire es-
capes as may be deemed necessary.
The commissioner of labor is also
given authority to compel the construc-
ton of additional inside stairways and
to provide for partial f1reproof1ng of
elevator shafts already constructed.
1.-The very important position of fac
tory inspector should be undertaken
with the idea of making it permanent
occupation and the tenure of office
should undoubtedly be protected by the
civil service laws, as has been done in
many progressive States The inspect
ors should become experts in the ques-
ton of providing just the class of pro-
lection which each individual factory
condition makes necessary and to
specify necessary safeguards to dan
gerous machinery. The department has
placed before the appropriation COM
mittee a statement of the amount of
appropriation, which, in my judgment,
is necessary in order to provide the
amount of inspection required to main
tain the proper factory standards. and
1t is my earnest hope that legislation
will be enacted during this session
which will eventually afford the pro-
lection of the civil service list to the
inspectors of this department"