New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-31
|BOARD Of ESTIMATE IN
FIGHT FOR MORE SAFETY
Committee to Investigate Fire
and Make Plans to Prevent
A New Disaster.
MANY BODIES TO ACT
Board of Trade and Transporta.
tion Works to Obtain Ideas
for Reduction Of Risk
in Factories.

passed q resolution Yesterday for the ap-
pointnisnt Of committee 70 investigate
the causes of the Washington Place fire.
and recommended measures that would
tend 10 minimize the possibility Of rep
et'ion OF that disaster.
The Mayor said he thought the causes
of The fire we're obvious. ard that Il would
not he uecessarv 10 employ outside Ely
perts. re viii ornounce the committee
IA er
The resolution vas a. follows:
Resolved. That the chairman Of mis-
tee Of three members. win power 70 asso-
ciate with themselves sn advisory board
" engineers aud other properly auali icd
experts. not exceeding FIVE in NUMBER.
IN - inquire into the causes and condi-
tinns leading - the recent .cslam'ouS fire
In Washington Place. Manhattan. and ~
10 report 10 the board US accommodations
for such amendments Of law. or such adj
miniStTati-e action. az will in their iudg-
ment reduce to minimum the POSSIBILITY
~ the recurrence Of such \ disaster with
in this city. and he it further
Resolved That the committee so sp.
pointed be authorized 70 make such e1-
pcndtuTN as NAV he necessary for the
employment Of experts cr otherwise from
the contingent fund Of tho board
Tho New York Board cf Trade and Trans
rortstions committee en- city affairs viii
he called IN special meeting TO consider
the best means of avertinG such disasters
IS that in the Asch building. according to
the announcement yesterday of Frank
Prainard. president ri the board. The next
r,eetine Of the beard will he hold on April
=. and IT IS planned 70 have the committee
on city affairs prepared with special re-
port on the recent disaster for that meet
ing
II isn't 80 much = proposition Of inves-
tigation Of tho fire that is past" said Mr..
Brainard YESTERDAY. "as a matter Of caro-
ful consideration and planning FOR the
future. so that 2 repetition of such a dis
ester shall he Impossible. Place the rcspon-
sihiity for that fire where IL belongs. but.
above all else. provide for the future.
II know. and We all know that conditions
I'm that building were not exceptional. 7
know. and we all know. tina, there are hun
dreds Of places right now that arc in worse
condition. and 81 IS 10 that phase Of the
problem that VIC must turn. And for tho
future. We must So arrange our laws and
the enforcement OF them that such terrible
losses Of life will be averted. and TO DO that
we must ciys the power 10 remedy the
present conditions into the caro- Of one de-
partmeut. one man. and hold that DEPART
ment. that man. FULLY responsible"
Along those lines. Mr.. Brainard said, the
Board OF Trade and Transportation would
work. and through its committee on city
affairs. which win be ready with a report
for the next meeting Of the organization. it
viii suggest the remedies and back up the
Endorsement OF them by the proper au-
thorities.
Plan Meeting az Opera House.
Tr. William Jay Schiencn. Of the Citi-
zcns Union and one % the lay members Of
the joint Board Of Sanitary Control, an
nounced yesterday that there would he a
public meeting at tho Metropolitan Opera
House next SUNDAY afternoon, foT the pur-
pcs Sc Of considering the lesson OF the re.
cent disaster and Initiating q movement for
the adoption Of legislative and other rene
dies 20 prevent the recurrence OF such d
tragedy.
Tho Joint board Of sanitary control o.
tho cloak. suit and waist trade tho body
Which was formed As result Of tie shirt
waist makers strike last year has dra WI
VI fifteen recommendations 10 be applied
70 the factory operations Of the city, which
would GO toward making buildings in
which large numbers of girls and women
operators are employed "deathprcof' as
wen as fireproof.
We need nov legislation" said Or.
schieFelin yesterday with specific rules
and reeuIations for the protection Of these
errDlc-cs We need new legislation which
vnl place the responsibility for the en-
forcemont q these rules on one official.
and then We need IN awakened public sen
tincnt 20 hold tina, ono Official responsible.
As a convincing proof Of the lack Of all
these things all that - necessary Is 10 re-
fer back 10 The Tribune editorial on the
Newark fire and see that the same com
nlaint and warning that was justified then
i justified now in the case Of the New
York Ere. Tho editorial could be rewrit-
ten and be- fully applicable With only 4
change Of name for the location Of the
disaster The warning Vas given then.
mn, +, Is only after a more terrible repe'i-
lion Of the warning that remedies a5s
thought Of.
Commissioner McCarroll ~ the Pubic
Service Commission. who IS former pres
,dent and present director Of tho Board OF
Trade and Transportation. said Yesterday
that in his belief that Organization TO-
gatber with such bodies as the Chamber
80 C.ornn1eroe and the Merchants Associa-
TON should appoint committees imme-
dia,o,v to study lie question Of the pre-
,.ertion Of loss or life in case Of FIRE.
.rhese organizations have had FIRE com
,,.,,toos" said commissioner Mccarroil'
..s,,. hitherto they have treated Their du-
49,. ,arcalv from the point of view Of fire
,.,s,,rarcc hut they should turn their At
,ln.ion n include lifessving in fires. a.
veil Labor unions could help greatly IN
,bis work. and / think the employees OF
,,.or,- sboD ard factory should have com
,,,,,,ao on safety. which would cooperate
,i,, the employer. II such committee
wound frame FIRE regulations and soc that
,tc,. we're enforced. il would not only b. a
croft stem toward making factories and
y.ori.suops deathproof. as well as freproof,
but 81 would also impress upon employers
,bo,- moral responsibility fcr the safety OF
their employ C.
Tho Il. VI. Balsam Company. II No IL
Palmetto street. Williamsburg WITH 4
shirtwaist factory siI stories IN height, in
s,i,,tsd a fire drill Tor its employees yes
tcrdav which was a pronounced success.
rs, ,o.o trialg. which were 50 arranged that
ort, few employees were aware Of the
fact that thcy were only trials. the building
was empticd IN a little more than a minute.
Tpe ire drill idea has been Included ia
the recommendations Of every civic body
which has studied the question Of freven-
tion Of the loss Of life In factory fires. but
the actual institution ut II has been taken
III slowly b. either workers or employers
soheHeli, Suggests Fire Drill