New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-14
THE, RESPONSIBILITY is HIGH UP
Blame for the williamsburg Should Not Fall Minor Goats
Saws the Former Labor Commissioner
, the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir. In the last days Of March, 1911, the
City OF New York was gripped by the horror
Of the Triangle waist holocaust, in which
more than $40 innocent and unfortunate hui
man beings were killed. Out OF that terrible
disaster arose demand for remedial legis-
lation, which found expression In the crea-
ton of the Factory Investigating Commission
and the enactment OF amendments to the
labor law designed to make recurrence of
such catastrophe a very remote possibility
The changes and additions to the statute
were drastic enough, If enforced to insure
the comparative safety of all factory en-
ployes throughout the state.
These laws have not been enforced. Ano
now the officials charged with the duty of
enforcement are casting around for a goat
upon whose head may be heaped the frightful
responsibility for their inaction and utter
ineficiency.
Twelve precious lives the price of another
awakening.
District Attorney Cropsey of Kings County
may be relied upon to sft with merciess
vigor the official excuses offered by those
who have testified at the inquiry into the
causes of the latest horror, which on last
Saturday afternoon shook the community
from It's calous indifference TO the conditions
which prevail in our midst.
The Industrial Commission assumed that
responsibility when 1t suspended Inspectors
Ash and Rosquist for presumptyc failure In
the performance of their duty.
II the reason given by Commissioner James
NJ Lynch, at the inquiry in Brooklyn, fo- the
inability Of the Department of Labor to en-
force the law Is sound, namely: That the
building that burned, being five stories IN
height, was Outside" the pale of the law.
then obviously Inspectors Ash and Rosquis,
could not have been negligent and, there
FORE they were not deserving Of the stigma
Of suspension.
But a goat" or goats" must be found TO
distract public attention from those tina; are
form their duties.
Assuming that the claim of Mr.. Lynch Is
technically correct, that five-story buildings
fall between the two standards. that Is, be-
tween the law, oil the one hand which pro
vides that the stairways serving as required
exits in buildings more than five stories IN
height shall be inclosed by partitions of ire
resisting material, and Rule No. 2, of the In
dustriel Code, on the other hand which pro-
vides that IN all factory buildings less than
five stories in height the stairs serving as re-
quired exits shall be inclosed by partitions
Of fre-resisting material. no knows and
everybody else should nnow that the State
Industrial Commission has had fIll power
under the law, every day 1t has been in Office,
10 take the necessary steps 90 correct the
anomaly created by the twist between the
law and the rule.
The Industrial Commission has been in Of
flee for almost six months. IL fell heir 10
all the powers of the Industrial Board ana
received certain additional powers
what has the commission been doingl II
has not done "A single constructive piece OF
work Tor safeguarding tho lives and health