New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-21
SEEKS MEANS TO GUARD
WORKERS FROM FIRE
Industrial Board in Open
Minded" Meeting Hears Ex-
pertS Discuss Factory Exits.
POWER TO FIX RULES
Other Hearings To Be Held
Before New Regulations on
Inclosed Stairways, Etc,
Will Be Adopted.

! The Industrial Board Of the state Labor
| Department held yesterday an open
mind" session at No SsI Fourth avenue
! listening to the suggestions from manu-
facturers. fire underwriters and safety
workers before drafting rule for CON
structing and inclosing stairways. par
! titions and exits in factories.
The board, created by recent legislative
action TO safeguard life. was not quite
sure OF It's powers and limitations and
its members William G. Rogers. chair
man by virtue OF being acting state Labor
! Commissioner: John r. Shilladay. secre-
tary: Richard Cullen. Charles Flaesch.
! Pauline Goldmark and Maurice Werthelm.
made notes OF the advice offered by several
experts in official conduct
Bernard l.. shientag. assistant counsel
to the state Factory Investigating Com
lature conferred broad powers on the new
commission. He explained that they had
| fun authority 10 make rules requiring In
closed stalrways In factories Of less than
four stories and that the board could use
IT'S own Judgment in forming these rules.
| The manufacture Of non-iunammable ma
chinery, II is held should not be bound by
the rules for the manufacturer Of infam-
mable white goods
George w. Alger. an attorney. told the
| board that 81 possessed full and flexible
power TO regulate the safeguarding OF all
employees He urged the board to be not
| timid in using its powers. and added that
no Judge I'm New York would dare 10 rule
against the Board
Chairman Rogers interrupted: You
don't know the judiciary as we'll as I
do"
The Industrial Board Is new idea
and the ideas Of Judges have changed"
said Mr.. Alger. "Gf this board should ask
for further legislation on this point II
| would stultlfy Itself The labor law gives
II ample authority to enforce the amend
ments creating this board"
William II. Guern. chief Of the Blu
reau OF Fire Prevention. said hts bureaus
powers were entirely discretionary and,
In his opinion. all hazardous businesses
| should have safe stairways, whether ten
or three stories I'm height.
Miss Frances Perkins. secretary OF the
| Commission OF Safety oil New York. com
pairing East Side factories with the Bing-
hamton factory, recently destroyed with
heavy loss Of life. urged AT least one safe
exit where even only ten persons were at
work above n ground floor.
T. J. II. Porter a mechanical engineer.
| said all old houses converted into fac
tories should have full protection, and
that fire alarm signals should be tested
daily and there should bc fire drills at
noon and night. because experience
| showed that drills in the morning made
workmcn nervous and inefficient
| +. J. r. Stewart. Of the Board Of Fire
| Underwriters, added that automatic
sprinkers should be provided as well as
! inclosed starways. Virgil G.. MaTani.
! consulting engineer for freproohng COM
pany. explained the benefits OF the ma
terial furnished by his concern and asked
| that they be permitted 10 make a demon
stration before the engineers Of the board
before a ruling was made that might in
| jure them unintentionally.
Another speaker along these lines was
| T.. IT. HObbic who represented another
material. which he said had withstood
heat OF 1.S00 degrees Fahrenheit, though
| the heat AT the average fire was not more
than 400 degrees
The board adjourned until . O'Clock this
morning. when N will hear suggestions re-
lating to fire alarm signals.