New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-29
MOVE TO AVERT FIRES
IN CROWDED BUILDINGS
Chamber of Commerce Takes Up
Neglect in Enforcing Laws
Through a Committee.
STRICT RULE FOR EMPLOYEES
Smoking Should BE Made a
Statutory Offence. in the
Opinion of Fire Mar
shall Beers.

Wavs ana means 10 prevent rePet''
ton OF the shocking loss OF lie pF ire'
euch as occurred In tho lofts of the Ascf
buiIdinc on saturday. will he a subject
FOR nrohahls dis -rIssion before the Cham
ber OF Commerce At its meeting OH
April g. In the face ~ laws inadequate
20 insure tho safety of the workers III
many similar buildings, 5nd an apparent
neglect i'm enforcing the regulations in
oxistenca. tho Chamber oc Commerce
will take the matter up through its in
s,irance committee for the purpose OF
satisfying the strong public clamor for
safer conditions.
Anton A. Raven. president 0f the At
lantic Mut0al insurance Company. Of
No II Wall street. and chairman OF
tho committee IN insurance OF the
chamber Of Commerce. said yesterday
h, would present the matter for the
consideration Of the chamber a. the next
meeting.
1T is crying shame that such
thing as the fire disaster of Saturday
should happen in q city like New York
Mr. Raven said. THE people ought TO
rise up in their majesty and demand
that the laws be enforced. or that bet
ter and more adequate laws and regula-
tions be enacted. 20 prevent the repeti-
ton of such a catastrophe. The public
and the employers are in duty bound 20
afford proper protection from fire TO the
workers, particularly Of the more ig-
rorant classes who are less likely 10
help themselves. shall be glad 10
0rins the matter before the Chamber OF
Commerce
Thinks Laws Poorly Enforced.
Mr. Raven was in lined to think that
whether the present fire regulations or
the powers in that direction resting in
other municipal departments were ade-
quate or not. they were seldom properly
enforced it was essential 10 get az the
basic cause Of the Triangle shir;waist
factory fire to determine needed regula-
tions ana their proper enforcement. as
well us To fix the responsibility. Mr.
Raven agreed with Fire Marshal Beers
that smoking III factories where any
large number of hands We're employed
should be rigidly prohibited The Fire
Marshal said yesterday that it ought TO
be a statutory Offence 10 smoke in
factory employing more than fifty work
ers As far a. the cause of Saturdays
fire has been determined IL is supposed
to have been the result Of thu careless
ness of an empioye ia hastily lighting a
cigarette at closing time. and throwing
mo match on the noor. where a great
mass of highly infammable material had
accumulated.
Neglect IN observing the sma. pre-
cautions and enforcing tho NOR" insig-
nincant rules In factories and other
buildings leads 10 Cd careless infringe
rnent of tho more important regulations"
,aid Mr.. Raven "and the result may be
a fire ike this one. with all its horrible
consequences. II might sometimes he
hotter 10 make the strongest effor, 10
prevent the possibility Of such fire IN
the building itself by rigidly enforcing
tho strict rules Of Trecautior on the EN-
riover and employees than In direct re-
form toward building construction and
iradeauate regulation after the fire has
occurred
Fire Department Without Power
Firs Commissioner Waldo aud Chief
Croker of the department Yesterday both
urged tho necessity Of new legislation To
give the Fire Department the power to
properly enforce hre regulations There