Evening journal., 1912-12-14
ELIMINATE THE DEATH TRAPS.

THE Consumefs' League Of Delaware has performed
i an exceedingly important public service by in
spring City Council appoint special committee TO
make searching investigation Of complaints
ceiyed that there public and manufacturing build
ings in our city that not properly equipped with
fre-escapes and other appliances needed to safeguard
the lives Of their occupants in event Of fire. Our
Councilmen also have displayed wisdom by the
promptness and seeming earuestness with which they
have decided TO make such an Investigation and by the
further that they have decided to ask the building
inspector and the chief OF the Fire Department to
operate with them in this hiehly-important public mis-
sion Those officials. by reason of their practical
knowledge Of local conditions should be able TO give
aid of inoalculablc value to the Councilmapic in
yeshgaors
Wilmington has been singularly fortunate in the
small loss OF human life that has attended fires in
city. Our officials should not however permit that fact
lu them into a OF false security. They should
remember that most of the great fire calamities in
yolvng the loss of human life have been due to public
onicals trusting to luck and failing to compel owners
OF properties In which many persons lodged
employed to provide proper life-savng devices. The
Hotel Windsor in New York in the burning Of which
scores of guests lost their lives advertised two
continents as hreproof hotel that advertisement
went for years without Official challenge When final
ly however, that hotel caught fire. it burned like tin
der and the escape equipment was poor that many
of the occupants had absolutely no show for life.
The Triangle shirtwast factory fire in New York
a moro recent and pointed example of a grim tragedy
that resulted from the failure of employers to pro-
vide suitable safeguards for their employees and the
failure of public officials to compel such employers to
provide them Those only two OF hundreds of in
stances in which human life has been sacrificed a
result Of individual corporate and official neglect Now
that our City Councilmen have embarked upon in
vestgaton looking TO the conservation OF human life,
they should hew to the mark matter where the
chips may fall Personal and political friendships
aho ho pd to fron he pnt
OF duty. Their report should be honest and COM
pete exposition of conditions they exist. Their
recommendation should go right to the heart of the
trouble without fear favor There should be a
mercess showing un Of every Industrial death-trap,
because any person, firm or corporation that main
tans death-trap and knows it maintains one,
is public enemy and deserving OF absolutely mercy
at the hands OF the Councilmanic Investigators
Even when such death-traps exist under the pro-
lection of inadequate law they should be shown up
convincing proof that the law is inadequate and that
the public should insist that the law be strengthened
There is additional reason why such death-traps
which maintained by men who say they with
in the law should be shown up. AS a rule death-trar
is maintained by individual, firm corporation be-
cause that individual firm OF corporation is
spirited that he It rather would the risk OF
causing the death of of fire panic
than spend the money needed convert. the death
trap into safe place of employment In other words
he it is willing TO take chance with human lives
at stake; TO trust 10 luck that the death-trap never
will be hre-swept
Such parsimonious owners would be brought tC
terms by official report showing the dangerous con
ditions of their buildings because they would reanz,
that with such official reports file against them
they would be defenseless IN the courts should the
establishments be destroyed by fire. and of life
suit II only would be necessary for those who might
sue for damages to offer in evidence the reports a,
proof that the places complained of were recognized
officially deah-traps that their owners were full,
aware of the fact that they so recognized an,
that despite that knowledge they had persisted il
maintaining the death-traps until yisitatons of fir,
and loss OF life had yndcated the judgment whicl
the councimanic investigators had passed upon them
II will be seen, therefore. that II the members O
that Anti-Death-Trap Committee of City Counc, an,
those called in to assist them, will do their duty thor
oughly and earlessly they win bring to terms ever
the most recalcitrant OF those who maintain death
traps In our community and the plea of som,
that The existing laws and ordinances do not appl,
to them viii not avail In the face of public revela
tons of conditions in buildings owned or operated b.
who advance that plea regard future self
protection in the will force correction of ex
listing evils.