Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-06-08
WALLIS TO MAKE
HOTEL INSPECTION
MAN BURNING TO DEATH AT
lola CAUSES INSPECTOR
TO INVESTIGATE

ohCe W proper IRE prOtect1On, are e.
ing to be closed as fast as James +
Wallis, state hotel inspector, can ge
to them. Mr.. Wallis proposes to prt
tect the patrons of these establish
ments, no mater if they are in tn
most remote part of Idaho. When h
received word late last night from
north Idaho Of the trapping and dealt
OF man named Kennedy in a room
ing house at lola, which was burnet
to the ground, he decided on instan
action In his crusade against hostel
ries not properly equipped to protec
their patrons. Mr.. Wallis is sending
out bulletins to all hotel and roomina
house keepers to provide their estab
lishments with proper fire equipment
as the new law requires, or run the
risk of being prosecuted and having
their places closed up.
The lola fire resulted in the unfor.
tunate man, Kennedy, being caught
in the hotel like a rat in a trap.
There was no possible way for es-
cape. After the building was burn
ed to the ground his charred remains
We're taken away from the derbris.
In some cases. said Commissioner
Wallis, this will work hardship on
many of the lessees of hotels, because
they cannot get the owners of the
buildings to make the permanent i'm.
provements required by law and
which the law makes the owner re-
sponsible for The closing up of
such places will mean a great loss
to these lessees, as in many cases
they are too poor to provide this e.
quipment and have to loose their little
business as the result, but We are in
a position where we cannot take any
chances with the law and SO far as
we are concerned there will be no los
Of life in any hotel because of lack
of proper fire protection, The new law
likes a penalty of $500 fine and not
% exceed one years Imprisonment for
my hotel inspector who shall will
lily certify falsely regarding any
inspected by him and he shall
ssue a certificate to no person oper-
lting any hotel who has not fully |
complied with the law" While we
lave endeavored to be as lenient as
'ossible since the new law went into
fleet, over year ago, we have now
ome to the parting of the ways, and
eople' who expect to operate hotels
nd rooming houses in Idaho must
trictly comply with the law, or they
5ill not receive a license to operate
uch business.
Following is the bulletin which has
cen issued by State Commissioner
Wallis:
To the keepers of hotels and room
ing houses:
Because of the fact that no less
IAN seven hotels have been destroy
d by fire since the new hotel law
ent into effect, attended in one cas-
18th loss of life, ] have decided to
the strict enforcement of
le provisions of this law and have
wen instructions to deputies now
/ the field to compel the keepers of
i hotels and rooming houses to e.
lip their establishments with prop
: fire protection as specified in the {
W, or close up such places. This :
cludes fire escapes, fire extinguish- +,
s, fire gOngs, fire escape signs and
and pipes. 1t Is an offense to con-
let rooming house or hotel with I
1t license, and all licenses will e
, revoked where hotels or rooming n
,uses are found deficient in fire
otection. The hotel law has been
effect year last May, and that
ould be plenty of time for owners q
lessees of such places to adjust o
emselves to the new conditions. n
Inasmuch as the hot season Is ap- :,
oaching, attention Is directed to the -
ct that the new law also requires
e screening of all bed rooms an "
ming rooms, and the absence of such "
reens will be sufficient cause for
osecuting the owner OF lessee CT =,
y place where such screens ara
found. The same with reference 81
metal ash containers, with which IN
take care of the ashes of hote.s W
nd rooming houses. +,
There have been few prosecu- -,
ms of hotel keepers who insist on
wing the common roller towel, and III
,se prosecutions will continue when OF
or such violations of the law are ta
ind. JAMES n. WALLIS a,
State Hotel Inspector. n,