Evening star., 1943-04-16
Officials Begin
Restudying Fire
Safety Laws
Stop-Gop Regulations
May Be Issued in
Protrocted Delay

Protrocted Delay
District officials today began a re-
study of their proposed new fire
safety regulations as result Of pro-
tests against many features voiced
at yesterdays public hearing.
Should the consideration become
protracted, it was indicated the
Commissioners may issue stop-gap
rules to put in force the new fire
escape act, approved last December
"a, which became effective late last
month.
So many boarding and rooming
their difficulties in attempts to COM
ply with the present fire safety reg
ulations, Commissioner John Russell
Young said later hearing would be
called to discuss the problems OF
these proprietors.
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-
tested they could not afford fire
escapes as we'll as the cost of fire.
proofing halls and stairs. Others
spoke of confusion over the meaning
Of existing rules.
Second Inspection Proposed.
Meanwhile, the Commissioners to-
day were to consider their next step
as to the 1,780 lodging places for
which applications for licenses were
denied April 5, for failure to meet
present District fire safety rules.
These places now are without Dis
trict licenses A proposed order
would send police or fire inspectors
to make a second round to see If
! these buildings were being operated
without permits, and, if so, to pre-
sent evidene to Corporation Counsel
Richmond B. Keech.
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 a 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 his tenants 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.
y
resenting the District Rent Control
Administration, agreed a 30-day de-
lay in evictions would be involved
under "the usual procedure" He
told the city heads the rent admin
istration recognized there is serious
overcrowding' in lodging places and
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.
Agreements Cited.
"Well-informed" rooming houss
operators, he said. have written ar
rangements with their tenants un-
der which the usual 30-day notice Of
eviction may be waived.
Paul Miller. representing the
Washington Guest House Associa-
ton, said the proposed new fire
safety code should be applied to all
pertinent places-other than the
rooming houses. He asked for
separate hearing on rules to govern
boarding, rooming and lodging
houses.
Mr.. Miller added that he thought
OF the Commissioners "as wise and
indulgent parents, caring for their
children with one eye on Congress
and the other on the public pulse"
Edward G. Heilsberg of 1864 Cir
ard street NV. referring to the
Euclid street fire, declared fire
escapes wouldn't have saved those
two lives there" When he protested
there was a long delay in getting a
fire hose stream on that building,
Fire Chief Stephen T. Porter de-
clared delay in notifying the Fire
Department was the reason the blaze
had swept up through the building.
While fire hose was being laid, he
said, firemen were busy with rescue
work. Three persons we're carried
down ladders
Porter Defends Methods.
Chief Porter declared the fire was
well handled" and that under the
circumstances, with the blaze having
already swept up the buildings
stairs before fire apparatus arrived,
it was question of saving lives or
putting hose on the fire. Even so,
he said, firemen were able to pre-
vent spread Of the blaze to adjoin-
ing buildings.
Chief Porter added, IF we had
gotten there when the fire was con-
fined to the first floor. would gam
BILE my life that it would have
stopped there"
Other witnesses insisted there
should be more elasticity as to zon-
ing restrictions on multiple family
housing instead Of insistence on fire
escapes.