REPORT OF THE Ontario Fire Prevention Convention HELD IN THE PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, TORONTO FRIDAY, AUGUST 30th, 1918 For the organization of' the Ontario Fire Prevention League, affiliated with the office of the Ontario Fire Marshal TORONTO ; Printed by A. T. WILGRESS, Printer to tlie King's Most Excellent Majesty 1918 AA 4 K-\ I ) TH Ontario Fire Prevention League FORMED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRST CANADIAN FIRE PRE- VENTION CONVENTION. AFFILIATED WITH THE OFFICE OF THE ONTARIO FIRE MARSHAL "/t is now generally recognised, by thinking men and, women, thai the Fire Wastage in the Province of Ontario, as well as\ throughout'. the Dominion, is a serious drain on our national wealth and resources: " It is conceded with equal candor that something must be done, and done in an efflcient and comprehensive way, to check the enormous losses, for the payment of ivhich we are all contributing either directly or indirectly. ? "Education — of both young and old, in all loalks of life — on Fire Prevention lines is of paramount importance. Concerted action is sought so that after full discussion it may be possible to adopt ivays and means of preventing the origin and spread of fires, ivith its accompanying loss of life. " With these thoughts in mind, I am calling a meeting of representa- tives of organizations most vitally interested, for the purpose of forming a 'Provincial Fire Prevention League ' (which will be affiliated with the Provincial Fire Marshal's Department), to foster and promote such propaganda as shall be decided upon, and arrange for the proper observ- ance of October 9th as Fire Prevention Day, lohich day has been adopted by general consent for this purpose throughout North America." In these words Sir William Hearst, Premier of Ontario, invited Industrial and Labor organizations. Merchants' Associations, Boards of Trade, Rotary Clubs, Insurance Interests, Councils, Clubs, and Associations in which women are interested, Societies of Architects and Engineers, Farmers' and Women's Institutes, Fraternal Organizations, Transportation Companies, Educational and Religious bodies. Fire Chiefs, Boards of Health, Municipalities, Dominion and Provincial Government Departments, to send dele- gates to a meeting in the Parliament Buildings, Toronto, to discuss various subjects pertaining to the Fire Wastage of the Province, and to co-operate in the great w-ork of Fire Prevention. More than three hundred men and women were present when the Premier called the meeting to order at ten o'clock on Friday morning, August 30th. An attractive programme was provided, and keen interest was taken in the pro- ceedings by those in attendance during the entire session. The enthusiastic demonstrations accorded the speakers of the day, and the lively discussions of the subjects dealt with, indicated that the public mind had been awakened, and that the people of Ontario had determined to co-operate with the 'Government and Fire Marshal's OfBce, to the fullest extent possible, in reducing to a minimum the fire waste of the Province. , In his opening address Sir William said: It is a great privilege to me to welcome you to this, the first Fire Prevention gathering held In the Province of Ontario, and, I believe, in the whole of Canada. This Convention has been called because the Provincei recognizes the great fire wastage that is going on, and the serious drain that this wastage makes on the resources and the wealth, not only of this Province, but of all of Canada. The purpose of this gathering is to form a Prevention League, associated with the Fire Marshal's Department, to foster and promote in every possible way fire prevention. The call to this Convention was sent out by the Government to organizations of almost every kind of men and women, with the object of gathering together the most representative body of men and women It was possible to get together in the whole Province, and, looking at this gathering this morning, I feel that we have accomplished what -we had in mind. The assurance of the co-operation and support that we have already received from these bodies, and from the people of the Province generally, is certainly most encouraging, and I believe that we have here a gathering that would be able to form a complete and energetic organization for the purpose we have in mind. The great object that we seek to accomplish is the reduction of wastage by fire, and at the same time a reduction in the cost of insurance that is now being paid by the people of this Province. I need hardly remind you, who are familiar with the subject of the burden of the fire waste in this country, that at the present time, according to the figures compiled by the Commission of Conservation, altogether there was a loss in Canada since Confederation, of the enormous sum of .$350,000,000.00. We have spent in that time ?150, 000,000. 