Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-18
Commissioners Take Steps
for Protection of Apartment
House Tenants.
ALLEGE THAT NOTICES
HAVE BEEN DISOBEYED
Owners Required to Conform to Reg.
ulations-Drastic Order to Be
Asked Of Court.

trlct Hre escape regulations by owners
Of certain apartment houses led the Com
missioners today to take drastic steps
to insure greater protection to the occu-
pants Of such buildings.
Suits were ordered filed in the Supreme
Court of the District Of Columbia against
the owners Of three apartment houses
and as many flats asking for restraining
orders to prevent the use Of the buildings
and collection Of rents therefrom if the
conditions complained OF are not imme-
diately corrected
Cases Number 157.
The Commissioners, it is stated, are
considering 157 cases Of violations Of
similar character, and it is regarded as
practically certain that other suits will
follow
Commissioner Newman is directly re-
sponsible for the boards decision to in
augurate a vigorous campaign for en-
forcement Of the fire escape regulations
the routine business of the office he dis
covered that several notices had been
sent to certain apartment house owners
calling their attention to alleged viola
tions of the fire escape regulations. Upon
inquiry the president of the board of
these notices. in many instances, have
been repeatedly ignored. He thereupon
directed Building Inspector Morris Hack
er to prepare list of persons to whom
notices for violations have been sent.
This Information was turned over to the
office of the corporation counsel and
Assistant Counsel Whiteford instructed
to commence legal proceedings to COM
pei obedience with the law.
Statement by the Commissioner.
Referring to the action Of the board,
Commissioner Newman this afternoon
said:
THE suits to be filed by the District
of Columbia for enforcement Of the fire
escape regulations are the result of
discovery by the Commissioners that a
large number of owners of buildings in
the District have f1agrantly, If not i'm
pudently. ignored the orders of the Com
misstpners to comply with the plain pro-
visions Of the law enacted for the whole
some purpose of protecting human life.
Such violation appeals to us as particu-
larly reprehensible. Should a fire occur
in building the owner Of which has
ignored the law and the orders of the
District Commissioners it is quite likely
there would ensue needless loss of life.
"The Commissioners feel keenly their
responsibility to see to it that every
enOrt on their part Is used TO protect
human life under these circumstances.
There does not appear to the Commits
sioners to be any excuse for failure
on the part of property owners sued
today to provide the safety appliances
required by law, particularly in view
of the fact that those property owners
have calmly ignored the legal. official
notices of the Commissioners. We
have concluded that We cannot tenn
porize in cases of such violations. and,
therefore, instead of issuing more
notices-which these property owners
have indicated they do not intend to
obey-we have brought suit to enjoin
those property owners from the use or
occupancy of their buildings.
Directed to Press Suits.
1.-THE corporation counsel has been dl-
rected to press these suits with the ut
most vigor. Those against whom action
was instituted today were selected be-
cause they have been the worst offenders.
but the corporation counsel Is preparing
as rapidly as possible to bring action
against all violators, to the end that the
lives of people occupying such buildings
may be as safe as 1t is possible for the
commissioners to make them.''