New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-11
PERMANENT BODY TO
REDUCE FIRE PER|LS
Committee on Safety Organized
to Carry Out Aggressive
Campaign.
TO BE INCORPORATED
Will Serve as Clearing House for
Bodies Aroused by the
Washington Place
Disaster.


upon tho public in The Tribune. bore
substantial fruit yesterday when de-
cisive steps were taken for the formation
o. a permanent association To deal prac-
ticaIly with fire prevention in this city.
The plan and scope OF such an associa-
ton. to be known as the committee on
safety Of the city ~ New York. were
outlined at a meeting held I'm the trus'
tees room Of the Charity organization
Society Yesterday afternoon. Y. Fulton
Cutting presided. and tho members OF
the Joint committee appointed week
ago at similar meeting Of score or
more OF prominent civic and social work
ers 10 consider the question OF perma'
nent organization and a definite plan of
campaign were all present
The constitution and bylaws 81 the
new association were adopted AT tne
meeting. and it's actual Incorporation VIII
be accomplished with all due speed. Mr..
Cutting. John A. Kngsbury. general
agent Of the Association for Improving
the Condition of the Poor. and Eugene
A. Philbin. former District Attorney.
were appointed committee to select
board of twenty-sevcn directors from
list of names Of fifty representative men
submitted at Yesterdays meeting. 1hes"
names are Of men prominent IN soclai
work. labor. architecture. insurance, en-
ginesring building construction iaW'
and i'm fact. most concerned in all the
various interests which would be In any
way affected 10y the fire prevention prop
lem
4 meeting of the board Of directors VIII
no called on April -. when officers VIII
ho elected and a comprehensive plan ot
campaign. as formulated by peter D.
McKcon. an expert on fire matters W
ten years standing who was retaiheo Wy
the Joint committee for that purp"sc'
will he adopted. The purpose OF the ne"
ossocia,ion as set forth I'm the constitu-
ton. is as follows:
"To conserve the lives and health or
the working people. especially IN their
r,aces Of employment. and OF all citizens
IN places where numbers gather; TO In"
vestigate existing conditions: to recoms
mend standards Of safety and healtns
20 promote legislation toward tho estao~
,Ishment and enforcement of such stands
ards and 20 adopt such other means az
will tend to conserve the lives and health
of the people in factories, stores and Slse>
where"
Those present at yesterdays rneetine
were r. Fulton Cutting. DR.. Edward 1.
Devine. Leopold Plaut, Franklin ID.
Kirkbride. DIR. William Jay Schieffelin.
John A. Kingsbury, Miss Mary Dreier. Of
the Women's Trade Union League, Miss
Lillian -. Wald. head Of the nurses set
tiement: Eugene A. Philbn. Homer Folks
and Peter J. Brady.
To Work with Other Nations.
The new association intends to get IN
touch with similar organizations in other
countries for the exchange of informa-
ton and ideas \ staff Of competent
oxperts will he appointed 10 conduct
Iccal Investigations. II is the purpose
of the association 10 establish an office
a headquarters and clearing house fof
the various fire prevention movements
which have been started as q result OF
the Washington Place fire. and in th's
way 10 concentrate the work for better
conditions i'm \ common movement.
other foatures within the scop- Of IN"
working plan formulated by Mr. Mckeon
include the publication of "A complete re-
mort Of the Washington Place fire, in
order TO have a record Of the disaster as
well as To describe the conditions thsf
produced it and the extent I" which
those or similar conditions exist IN this
city and elsewhere. An active ,eglsla-
tive campaign will he undertaken ~ Sc
cure tn, prompt passage Of good laws,
10 oppose the passag" of hasty and un-
wise legislation and To take active steis
10 enforce existing laws
The association will issue bulletins ~
information on practical fire preventive
matters. prepared without technical feat
ures. SO that the general public can un-
derstand them and make use of them.
A CORPS OF expert inspectors viii be em-
ploved To check the reports of official
inspectors from the city departments
The jnspectors Of the Fire Department.
the Bureau Of Buildings and the state
factory inspectors will come under the
eve of the committee in this way.
\ board OF experts will be established
TO propose fire prevention standards ami
mass competent Judgment on the various
problems which will arise in the future
work Of the committee These experts
will be men who nave had wide train
ing i'm practical fire prevention work. in-
Guiding experts on fire conditions In
factories. electrical hazards. fire inspec-
ton systems iireproof construction. fire
department operation. fire drills and
various other subjects pertaining To gem
eral fire protection.
DR.. Schieffelin, chairman of the joint
Board Of Sanitary Control, was asked
Yesterday about the record published IN
The Tribune of fire escape order filed
by the Building Department on April
against the building at No. lI2 William
street. occupied by his drug firm. He
said that he had not Yet received the
order but would pay prompt attention
To IL when ne did He said that an extra
fire escape and other precautionary
measures had been installed IN his build
ing only a fe'- months ago.
For Public Safety Department.
John p. O'Brien. Assistant Corporation
Counsel. said yesterday that nav city
department OF public safety should be
created to cope ith the great number