Evening journal., 1915-02-05
MUST MAKE CITY
Picture HOUSES SAFE
Building Inspector Gets Busy
After Council Takes
Hand in Matter
LICENSE FOR
ONLY ONE HOUSE

All theatres must comply with the
building laws of the city within roa-
sonabic time or be closed
Word to this effect was sent to the
proprietors of the theatres today by
Mayor Howell through his secretary.
Building Inspector Anderson at the
same time started to make an inspec
ton OF the theatres. All data col
lected by the inspector will be sent 10
Council ON next Wednesday night.
Council will see that all the houses
are made safe.
AT a conference held last night to
discuss the subject Mayor Howell eN-
plaincd that the situation is one OF
chaos and the Building Inspector had
refused 20 approve any license except
TO one theatre. Mayor Howell also
said he had information that the the
atrcs were being packed TO the doors
which was a violation of the law and
he would send letters today TO the
Police Department calling their at
tontion to the matter.
Councilman Kane thought it would
be wise to have City Solicitor Hast
ings I'm conference with them, but the
Mayor said Mr.. Hastings is out of the
CITY and he. the Mayor. does not care
TO take the risk of waiting longer
to clear his own skirts in case there
should be an accident in any of the
theatres. II was therefore agreed to
! take a recess and the Councilmen, the
| Mayor and the Building Inspector
went into executive session to dis
cuss the subject.
Al this conference Council agreed
/ to support the mayor in any action he
/ may take TO remedy existing evils To
/ begin with. he will send a letter TO
The Board of Police Commissioners
today. informing them that he has
positive knowledge that the exits and
aislcs Of certain moving picture houses
are crowded and blocked. This is IN
violation of a city ordinance which
| gives the police the authority 10 see
that ali such exits and aisles are kept
/ clear and open. and the police Will be
/ directed to have this ordinance en-
forced.
/ Today Building Inspector Anderson
visited every moving picture theatre
| in the city and gave the prOprietOrs a
written notice of the building laws
and ordinances. a statement as to how
each is violating these laws, what
must he done in each TO make them
! conform to the law and a reasonable
length Of time in which to comply with
these directions and make such
: changes as shall be ordered. The in
! spector will take this action on the
orders from the mayor.
Next Wednesday evening the
building inspector will submit tC
City Council all the data he has
compiled. This will give the name
of each theatre what each is lacking
in and what has been ordered to b'
done az each. Council will then take
such action as is necessary to SEE
that the inspectors orders are carried
out. and failure to comply with his
orders will mean that the mayor vii
promptly close every theatre that re
fuses or fails TO comply.
Some of the theatres are said to b'
lacking in the number of emergenc!
exits. Some don't have the proper
fire escapes. and one is said to have {
dummy exit. Some do not have thu
machines encased in metal boxes an'
others fail i'm other ways to compl.
with the laws.
The mayor. the Council and tn
building inspector have determines
that the moving picture theatre
shall be made as safe as possible ant
they have determined TO strictly en-
force the laws without favor
Members of Council were startled la
night when Mr. Anderson informed the
, that only one of the nine picture tn,
atres was coming anywhere near con
plvmu with the building laws and thi
, majority of them were operating witt
r out a license This statement was ma,
at conference between Mayor Howel
Mr. Anderson and Council The confe
cnce held in the mayors Office was he
during recess of Council. May
Howell saving he did not want to ,
, any injury to the owner. of tho thcatr
i'm airing tho case in public, as there a
lpcared to Toe some misunderstandu
over the law ON the question. The ma
+ ter Of whether the theatres were cor
plying with the law was brought I
+, early last night when Mayor Howell r
= quested Mr.. Anderson TO inspect the M
ton picture houses before they receiy,
their annual licenses. The report mat
4 by Mr.. Anderson showed that only ol
theatre was constructed according
law. As licenses had been issued 10 ty
theatres through a misunderstandin
/ Mayor Howell requested City Solicit
Hastings for an opinion and on recei
of this a conference was held betwc'
Mayor Howell and Inspector Anders'
| yesterday afternoon. Last nights co
cncc followed and Council took the a
= tion a. outlined.