00 in maintaining fire protection. We have paid for fire insurance $197,000,000.00 over and above the sums that have been returned for losses. Each year two hundred persons are burned to death, and five hundred seriously injured from this cause, but the great amount paid in fire insurance premiums not returned for losses, means that those who are careful, and those who eliminate, to the best of their ability, the fire loss, have to pay for those who are careless and are the means of causing fires. The Conservation Commission is of opinion, and it is an important feature for this meeting to consider, that 70 per cent, of the fires in Canada are caused by carelessness, faulty building construction, etc. The Commission also finds that the Canadian Fire Departments are the best in the world. In the Province of Ontario our losses lately have been aggregating very large sums indeed, and, unfortunately, the amount seems to be Increasing. The returns for the last six months show a loss in Ontario of over $7,000,000.00, including the destruction in whole or part, of 3,456 buildings, at a time when the housing of people is one of the most serious problems we have to meet. We are trying to devise ways and means of overcoming the housing shortage in all sections of the Province of Ontario, yet, taking six months' record, and applying it to the whole year, 7,000 houses will be destroyed by fire. Taking these at five inhabitants to a house, it means that homes for 35,000 of our people will be destroyed during the year. In' these days of food shortage, the loss by fire in Ontario during the last six months of 330 barns and 601 mercantile stores, with their contents, valued at over two million dollars, is well-nigh alarming. Losses of this character would be bad enough and lamentable enough at any time, but at a time when our money, our energies, and our resources are required in the great war that is being waged for humanity, a condition such as I have outlined and indicated in these figures is one that surely must be remedied by intelligent people in this Province of Ontario. We are urging greater production in order that we may furnish foodstuffs to our allies: our boys and girls from the homes of this Province have volunteered to work upon farms in order that we may sow seed and garner the harvest: yet, after we have spent all that energy and all that labour, we have this large amount of it destroyed when it is practically ready to use. It is the intention that the Fire Prevention League will co-operate with the Govern- ment, and promote the science of helping the method of fire protection and fire preven- tion. It will gather and circulate information on these subjects; it will assist in securing proper safeguards against fire; endeavour to bring home to the people the patriotic duty of preventing fires to the end that the lives of our subjects and our nation may not be dissipated by preventable waste. It will be the dutj^ to consider other ways and means of accomplishing its object. I believe it is possible for us to create such a sentiment in this meeting, and to carry back that sentiment and that feeling into every section of the Province, so that we may eliminate to a very great extent the waste that is now caused by carelessness, in the manner in which I have indicated. Opportunity will be given for a full discussion of the subject. We want free and full discussion of it from every aspect. The Government is looking for information and guidance from this meeting; for any action that is felt we can take, looking to the end we all have in mind; but after all the important question is to create public sentiment on this question. That is the only thing that will do away with the carelessness that is shown to be the great cause of fires in this Province. In conclusion, on befialf of the Government and the people of Ontario, I thank you for assembling in such goodly num- bers, and can bespeak by the great interest already displayed, the success of the organi- zation, and many years of useful service to our country. It is a great pleasure and satisfaction to the Government to have the people taking the interest in this subject that is indicated by your presence here, and I look to great good being accomplished by this meeting, and I am sure you will feel that you have accomplished a real public service in coming here and taking this important question up. The office of the Fire Marshal comes under the Hon. Mr. Lucas, the Attorney- General, and I would ask him to say a few words to supplement what I have said by way of greeting, and in outlining the work of the Convention. THE HON. I. B. LUCAS, ATTORNEY-QENERAL Sir William, Ladies and Gentlemen: — I have really nothing to add to what Sir William has said. This is a business gathering and not one for political speeches, or speeches of any kind. I notice my name is on the printed programme here: that simply I take as a little courtesy on the part of Mr. Lewis, because the administration of the Department, as Sir William has intimated, is under the Department of the Attorney- General. The work — and we are only beginning to work — we are only feeling our way — is under the direction of the Fire /Marshal. The Fire Marshal, I think, has been appointed for about a year and a half or two years, and the organization of such a department is a serious undertaking. The work naturally divides itself into two branches: first, the investigation of fires, not alone of fires where there is a suspicion, but fires arising from carelessness, and practically all fires; and in fire-prevention work we recognize that as an important feature of the work. The mere fact that when there is a fire there is to be a fairly close scrutiny, no matter how honest the fire may be, is a