Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-18
GOVERNMENT AID
TO PREVENT FIRE
First Convention of Kind De-
clares for Federal Supervision
and Approval of Standards.
JERSEY DELEGATION
ATTENDS GATHERING
General Bryant and Captain
Gasser Tell About Prevention
Work Already Under Way.

today the first fire prevention con-
gress ever held in this country came
to a close in Philadelphia, concluding
a six-day session, in which fire-pre-
vention experts from all parts of the
country and Canada took active part.
The discussion covered a wide range
and as result of information so dis
closed a number of important resolu-
tions were adpted. The chief action
taken was undoubtedly that calling
upon the department of commerce to
take up the burden of fixing standards
for fire-extinguishing and fire-preven-
tive apparatus. which are now con-
trolled by the National Board of I'm
derwriters at their Chicago head
quarters.
New Jersey was represented in the
convention by General Lewis T. Bry-
ant. State commissioner of labor Of
New Jersey, and by Captain c. Albert
Gasser, of the bureau of combustibles
and fire risks of the Newark. NJ j.,
fire department. General Bryant gave
an illustrated lecture last night in the
Y NJ. c. A. building in Philadelphia,
and told his audience of the work
which has been done in Jersey. par
ticularly in regard to the organiza-
ton of factory fire brigades and the
appointment of factory fire chiefs.
General Bryant referred to the meet
ing in Krueger's Auditorium on Sep
TENDER g. at which two thousand per-
sons were present.
In the afternoon the delegates, at
the invitation of General Bryant, Wis
tied the factory of the Victor Talking
Machine Company at Camden and
witnessed a fire-drill, which was a
revelation to most Of the visitors.
Fire waS~started in a dipping
tank on the fifth floor, the alarms
We're sounded, the employees filed out
of the building while the factory fire
brigade put out the fire and the Cam
den city fire department, having re-
sponded TO the alarm, turned on halt
dozen streams of water.
Captain Gasser read a paper on
Thursday which brought out the most
general discussion of the convention,
inasmuch as he advocated the licens-
ing of Industrial pursuits along the
lines being carried out in Newark,
by issuing permits for the manufac-
ture. use and storage of combustible
materials, and basing such permits
upon inspections and the enforcement
of general regulations for the proven
tion of fire. His paper was short and
not technical. 1t was as follows
Need for Municipal Control.
Admitting, first. the vital need of
municipal control over hazardous oc-
cupancy, there follows naturally,
municipal regulation.
81 desire to direct attention to
methods prevalent throughout the
country directly responsible for much
of the nations fire waste-methods
which, uncontrolled, have enabled
individuals or corporations to begin
business without asking PERMISSION
of any authority. Rapid growth in
creases fire hazards almost imper-
ceptibly, until conditions are reached
which are dangerous not only to the
individual industry concerned but 10
surrounding property. Then laws and
ordinances are enacted and inspec-
tors are sent out to find violations, or
inauests and Investigations follow
tragedies due to carelessness.
II believe this system to be funda-
mentally wrong and submit an
opinion of what can readily be done
in every State in this country.
81 believe that every business should
be licensed by State authority. Any
man or firm that contemplates going
into business should be compelled to
apply for a license, such application to
include:
Names of owners of business
names of owners of buildings, descrlp-
tions of physical properties of build
ings and surroundings, nature OF busl-
ness to be conducted, number of en-
ployees, sex specified; material used
or manufactured.
applications are to be approved
only upon compliance with all regu-
iations, laws or ordinances; licenses
to be renewed annually and to be
subject to forfeiture for violations.
Fees to be nominal-not exceeding
one dollar per annum. Regulations
to be based, of course, upon scientific
knowledge of each separate indus
try. Licenses to be forwarded to
municipal authorities and to be then
issued if there be no other than State
regulations.
Zone great peril is found in the
fact that employees build their homes
around their occupation and hazard
Gus conditions progress until a
meadow becomes a village and vii
lage a city. Shall the successful
cellulose products company or the
successful explosive industry be then
driven from the community to begin
the series elsewhere? Surely not.
THE regulations upon which
licenses would be based would pro-
vide that a cellulose products estab-
lishment must be in a one-story fire.
proof building, not more than 25x5O
and twenty feet from all other build
ings, or 25x75 feet not less than thirty
feet distant, or 100x100 feet at least
100 feet away; that two-story build
Ing must be of f1reproof material,
with outside fire tower, etc.
Licenses for the storage of vola-
tile oils to be based upon regulations
providing that not less than 800 gal
Ions may be buried in one tank six
feet from a building or other tank
and three feet underground; 1000
gallons, twenty feet away; 10000 gall
Ions, 100 feet, and so on in just the
same manner in which New Jersey
regulates the manufacture and
storage of dynamite and other high
explosives.
State law should require State
licenses, under State regulations, to
be revised and issued by municipali-
ties.
Automobiles are licensed, theatres
are licensed, the liquor industry is