The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-06
SM0KESTACK FIRE
. HAZARDS TALKED
Mayor Cooper Asks Atto,-
ney To Prepare Ordinance,
10 Cover Situation

The startling, declaration bv r..
Chief Ludie Groom that No
ordinance adequately provides ~
safeguards against fire hazard,
smoke stacks, and that his der,.
ment is powerless to correct uno.
existing hazards, hiehlighted vos,ol
days meeting of the city commi,.
sion.
AS a result of Chief Croom's III.
closures, Mayor Thomas f. Coon.s
instructed City Attorney William p
Campbell to confer with the e'
chief and prepare amendments =,
existing city ordinances supposa3n
covering the hazald of open staots
The city attorney was asked by ,5a
commission to have the amendmer,.
ready for consideration mex Wed,s.
day morning.
Chief Croom's statement cam,
during his appearance before t5s
commission, asking City Attornav
Campbell what authority, if any
the fire department had to force a
lumber company on North Fourh
street to install fire-safety eouin.
ment to its stack.
THAT stack Chief Groom said
referring to the lumber comD9ny
mill stack, showers sparks all aver
oil tanks of the Riverside Oil com,
pany. I've been trying for four
months to get the lumber COMPANY
to correct the condition, but so far
they've done nothing
The chief said that he had r..
ceived other similar complaints and
had noted like-sparking stacks else.
where in the city.
City Attorney Campbell advised
the fire chief that the enfogcir.
powers vested in the fire depart,
ment ARE vague; too vague
Commissioner James E. L. Wa6s
corroborated the fire chiefs state.
ment that several otter Dangerous
stacks" are located within the city.
IF the city's ordinances GOVERN;
the subject of hazardous smoke
stacks is inadequate, as the fire
chief contends, and the fire depart,
ment has no power to enforce fire.
safety regulations, it is time for us
to act and act promptly" Commis.
sioner Wade said.
Mayor Cooper then instructed the
city attorney and fire chief to con.
fer and have prepared by next
weeks commission meeting what.
ever amendments are necessary 10
correct the condition, and to give
the fire chief authority to enforce
those regulations"
A variety of routine matters re-
ceived the attention of the board.
The appointment of Fred Bancks,
Wilmington magistrate, as city
building inspector, was announced
by Mayor Cooper and approved by
the commission. He succeeds the late
J. w. Yates.
The resignation of Alan A. Mar.
shall as a member of the Greenfield
Park coming commission, was ac'
cepted, and the vacancy created by
his resignation, and other untitled
vacancies on the board. We're filled
with the appointment of Miss Allie
Fechtig, Louie E. Woodbury., Jr,
and John Stillman, Jr. Other mem
bers of the board include DR.. Hous'
ton Moore and Mrs. j. c. Williams.
Marshall's resignation vas rendered
because of his other official duties
with the city attorneys office.
Leon Andrews, representing the
Andrews Mortuary, appeared before
the commission asking permission
to zone parking space or the streets
fronted by the undertaking esta0'
lishment at Third and Red Gross
streets. Andrews asked for police
Signs prohibiting parking OF cars
along the curb near his mortuaIy
for a limited period of time before
and during funeral services. Mayor
Cooper, as commissioner of pu0Hc
safety, was instructed by the COM
mission to work out some solution
to Andrews request within llmlta
tions of existing ordinances.
A petition of the Young Womans
Bible class of the First Presbyterian
church, memoralizing the commls
SION to refrain from licensing SUI
day amusements or commercial en-
~terprises, was read and ordered tllel'
1t contained nine signatures.
The 46th annual report OF TIE
New Hanover Associated ChaIltle'
was presented to the commission
by Mrs. L. o. Ellis, executive Sec
rotary of the organization. 1t oIs'
closed income of S1S,615.55 for 194O'
and expenditures of $18,621.9l, Inc
city contributed 5000 to the cAaEly
during 1910, the report showed, VINE
private contributions amounted u
s5,297. New Hanover county apr
priated and paid a total OF SHo'1
to the group. :,
Another report read and appf0'eu
by the commission was that OF Im'
nursery schools, showing eSPeD''
lures of $112.62 to four schools du''
ing the month of January.