Evening star., 1942-11-30
D. {. Officials
Order Survey
Hazards
Sofety of All Public
Places to Be Studied
By Marshal Luuber

An immediate investigation
throughout the District to determine
whether fire hazards such as re-
suited in the deaths of nearly 500
persons in Boston night club Sat-
urday night exist in public gathering
places here was ordered by the Com
missioners today.
Fire Marshal Calvin G.. LAUDER
was instructed to begin survey
at once of all such places as night
clubs, restaurants, department.
stores and meeting halls. The fire
marshal was asked to pay special
attention to such items as trim
mings and decorations and to report
on whether all such places have
enough exits to provide means of
escape in the event of a fire.
Commissioner Mason warned that
places without proper exits would
be closed unless the owners promptly
correct such conditions.
Will Appeal for Bill.
At the same time Corporation
Counsel Richmond B. Keech an
nounced that, as an agent for the
Commissioners, he would appeal to
the Senate District Committee to
report favorably on a pending bill
to strengthen the Districts fire laws.
This bill, originally recommended by
the Commissioners nearly year
and a half ago and passed in Oc-
tober, 1941, with amendments by
the House, has lain idle in the
Senate District Committee since
February of this year when it was
referred to a subcommittee COM
prising Senators Bilbo, Democrat, of
Mississippi; Hughes. Democrat, of
Delaware, and Austin, Republican,
of Vermont.
seemed to recall" such a bill. but
he indicated it would be virtually
impossible to obtain favorable re-
ports from the subcommittee and
the full committee and passage by
the Senate before Congress adjourns
sine die. The bill will die with the
expiration of the Seventy-seventh
Congress.
Authority for Commissioners.
Chief purpose of the bill would be
to repeal obsolete fire. prevention
regulations and to grant the Com
missioners authority to promulgate
whatever regulations they deem
necessary. During the hearings on
the measure, District officials OBJ
jected to certain restrictive features
of amendments added to the bill by
the House.
Agitation for more rigid fire laws
developed after a fire in the White
Court Apartments in April, l94l.
which took the lives of three per-
sons. 1t was indicated during in
vestigation of the tragedy that lack
of an alarm system in the building
delayed calling of fire apparatus.
Chief obstacle just now to the
passage and enforcement of more
rigid regulations, according to
Building Inspector Robert Davis, is
the War Production Boards limita-
ton on the use of metals needed
for fire escapes, alarm systems and
other safety devices. Even now,
Mr.. Davis said, it is difficult to en-
force fire regulations, because of the
difficulty of obtaining materials.
Laws Hard to Read"
'As a matter of fact" he added,
"the laws we have now aren't bad.
They're little hard to read in some
places, but they're effective enough
to assure safe conditions"
Mr.. Davis said that, although his
staff of inspectors was being af-
fected by the draft, his department
was busy every day making ex-
aminations of buildings and that
every effort was being made to
maintain safe conditions here.
Shortly before the Boston fire
broke out Saturday night, District
firemen responded to a two-alarm
fire at 1341 East Capitol street in
which several persons narrowly
escaped serious injury. One woman
was reported to have jumped from
a second-story window as smoke
from a basement blaze poured
through the building.
John William Harrell, his wife
and their baby made their way out
side through smoke-clogged halls.
Just before he reached the outside
door, Mr.. Harrell collapsed from
the effects of smoke. He was taken
outside by fireman and quickly
revived