New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-02
Woman'S Trade Union League
Hopes to Enlist Public
Influence.
NEW LEGISLATION OBJECT
Subject of Fire Prevention May
Be Delegated to Perma-
nent Committee Of
Citizens.

l
to-day mass meeting in the Metropoli-
tan opera House which promises to give
the strongest possible public influence to
the movement for new legislation for
the safety of workers. Jacob II. Schiff
will open the mass meeting at ) o'clock
end Eugene -. Phlbin will preside.
Through Bishop Greer, announcement
that the meeting Is to be held will be
made in all the city's churches this
morning.
The specific object of the promoters or
the mass meeting is TO arrange for
permanent committee OF citizens who
will take an active and persistent inter
est in the subject of fire prevention. with
particular attention 10 the safety from
death Ivy fire Of workers.
Miss Mary Dreier. of the Woman's
Tr9de Union League. said yesterday that
the meeting should urge and the COM
mittee follow up persistently recon-
mendation to the Legislature to appoint
@ special commission to investigate and
recommend new laws which would make
the factories of this city death proof
as well as freproof
The Woman's Trade Union League. II
vas learned yesterday. has made pre-
vious attempt to present to the public
the dangerous conditions under which
thousands of women and girls are forced
T. work i'm New York. Miss Ida Rauh.
representing the league, wrote TO the
foreman of the January grand jury ask
ing that she be allowed TO tell what she
had learned from a personal investiga-
tion following the disastrous Newark
factory fire.
Miss Rauh was directed to appear he
fore the grand jury but when n r
learned that her story was one of e.
eral conditions which would require
long investigation. she says she was
practically dismissed by the foreman
with these words:
Unless YOU have a complaint Of Grim
inal negligence on the part Of an official
YOU had better take your stories to the
Corporation Counsel and have him prose
cute for violations"
Workers Send Complaints.
In spite of that discoura cement. how
ever. the league proceeded With an IN
yestigation of it's own. This has re-
ceived a great impetus within the last
week on account OF the scores of com
plants received from working girls and
women on the heels Of last weeks fire IN
the Asch Building.
From 40 cases selected at random,
this investigation shows that 80 have
dark stairwavs. 4 Of the 80 being over
six floors in height. In - of the ~
factories. for they are all factories or
workshops. which number their employees
by the hundreds. one flight of stairs must
support all employees. and the other ID
have only two stairvays each. In -
Of these 40 factories. the stairs are OF
wood. and in i there are no fire escapes
at al. In ~ others the entrances TO FIRE
escapes are obstructed in one way and
another. and in II the doors of the work
rooms are customarily locked during
working hours In II cases the doors
open inward. and in II the windows are
either nailed down or barred.
Thtse facts. and others, will he pre-
scnted To the Metropolitan opera House
meeting this afternoon by Miss Rose
s hneiderman. the Jewish organizer Of
the Woman's Trade Union League. The
investigation conducted by that Organi-
ration has shown also that in most of
the paper box factories of New YORK
there is a fire germ" which is con-
tinually breeding small fires-small fires
under such circumstances that big fire
and a terrible disaster is a matter almost
daily in the fearful expectations of their
employees.
This FIRE germ" consists Of a lighted
gas iet. which is kept going under a
glue rot in the centre OF the work table.
where the pieces of the boxes are assem-
hled II is surrounded by the iniiam-
mable material of the trade. paper OF
various weights, bat all Of ii quick to
take and spread fire; also in many OF
these factories. where dressing rooms
are not provided. the girl employees put
,heir outcr coats uncer the work tables.
near the flaming gas jet The completed
products, paper pOAes, "i' D1""''S ~ y"
found piled in high stacks about the
rooms frequently in front Of windows
whore they block tn Light to such an
extent that gas must he used TO give
light enough for the operators II work.
Tnc speakers AT to-day's mass meet
ing will include, besides those mentioned
pisrop Greer. who, with Miss Dreier,
issued the cali for the meeting; Con-
trollcr Prcndergast. Father Whlte or
Hroo,tlyn. Professor Edwin r. \. SClig-
man. o9 Columbia University ana Rabb.
Ste,h,, &. WISE, o1 the Free Syna-
eoguc
Favcrs investigation Commiss'on'
Eabbj Wise said Yesterday that he was
heartily i'm favor Of the movement 10y
legislative invcstication commission "a
iuauirc into conditions affecting tle
safety Of workers in this city, pro-
vidCd.' hc said. III investigates ana
leads to the right kind Of legislation
Miss Anne Morgan. who was Also a
member Of the committee having III
charge the holding of tho mass meeting
sad that She. too. was In sympathy VIII
such methods 10 ascertain the ini"rma
ton needed fer the taking Of pronp'
action against "a contin nance If the pen
in which Thousands of workers in TINS
city are daily placcG