New-York tribune., 1912-01-15
WOULD REGISTER FACTORIES
Elkus Gives Views of State In
vestigation Commission.

Albany. Jan. Ito improve generally
| the conditions under which over million
working men and women Of this state are
employed is the purpose OF the state Fac
| tory Investigating Commission, of which
! Senator Robert F. Wagner is chairman
and which Governor Dix recommends In
his annual message should be continued
/ for another year. Abram |. Elkus, of New
York. chief counsel of the commission, dis
i, cussing it's work to-day. said the commits
| sion has three essential objects in view;
The prevention of serious fires by COM
| pulsory and reasonably safe precautions;
| the prevention OF accidents in case OF fire
and improving the sanitary conditions un-
der which the factory workers Of the state
are employed.
The commission has already been inn
pressed with the fact that the system of
factory inspection in the state is wholly
inadequate and that there should be sys-
tenn whereby all manufacturing establish
ments I'm the state would be registered in
order that the responsible authority 81 nd
keep tabs on them and their condition and
not permit the continuation of careless
policy which allows factories to spring up
whenever and wherever owners desire and
to operate as they see fit without proper
supervision or inspection.
The factory commission was created by
the last Legislature as result Of the
Asch building fire in New York City. when
l43 lives were lost. Mr.. Elkus points out
that despite the great and justifable de-
mand for the enactment Of drastic meas
Tres to prevent any repetition of this
catastrophe conditions are still bad and
dangerous and will continue so until the
proper remedy is applied Mr.. Elkus said:
There exists in the cities of the state a
double and sometimes a tripiicate insp,c :.
tion OF buildings by different state and local
authorities. With this multiplicity OF In
vestigatiOns. Of course, comes conflict OF
authority and in case of disaster or catas-
troDhe here IS always an endeaVor on the
part OF one department TO shirk response
biiity so that IT may deyolVe upon an
other Disasters Will continue to happen;
factories will burn, and human life will burn
with Them IL this condition Is permitted to
continue As result of what the COM
mission has already found, recommendation
will be made 20 the Legislature 10 place the
responsibility for the safe and proper con-
duet OF manufacturing establishments upon
one authority, who shall not only be held
responsible for proper inspection and super
vision but responsible for the execution Of
whatever orders are given 70 remedy bad
conditions.
No man believes il possible to prevent
absolutely serious fires and now and then
tie loss OF a human life. But gross care
lessness can be checked and dangerous and
deplorable conditions which now exist can
be and ought C. be remedied, TO the end
that human lives will not be SACRIFICED by
the hundreds. either through fire or Unsani-
tary conditions, which, in so many in
stances is a graver menace. Present con-
Citions should be remedied not only for the
benefit OF working men and women. but for
the tenefit Of the state.
The most serious condition of affairs I'm
manufacturing WAS brought 10 the atten-
tIop OF the commission in manufacturing
carried OH I'm tenement houses. Under the
present law tenement house in which
manufacturing is 10. he carried On has TO be
licensed by the State Labor Department,
and 'his licensing only is 10 be had where
certain entmerative articles are manufact-
1Ired This does not mean that every fam
iIv which lives In a tenement house which
carries on manufacturing has TO DE IT,
censed. but simply means that the building
is 10 be licensed. There are fourteen thou-
sand of these building Licenses now in New
York City alone.