New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-09
LAYS FATAL FIRE
AT STATES DOOR
Miss Dreier BIames Labor
Departments Delay for
Diamond Disaster.
REALTY INTERESTS
ACTION DENOUNCED
Demand for Rigid Insurance
Measure To Be Presented at
Adjourned Meeting To-day.

Disregard for the state factory laws,
calling for the freproof inclosing of all
factory stairways, inadequate exits and
alleged activity Of the allied real ts-
tate interests resulting in he charg
ing Of the provisions for fire proven
tion were yesterday given by Miss Mary
Dreier, Of the Woman's Trade Union
League, and Miss nellie Schwartz. of
the Consumers League, as .he direct
cause of the loss of life at the Diamond
candy factory fire Of Saturday.
Both women. who have been active
since the Triangle disaster in obtaining
protective legislation for factory work
ers, visited the scene Of the Williams
burg fire yesterday and spent several
hours going over the building. Later IN
the afternoon they made report TO
conference Of representatives OF the
National Fire Prevention league. the
state Labor Department, the Committee
on Safety, the New York and the Ma
tional Child Labor Committees, the
Joint Board of Sanitary Control and
the Woman's Trade Union League.
The conference was held at the Office
of the Woman's Trade Union League. at
AZ East Twenty-second Street. The re-
mort made by Miss Dreier and Miss
Schwartz was not given out in full.
But after the meeting was adjourney
until this afternoon at 3 o'clock, Miss
Dreier said:
"If the law regulating the inclosing
in freproof material of stairways mad
been followed in the Diamond factory
there would have been no loss of life.
II those responsible had closed the
building when they saw that it was m.
safe, and unfit to house The number OF
people employed there, instead Of per
hitting an outrageous delay of nine
months, New York would not have been
sickened by the spectacle of twelve in
nocent people sent to death in agony.
"The reason for the delay must be eX-
planned by the State Labor Department
and its industrial commission. OF
course. the reorganization Of the LABOR
Department twice in two and nall
wears had a tendency to Offset the good
that had been accomplished and retard
the Investigations and improvements
under way.
But the public is face to face 18th
the realization that stairways must be
Enclosed in order to prevent such hor-
rors as that of last Saturday. People
are confronted with the knowledge that
building owners, If it is found i'm
practicable to inclose the stairways,
must install fire walls, walls which will
permit employees to go from threat
ened side of building to one that is
safe.
1.-THE Fire and Police departments an
the building departments are ready -
do their share, and the Labor Depart
ment must be compelled to cooperate.
The department, which Las in its p
ing the lives of so many thousands, has
he power under the law. and II must be
made compulsory for it to issue within
ten DAYS an order to vacate on every
building the Fire Commissioner and
the Labor Department inspectors know
to be unsafe"
Miss Schwartz said that there were
more people employed in the Diam nd
building than permitted by law, md
added that if the law had been enfor ed
the building would have been closed
long ago.
Miss Frances Perkins became deeply
interested in the work Of aiding factory
girls after the Asch Building fire, and
is one of the most active members OF
the Committee on Safety.
There is no excuse for Saturdays
awful disaster" she said. ave have
the laws. and the conditions in the
building were known to exist. We have