New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-01
DOLLARS AGAINST LIVES
Fire Chief Croker Explains DIffI.
Guilty in Enforcing Law.
HOLDS TENANT RESPONSIBLE
Thinks Conditions Worse in
Other Factories than They
Were in Triangle Concern.

Chief Croker of the Fire Depart
ment. was to speak in mass meeting,
held in Cooper Union, last night, under the
auspices Of the Collegiate Equal Suffrage
League to protest against the great loss OF
life In the Greene street fire The cher
could not he present. but In the afternoon
he told Miss Martha Greuning and Miss
Tlinor Ryrnes of the league what he
thought about conditions in New York fac
tories Miss Gruening read some Of the
queries and answers last night from the
platform Croker said that although ne
did not think the law had been violated.
he had no doubt that the partition doors
were locked. as employees are usually locked
in in most ~ the loft buildings in New
York He thought conditions probably
worse in the majority Of buildings where
women are employed than they were In the
Triangle factory. and said he would advo-
cate holding the tenant responsible rather
than the city government
1T all comes right down to dollars AND
cents against a life--that is the bottom OF
the entire thing" said the chief. Mr..
owner will como and say - the Fire De-
partment: IF You compel rs to DC TINS o'
that we will have to close the factory: we
cannot afford To do it. ! only get so much
interest They would say the same 10 the
builder: You will have 10 put In a hre
tower Mr.. Builder will say. II is impos-
sible. he Is going tc invest $4,000 in this
building ard lie hopes to get so much
square foot. and IL so many feet are cur
off he cannot build II is right down 10
dollars and cents against human lives no
matter which way you look at It. always
feel that ! would like to be Of assistance
to the class of people who work in these
places ! always sympathize with them
ard I fail To see why there should not be
strict laws 10 give them the same protec-
ton which they give to theatre buildings
Theatregoers can compel managers. nut
factory employees cahnot. So II really
comes down to dollars and cents against
human lives all the time"
He recommended that the Fire Depart
ment should have power to close place
violat ting the law, and advised employees
TO walk out in factories where the doors
ere found to he locked
Never London, a speaker. after reading
a draft Of recommendations for physical
Improvement of factories. said an nvesti-
CATION would result in a law being re-
f.rred TO a committee reporting in 1919
and then a law being passed in 1915. after
which our grating Tammany Hall oni-
Gals will not enforce it, he added he
recommended as a remedy that the intelli-
gent people go down among the masses
and help 10 uplift them.
Another speaker was Morris Hillquit' !
wonder" said he. III those magistrates
who sent girls to Jail for five days for
picketing in front Of this very factory
realize that If those girls had not been
interfered with conditions might have been
better in that factory. Perhaps the lives
would not have been lost"
good part Of the speech OF the Rev
Anna Howard Shaw was given to the advo-
cacy Of the ballot for women as means
Of improving their industrial conditions.
She wishes the laws mended
Something's got TO he done To the law"
she cried. land If it Is not constitutional
70 protect the lives Of the workers then
we've got TO smash the constitution. IT'S
our instrument and II II doesn't work,
we've got to get a new one"
Resolutions were adopted demanding that
the Legislature shall take immediate steps
70 submit 10 the voters Of the state con-
stitutional amendment giving 10 women the
right 10 vote urging the Legislature ana
the Governor TO create commission AT
least one-half of whom shall he women, to
investigate the whole subject OF protec-
ton against fire. to draft bill 10 remedy
the defects in the law and to further sug-
gest adequate methods for enforcing the
laws. and calling on the whole working
class to unite and put an end IN system
which places profits before human lives by
STRENGTHENING their industrial organizations
and by using the ballot in the interests OF
the working class.