New-York tribune., 1911-04-03
WORKMEN TO STOP FIRES
Ask That Labor Have a Place
on Committees of Safety.
GIRL WANTS LAW ENFORCED
Suggestion That Height Of Build
ings Be Restricted Wins Ap-
proval at Cooper Union.

Wien the Peoples Institute ~as rating
for speaker 70 arrive in Cooper Union
last night Abraham wasch from the sec
ond row front. middle aisle, suggested 70
Lester F Scott. secretary. that inasmuch
as the funeral OF the unidentified dead Of
| tire Triangle Waist Company fire "olld
take place On the morrow II might be z
good plan 70 give the institute chance
10 express itself or fire protection. The
audience that packed the hall seized the
opportunity and for more than an hour the
50 c-retary was busy allotting the floor "a
anxious men with divers opinions.
At least a dozen workers in lofts said
they had a conviction that labor was en-
titled 70 place on commissions Of inspec-
ton such as had been named to report on
factory conditions. Men who work in the
lofts and ten or fifteen story buildings
know what conditions they work under,
they said and in proof Of this offered sug-
| gestions that ranged all the way from re-
claiming the Jersey meadows for factories
10 giving Fire Chief Croker absolute power
10 regulate fire protection ana enforce al
laws
A girl not more than eighteen wears old
seriously reminded her hearers that il IS
not so much more law that is needed as II
is strict enforcement Of law. She. like
three or four others who spoke. referred
TO locked doors in factory lofts" and
blind fire escapes" One speaker suggest
ed that the inspector of buildings has
enough money 20 conduct his bureau prop
erly.
Secretary Scott reminded the institute Of
the work done by It's founder. Charles
SpraFue Smith. who brought about the
Marine League" as II is called, after the
burning OF the General Socun, and had
used its influence in Washington for the
passage of better inspection laws govern
ing river craft What the institute had
done IT could do again.
The suggestion that made the greatest hit
with the audience was the legal limitation
Of the height OF factory buildings and the
ending of that vicious habit of crowdng
fac tories in the lower end OF Manhattan
Island. Build Them where there is room,
with air and Gods sunshine; where they
wouldn't make It necessary for women and
young girls 10 30 ''straphangnS' for near
ly two hours in the day. he said.
Mr.. Scott explained how the Mayors
committee on congestion OF population
would advocate reforms along that line. and
how the Tenement House Commission
would help the cause OF the working peo-
pie. Al this point Mr. Wasch, who started
the discussion, handed UP few hard
knocks on the door of the city beautiful
commission. lie couldn't see how that body
was working in the interests OF human life
For his part. he'd see building safe a deal
sooner than he'd see 1t handsome, and IL IT
couldn't be made safe and handsome at
the same time it should be made safe by
all means.
The meeting closed after q resolution was
passed which will empower the institute
to petition Mayor Gaynor for the right "to
assemble peaceably in public 10 protest
against the conditions which brought about
the recent fire disaster