desirable thing, and that is as far as it had been developed up to date. We have been investigating fires all over the Province, and perhaps the outstanding feature of those Investigations so far has been, as intimated by Sir William Hearst, that fires which are deemed suspicious, some- times upon close investigation and enquiry are found to be simply the result of care- lessness, and that while there are a number of incendiary fires, the percentage of incendiary fires is probably over-estimated in popular opinion. So that up to date, then^ we have only had our investigation of fires, and our reports as to those fires. The other branch of the work, of course, is Uie more important — the fire prevention branch, and this is only the opening convention in what we believe will be a great and useful movement in this country, having for its object the prevention of the causes of fire; the preventable causes. Educational work, therefore, is important, and this conference, or this league which I hope will take permanent form, will be for the purpose of advising the Fire Marshal's Department or the Government, and conferring with the Department and with the Governm€nt upon the methods that can be taken, and that should be taken, to advance the object of the Fire Marshal's Department. We have, as you know, a year or more ago, named Mr. Justice Masten as a Com- missioner to investigate the wide question of insurance matters in the Province, which has, of course, a close bearing upon fire losses. The subject being investigated by Mr. Justice Masten is more directly the question of the control of insurance rates, and kindred subjects, but that has an important bearing upon the whole question of fire prevention and fire waste in the Province. I hope, and I understand, that the report of Mr. Justice Masten, which will be a very full one, will be available and will be found useful in the delibera- tions' of those who are interested in the subject, later on. 'Now, Sir William has intimated that the purpose of this League is to give advice. Well, we want advice; the Fire Marshal, I am sure, wants advice; Mr. Lewis wants advice; and we need it, because we know nothing about fire questions; so we shall be very open to advice. Just one thing; to my mind, if we are to do useful work, we must do it in co-operation with the municipalities. The work will naturally be the work of the various municipalities of this Province. We want co-operation — and just one word as to the character of the advice that your committee, or your conference, or whatever shape your organization may take, will give us. Go slow about drastic legislation by the Legislature. We can only go as fast as public opinion will justify us, for obvious reasons that will occur to you all. We never look to travel too far in advance of public opinion: we never look to swing the big club too much. Just a little bit of leadership, and educational campaigns — that is as far as you can expect the Government to go. You may expect — and you have the right to expect — the Fire (Marshal's Department to endeavour, with your assistance, to lead publio opinion in the municipalities to adopt flre-prevention methods. We are prepared, naturally, and I am only enunciating a few general principles — it will not be good for drastic legislation to go out from the Legis- lature compelling municipalites or individuals to adopt preventive measures, bat it, will be along the line of legislation, permitting municipalities to adopt preventive methods, and educating the municipalities, and public opinion in those municipalities, to a point where they adopt their fire-prevention by-laws, their fire-prevention measures, and the law to enforce them being as drastic as you lilte, that your suggestion a^ to legislation will have the most effect. I should hope that in the end — I think I said so in opening — that in the end we will have a Pire-Prevention Committee, not only in every city, but in every town and village in this Province, which will be a centre to spread the fire^prevention doctrine and preach the new doctrine 'X preventable fires tliroughout the Province, and if this conference does result in something of the kind, the formation of committees — it is just as it is passing in my head — I have given no thought of a definite character, and I am not attempting to suggest the line of action you should take: but it occurs to me this moment if the Fire Marshal goes into a municipality and' desires advanced municipal by-laws, in a public spirit that municipality will back him up and enforce them, and if the fire chief and the chief of police will enforce those by-laws, that is the kind of sentiment that will get results. We want some influential citizens and people who will take an interest in public affairs, who will take a little time in those municipalities and back the Fire Marshal up in going into those places. I saji if you are going to do that you are going to do good work. I hope this opening conference will be the opening of a big permanent movement in the Province of Ontario that is going to do good work. Mr. Lewis, who will have special charge of fire-prevention work, will be always open to suggestions, and will always have a receptive mind for good advice. Sir William Hearst: I would now ask you to elect a chairman to take charge of the further