New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-01
TIE FIRE SITU1TION'
BLAME FOR ALL.
A Plea for Organization Among
Factory Hands to Gain safety.

To tho Editor Of Tho Tribune
| Sir: The blame rests somewhere TOT Tue
loss OF life IN the Washington Place hre'
but where? Primarily. II there had peen
sufficient means of escape there might haVe
been no loss Of life. except. possibly pv
panic; and the burden Of the blame res's
upon those who did not provide such
means This IL divided be! tween the owner OF
the building and the Department OF buiio-
ings which should have known what was
lacking and compelled its provision. nu'
all the blame does not rest upon tneso
alone: IL Is broader and reaches the "hoie
neopIe We are too careless Of human me-
TOO Indifferent to conditions OF danger al
fectinS in different degrees all classes.
| In this shlrtwaist factory, where seven
! hundred men. women and girls were Worh-
ing. surrounded by infnmmable material
no one. inside or out. took serious thousnt
OF what might happen II a fire started
Every one knew. but the knowledge was
treated with Indifference. Labor organiza-
,ions, processing the welfare Of all iaoor'ns
| people, did nothing n protect THESE hu"
dreds: employers saw the conditions ana
permitted them TO exist even the humorous
most nearly interested did nothing 'hd'
courtcd when the time came for prompt
and efficient action. There was no orgah'-
zation among Them. when they might have
had not only fire drills but we'll equipped
fire department Of their own TO RESPOND III
tellieently and effectualy TO the call OF
danger.
No one was trained in the way or fafety
when danger always threatened. There
was no safety committee TO be always vigil
liant. material was hung about tho place
ready 10 blaze up on the instant; smokers
were permitted TO smoke their TOBACCO
even against rules, because their fel'ow
workers were not organized for the general
good; tho fire escapes were known 10 Dc
inadeoiiate. but no organized enort was
made TO remedy them: day after day tnosc
hundreds took their lives in their reckless
and disorganized hands aud at last one
hundred and fifty lost their careless nolh
on life and went to their death.
What IS the lesson Of it? VIII II nc tor-
gotten. or VIII the workers organize III
every building where they are congrega'eo
and take means Of themselves for their
own protection? Most of them are lnteii-
gent enough to demand all necessary pro-
visions for self protection. and any en-
ployers of labor who would refuse TO make
the safety provisions asked for by an IN
tclligent organization of their employees
would he the men who would go tn prison
mr. 70 tho electric chair when their nesii-
gence their Indifference or their love VI
the dollar resulted In the death OF !"
their charge. By proper safety organiza-
ton Of tho workers blame may no hNeo
and the proper punishment inflicted. Az
nres.nt the blame rests not upon one, or
tho few actual offenders. but upon ALL ana
II Is impossible to fix il positively where IL
may he treated as It should he
Mans inhumanty to man
Makes countless thousands mourn
And yet for ages II has been
And will continue borne
Because tho poorer. weaker man
Throush fear. or love or peni
VIII follow blindlv where he's leo
Indifferent to himself
Now York March a. 1911. W. ~ w.