The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1913-08-20
PLENTY OF LAW
FOR PROTECTION
AGAINST FIRE PANIC
Industrial Board of Labor Has
Power 70 Render Fac.
tories Safe.

The Industrial Board OF the New
York State Department Of Labor this
morning began an open hearing In Its
room ut No. ISL Fourth avenue IN ref
erence to the adoption Of rules and
reg ulations formulating standards for
tho enclosure and construction Of
starways, partitions. doors. openings
and exits and other requirements t.
insure the safety and adequacy OF exits
from buildings In which factories are
situated.
The members Of the board present
were william c. Rogers. Chairman;
John II. shiilady. secretary; Richard
Cullen. Charles Flaesch. Pauline Gold
mark and Maurice Werthsim.
The first speaker was Bernard l..
shientag. assistant counsel Of the state
Factory Investigating Commission. He
said that broad and general powers
were conferred on the board for proper
sanitation OF factory buildings and for
tho ,ncloring Of stairways. Mr.. Shisn-
tag explained to the board the mean.
Ing OF the law In giving discretionary
powers to the board In reference to
buildings four or less stories In height.
MIR. shientag said the law gave the
board the power to make rules reQuir-
ing factories under four stories In
height to have inciosed stsirways.
POWER TO EXERCISE JUDGMENT
40 TO SMALL OUlLpiNoo.
Mr.. Rogers asked Mr.. ShientaG " the
.l.A A. NsaA
ment ~ to rules about inclosing stair.
ways In buildings four or less stories In
height.
Mr.. stisntag replied In the affirmative.
lie said there was that power given.
He said that the manufactures Of ma.
chinery non. In hamable. should not be
held down TO the same rules - Q manu-.
factursr Of white goods. highly imam.
able.
George w. Aiger. IN attorney. spoke
Of tho power OF tho Board to regulate
factory buildings less than four stories
In height lie said the Board had full
power for the regulation Of the inclos-
urs Of the staircasss and the proper
safeguarding OF employees In factories
and mercantile buildings. He said -
an Industrial board there was . flexible
power.
Mr.. Alger said that the main object
Of the Board was the safety Of life
He said that regulations Of buildings
under four stories high. was absolutely
under the control Of the oBard. To
consider Il otherwise. said the speaker.
and to permit another occasion where
-
death. would be . public calamity.
The SPEAKER advissd that the Board
b not timid In exercising its powers
In safeguarding buildings. He said no
Judge in this city would dare rule
against the Board.
IDEAS OF JUDGES HAVE SEEN
CHANGED LATELY.
Chairman Rogers said: "You don't
know tho judiciary a. we'll - l do"
Mr.. AlEer replied that the Industrial
Board was . new proposition and that
the IDEAS Of the judges had changed.
He said It would stultify the Board "
they asked for further legislation.
There was ample authority given by the
Labor law to carry out the provisions
Of the amendments In reference to the
Industrial Board.
reau Of Fire Prevention. spoke Of the
reuonsry power conferred on him
lie said the hard and fast law was not
considered. but that the Boards dis
cretionary powers conferred by the Cor
poration Counsel resulted In the protec-
ton Of those TO be protected. He said
hazardous business should have pro.
tected stairways whether or not II was
ten stories or only three.