deliberations of this gathering. Mr. Shaplet: Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in moving that Sir .John Wlllison be our chairman. Sir John Willison at the present time is President of the Canadian Industrial and Reconstruction Association — a very important work — and, in my opinion, would fill the position of chairman of this meeting very satisfactorily. Sir William Hearst: Sir John Willison, you have been unanimously elected chair- man of the meeting, and I wish you would be good enough to take the chair and now take charge of the proceedings. Deputy Fire Marshal George P. Lewis was elected secretary, and cijmmittees on Constitution and By-laws, Resolutions, and Nominations were appointed. The Chairman: Now, ladies and gentlemen, before the meeting adjourns for luncheon I will announce these three committees, and in the meantime I will ask the Hon. T. Alfred Fleming, State Fire Marshal of Ohio, to address you. I just want to say, in introducing Mr. Fleming, that we welcome him here because of his knowledge of the subject about which he is going to speak, and also because he comes from a country that Is associated with us in the great common struggle in which we are engaged. HON. T. ALFRED FLEMING Mr. Chairman, and Fellow Members of the great movement of Fire-Prevention: — I am sure it is a very great pleasure for me to address an audience in the City of Toronto. This, of course, as some of you know, is my former home. (Hear, hear.) About twenty years ago I was treading these streets attending your University, which I consider is second to none on the Continent of America. I found my birthplace up on the border of the Georgian iBay, where all my people live. In the earliest days of my life I had the privilege of going out on the stump for one of the parties, at least, that is doing business in the political line: (Laughter) so I am therefore proud now to come back at this time and to answer the call of your most progressive Prime Minister and your most enthusiastic and energetic Fire Marshal, to come with a message from Ohio as to what we are trying to do in that State. You know, I feel like the Irishman when he was called to the Cuban War. After he had drilled for some time and they were called to go across to the Front, they had just put in a splendid time in drilling before the final battle. On the day of that battle they were ranged up on one side with the enemy on the other side, preparing for the last conflict, and the captain rode up on a white horse, and he said: " Now, men, strike for country and home ! " Two or three days after, Pat was sitting on some boxes in a grocery store, and/ he was telling the story. " Now," he said, " that was the time of my life. The opportunity presented itself. All the other fellows struck for country and I struck for home." Well, when I saw this splendid meeting to-day, and the splendid audience interested in this great subject — the greatest subject of all that we have here — I could not help but feel like Pat. I felt like saying, " All these other fellows can take care of the work, but I want to strike for home." (Laughter.) This is the biggest subject that the United States and Canada has to treat with at the present time, and the one neglected subject more than any other. If I were to tell you that we are burning up— I am going to take America, the United States and Canada together, for they are practically the same in their fire loss per capita — there is only one cent difference in the per capita loss of Canada and the United States; you are one cent lower than we are — but if I were to tell you that we are burning up and putting out of existence every minute what is costing us fourteen hundred dollars for that minute, there are mighty few of you within the hearing of my voice who could believe it. It is appalling. We cannot for a minute estimate it: we cannot grasp it. A lot of people say it isn't true — ^well, I have figured it up to the last notch, and we are burning up on reported fires ovei' five hundred dollars a minute; we have a fire department that we haven't considered, the upkeep of that department. We have unreported fires that we have to estimate, to get a list of them through the insurance companies, and everything of that kind, and in the last analysis the appalling sum of fourteen hundred dollars is being burnt up for every minute, whether we are awake or sleeping — being put out of existence, and these are the times when we need every cent of money to take care of our losses over on the other side in making the final drive for Berlin. Would you realize the wonderful cost of our great postal service in the United States — the service that brings the letters to your door and a package to your place away out in the country fifteen miles — the wonderful cost — we cannot estimate it at all — and yet that cost comes within $178,000.00 of equalling what we put out of existence annually in the United States, and we never stop to give it a passing thought. Now you know men will debate in Congress — they will debate quite freely on a subject that amounts to a hundred thousand dollars, and they will pass up the biggest subject that we have before us for consideration. You know, in an asylum, if they want to test a man's sanity, they take him into) the bathroom in the basement, and they give him a mop an