The Washington herald., 1914-10-11
FIRES TO BE COSTLY.
Occupants of Premises May Have to
Pay for Fighting Flames.

Fire Commissioner Robert Adamson
proposes 70 launch a campaign for revo-
luuonary amendment Of the fire prever-
ton laws.
II was announced last night that yes
terday's unusual celebration Of Fire
prepare the way for a safety propaganda
and to arouse public interest.
Under the bill which Commissioner
Adamson proposes TO submit to the next
legislature. the man who has nre will
not be a subject for sympathy. but viii
be regarded as q public enemy on the
ground that he probably has endangered
lives and property in the community.
One provision viii end free lighting Of
fires caused by carelessness. Commits
sioner Adamson proposes that the law
shall provide that every person on whose
premises there Is fire, after he has been
warned that he is violating fire preven-
ton regulations. shall pay all the cost
the city Is put to in extinguishing the
FIRE and for all loss his neighbors suffer.
The order for yesterdays celebration
was TO tap every source of publicity
from the moving picture shows to the
children in the public schools" To carry
out this order more than 5000 placards
were displayed in street cars. department
stores, on taxicabs. the bridges. and on
billboards throughout the ive boroughs.
Every moving picture house reeled on
last night at Its opening and closing q
fire prevention message In the morning
there was a parade Of fire engines car
rying banners that told of the fire waste
In America, amounting to Sfl6 minute
and $4,000 an hour. In each public school
there was a fire drill and a lecture on
fire prevention. which the students were
told to repeat to their parents. Mayor
Mitchell and Commissioner Adamson visit
ed several schools and outlined the need
for new public attitude toward the per-
son who permits a preventable fire.
We ask each Of you." said Mayor
Mitchell, at Public School 1884, ito be
fire prevention inspector. We spend
s.. 10000 a year on the fire department
and all but $4,000 Of this is spent to
put out fires. II you boys will do all
you can TO see that those rules are OBJ
served. you will be making yourselves
part Of the city government"
As the mayor and commissioner turned
to leave the fire signals were rung and
they reached the street in time to see the
last Of the 3,4sO students on the side
walks. 2 minutes and 90 seconds after
the gong rang. The mayor and commits
sioner also visited the High School Of
Commerce and Washington Irving High
School.
The FIRE engine parade, including six
teen pieces Of apparatus. proceeded
through the principal danger zones Of
Manhattan and Brooklyn. Thousands.
stopped TO watch II pass and to read
the banners, of which these were typi-
cal:
The Panama Canal cost Ss75, 90. 900.
American losses every year S13OoO,00o
more than that by fire. Two thousand
fires have occurred since July. Careless
ness caused 1.023 OF them
To cigarette smokers: You caused 80
fires within the last three months by
careleSsness.
To housewives: Careless handling Of gas
lights and ranges caused one IRE out
of every five this year.
Guard the matches. Matches carelessly
handled and given to mlschievous boys
have caused go fires from June to Octo-
Der.
The FIRE loss per capita: In Berlin be-
fore the war. 81 cents; in New York.
$50.
To the taxpayer: Why should you pay
100000 a year for fires by careless
smokers. housewives, factory owners, and
tenants?
To the man with a job: II the factory
burns you lose your job. Think Of this
when you are throwing away that match.
or smoking in the factory.-New York
Times.