Evening star., 1943-04-16
Roomiing Houses
Face New Fire
Safety Probe
Police to Investigate
Where Licenses
Have Been Denied

Definite instructions were issued
today by the Board of Commission
ers for police as we'll as fire inSpec-
tors to begin a recheck of the 1,780
Adjustments of boarding, rooming
and lodging house operators, who
had been denied licenses, to see if
operations are continuing in vio-
lation of law.
If and when evidence has been
gathered. it will be turned over to
Corporation Counsel Richmond B..
Keech for prosecution. In the past
it has been estimated that between
5000 and 10000 tenants of such
places, where required fire safety
facilities were reported to be lack
ing, faced eviction if there is no
alternative to the scheduled legal
process.
The rechecking of the unlicensed
lodging places, however, probably
will not begin until sometime next
week.
Keech Outlines Plans.
Under plans outlined by Mr..
Keech. license officers of the Police
Department and inspectors Of the
fire marshals Office will meet In
structions are to be given by Edward
w. Thomas, assistant corporation
counsel in charge of District work
at Municipal Court. Inspector
Harvey G. Callahan, assistant SUI
perintendent of police, said the
meeting would be held early next
week.
Mr.. Keech said the men were to be
directed to ascertain If the eStap-
lishments were continuing operation
without a license and if there were
sufficient paying guests in them to
require an operating license. Under
District regulations, If more than
four paying guests are housed IN
building, a license is required.
Stop-Gap Regulation.
Meanwhile. the Commissioners
adopted a stop-gap means OF motl-
waiting the new fire escape act, ap-
proved last December "a, authorizing
the city heads to prom'ugate new
rules as to safety measures 1or
egress from various places Of public
assembly. The proposed new rules
considered at yesterdays public
hearing are to be re-studied for pos
sible revision.
To meet the situation pending
adoption of the new rules, yle Com
missioners ordered existing rules
adopted under authority OF the new
law.
So MANY boarding and rooming
house operators appeared at yester-
dav's hearing to tell of their difficult
ties in attempts to comply with the
present fire safety regulations, Com
missioner John Russell Young said
later hearing would be called to dis
cuss the problems of these proprle-
tors.
A number of rooming house opera
tors declared fire escapes were not
necessary in all cases and anyway
would not necessarily mean saving
of lives in case of fires. Some pro-
sested they could not afford fire
escapes as well as the cost of fire
proofng halls and stairs. Others
spoke of confusion over the meaning
of existing rules.
The act under which the proposed
new rules were considered yesterday
authorizes the Commissioners to
promulgate rules dealing with means
of egress. guide signs and lights,
exits, hall and stairway lights,
standpipes, fire eXtinguishers. alarm
gongs and other safety appliances,
in various places of public assembly.
They would apply to buildings of
three or more stories or more than
30 feet high and used as hospital,
school, asylum, sanitarium or the
like. or places of amusement, res
taurants and other places of public
assembly. Private dwellings would
be exempt.
Legal Problems Posed.
One witness, denied license, who
pounded a table to emphasize his
problem, said he could not comply
with the orders of the District in
spectors and had been told on one
hand he must eject hisoenants with
in 10 days, and on the other hand
that it would require 80 days or more
to evict them through court action
What am I to do?" he shouted.
Another witness, an attorney, de-
clared legal action to evict tenants
who would not leave voluntarily
might take as much as three months
Ernest F. Henry, an attorney rep
resenting the District Rent Control
Administration, agreed 30-day de-
lay in evictions would be involved
under 1.-The usual procedure" He
told the city heads the rent admin
istration recognized there is serious
overcrowding in lodging places ano
that his Office was committed to the
position that District health and
safety regulations must be observed
He said there was no conflict be-
tween the Commissioners regula-
tions and the rent act.
"Well-informed" rooming house
operators, he said, have written ar
rangements with their tenants un-
der which the usual 30-day notice oi
eviction nav he Waived