New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-23
FACTORY LAWS
A SEA OF DOUBT
State Commission, in Its
First Session, Hears
Many Complaints.
OWNERS SAY THEY
ARE OVERBOSSED
DO It," Commands One Official
Then Another Warns Him,
DO II if You Dare"


. I. b. Prahar, Brooklyn manufact-
urer. put this question TO Lieutenant
Governor Robert +. Wagner and his as
sociates on the State Factory Commits
sion at is first hearing in City Hall
yesterday:
"If you were manufactures and
the Labor Department came along and
ordered you to put up platform on
,ho roof Of your factory
"And if then the Fire Department
dropped in and ordered you not 20
tempt people to commit suicide b. sup
plying them with such an easy means
as that platform would afford, what
would you do"
You can search me-" said the Lieu
tenant Governor, after some moments
spent in reflection, and the members OF
the commission nodded approval.
What did you do asked Mr.. Wag-
rer.
81 did nothing" replied Mr.. Prahsr,
and now ! am under 5000 bail because
did not put In p platform which the
Fire Department would have torn down
at once and probably prosecuted me
for putting up. Can you beat II
This ended Mir. Prahar's narrative Of
ing labor laws. but the commission evl-
acncel its sympathy by directing him
20 submit his troubles in writing ana
rromi,irc- TO sec what could be done
about thea.
The commission listened TO he tcst'-
r,ory and The views Of larg number
Of witnesses. IN Only ono ming did
thov ALI agree: that tho pre- mt labor
laws were sad affairs and needed all
sorts o. amendments. The amend
ricnts suggested were a. numerous ana
conflicting az the witnesses them
selves.
Yesterdays was the first Of six hear
incs TO bc held by the commi SsIoA'
which consist OF Robert +. Wagner.
chairman: Alfred l.. Smith. vicc-chalr-
rlYn; Charles VI. Hamilton. Edward u.
Jackson. C-rus ". Phillips. Robert +.
pcwli.r. simon Brcntano. Samuel
Gomocrs and Mary Z. Dreler. Abram
I. Eltus and Bernard l.. Shientag are
its counsel.
In speaki1g Of the work Of the COM
,,ission Chairman Wagner said: III
any manufacturer. working man or
real estate owner believes that there
ave provisions in the law that are not
Working fairly and reasonably, now IS
tho time for him 10 let US know how
he thinks me law should be amended.
We want tc give every one square
deal"
George ". Olyany. formerly a dep-
uty fire commissioner, appeared Tor the
Real Estate Board.
I'VE wish 20 be relieved from the
terrible yoke which has Tor years nm
dcrcd real estate operations!' ne c<-
claimed.
81 have not heard o. terrible yoke
What do YOU mean ." asked Mr.. smith.
II mean the multiplicity of inspec-
tions." retorted Mr. Olvany. THAT IS
The woke. and tina. is The ching whicr
must he remedied. We urge the chang
iEr Of the laws 50 that the Building
Dcpartrient Only will have iurisdic-
ton. Everything that the Labor De
pertinent does is merely duplication
o, what the building Department Is
doing
G.. Richard Davis. representing tar
Allied Real Estate Interests. protested
against the "unfairEess Of making ~ ,
manufacturer Of nou-inhsmmable art
cles take the same precautions as nc
manufacturer Of celluloiG,' and Mr.
Prahar. already referred TO, said that
ne manufactured metal goods only, yet
ne had 20 spend $1,000 IN inc last
two years in alterations TO his factory
TO comply with the orders of the Flie
end Labor departments.
Mrs. Irene o. Andrews. the first W.
ness and secretary for the ASsoci1-
ton for Labor Legislation. said The r.
dustral board rather than the cour-5
should be empowered TO rc"iew cases
growing out Of infractions OF the ,ac-
tory lax. ,,,
"The law should be rcneyible.' -
serted Maurice Wcrtheim. Of the N
dustrial Board. land the board need.
more power. Take the details out OF
the law and put them into an indus
trial code. Make the board an impor-
tant body or wipe it out. Since ! 20
out Of Office on December | ] recon-
mend that the salaries Of board menu
bers be raised to $1,000"
Rudolph Miller. Superintendent o.
Buildings. indorsed in general way
the recommendation made By Nr.
Wcrthcim.
Others who spoke were John Will
Jams, secretary Of the Industrial Board
and former Labor Commissioner; Al
fred H. Conkin. former Asscmbl"ms 7,
and Alois 3. Kokul.