NEW YORK CITY HAS MODEL MOTION PICTURE FILM LAW

WM. JEROME DALY
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NEW YORK CITY HAS MODEL MOTION PICTURE FILM LAW

New Ordinance Result of Conference by Best Minds in Fire Department, Underwriters and the Motion Picture Industry—Text of Law

(Concluded from November 11 issue)

FOLLOWING is the last installment reproducing the test of the New York City ordinance intended to “put teeth” into the laws relative to inflammable motion picture film. The new law represents the composite thought of the “best minds” in the fire-fighting service, the insurance underwriters, the fire prevention field and the motion picture representatives themselves. It is the culmination of eighteen months of sincere, earnest, painstaking and technical efforts to get the safest regulations possible for both the industry and the public.

The title of the new law is as follows:

AN ORDINANCE to amend chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances by adding a new article 20, in relation to inflammable motion picture film, and repealing the present article 20 of chapter 10, and subdivision 23 of section 1 of article 1 of chapter 10, relating to the same subject.

Be it Ordained, by the Board of Aldermen of The City of New York, as follows:

Section 1. Article 20 of chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances is hereby repealed and a new article 20 is inserted in place thereof to read as follows:

Article 20

Sections 240 to 246 and part of Section 247 have already been published. following is the conclusion of Section 247:

§247. Laboratories.

3.Printing. Printing rooms in which more than 15 persons worked on the date whereupon this article shall become effective may continue to operate with that number of persons, but not over 30 persons shall work in such printing rooms. Printing machines shall be spaced so that the distance from the film on one machine to that on any other machine shall not be less than 4 feet.

4.Drying. Drying machines of the cabinet type shall be of metal and glass. Heating units shall be located outside the cabinet, and shall be provided with thermostatic control so that the temperature in the cabinet shall not exceed 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

5.Waxing. Waxing processes which require the waxed film to be left exposed to dry shall be in a room used for no other purpose and not over 5 such machines shall be located in one room. Not over 25 reels or 25,000 feet of film shall be exposed at one time.

6.Shipping room. Packing film for shipment shall be done in a room with no other process. Not over 500 reels of film shall be in the shipping room at one time, of which the quantity not in shipping cases shall not exceed 250 reels.

7.Storage of film. All storage of film shall be in vaults constructed as provided in this article: provided, however, that raw stock in original shipping cases may be stored in a special room used for no other purpose.

Muskogee, Okla., Has a New Pumper A 1,000-gallon Seagrave pumper was recently placed in service in Muskogee, Okla. It is provided with a 100-gallon booster tank and foam extinguishers. Chief Henry Sager is seated at the wheel.

§248. Exchanges and depots.

Motion picture film exchanges and depots shall comply with the following in addition to the general provisions of section 243:

  1. In the shipping or receiving room of exchanges there shall be no film other than that in the process of immediate receipt, delivery or distribution. All other film shall be kept in vaults.
  2. All film shall be kept in closed containers except while actually being worked upon. All film not necessary for immediate use shall be kept in vaults.
  3. In inspection, rewinding, measuring and other rooms there shall not be in excess of 15 reels of film for each person working in such rooms of which not in excess of 2 reels for each person working in such rooms shall be exposed, except that not in excess of 4 reels of film for each person may he exposed in the measuring room.

§249. Transportation.

No person shall transport inflammable motion picture films in any underground subway train, or carry the same into any underground subway station, provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to inflammable films transported in the course of interstate commerce, in railway baggage or express cars under the jurisdiction and subject to the regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission. No person shall transport inflammable motion picture films in any street car, elevated train, omnibus, ferryboat or other public conveyance, or carry the same into any railway station or ferry house, unless each film shall be separately enclosed in a tightly closed metal box. Not more than 8 reels, so enclosed, shall be carried at one time by any person.

Section 2. Subdivision 23 of section 1 of article 1 of chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances is hereby repealed.

Section 3. The repeal by this ordinance of any provision of the Code of Ordinances shall not affect or impair any act done, offense committed or existing right or liability, forfeiture or punishment incurred prior to the time this ordinance takes effect, but the same may be enjoyed, asserted, enforced, prosecuted or inflicted as fully and to the same extent as if this ordinance had not been enacted. Section 4. This ordinance shall take effect immediately.

With the advent of the sound picture, many of the theatres built before the sound era found themselves at a disadvantage, so their owners, to keep abreast of the times, installed all sorts of acoustics. Many of these commodities were inflammable felt and other materials. To safeguard the motion picture loving public the following amended ordinance was adopted by the New York City Board of Aldermen. It runs as follows:

AN ORDINANCE to amend subdivision 2 of section 534 of article 25 of chapter 5 of the Code of Ordinances, constituting the building code, in relation to coverings in theatres and places of amusement.

Be it Ordained, by the Board of Aldermen of The City of New York, as follows:

Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 534 of article 25 of chapter 5 of the Code of Ordinances is hereby amended to read as follows:

Covering. None of the walls or ceilings shall be covered with wood sheeting, canvas or any combustible material. But this shall not exclude the use of wood wainscoting to a heighth not to exceed 6 feet nor the use of fabrics of monk’s cloth, canvas, muslin, burlap, silk, satin, velvet, velour or other similar materials suspended from ceilings other than ceilings above the main auditorium. or handing against walls or partitions, if painted, sprayed, or saturated with fire retarding or flame-proof material or otherwise rendered and maintained safe against fire, provided the space between the wall and the wainscoting or between the wall and any such material, as the case may be, when such material forms a part of a wall, [which] shall be filled in solid [between wainscoting and the wall] with fireproofing material.

Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect immediately.

Note—New matter in italics; old matter, in brackets [ ], to be omitted.

Hamburg, N. Y., is planning the formation of a Junior Fire Department consisting of boys of school age.

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NEW YORK CITY HAS MODEL MOTION PICTURE FILM LAW

0

NEW YORK CITY HAS MODEL MOTION PICTURE FILM LAW

New Ordinance Result of Conference by Best Minds in Fire Department. Underwriters and the Motion Picture Industry — Text of Law

(Continued from September 30 issue)

FOLLOWING is the sixth installment reproducing the test of the New York City ordinance intended to “put teeth” into the laws relative to inflammable motion picture film. The new law represents the composite thought of the “best minds” in the fire-fighting service, the insurance underwriters, the fire prevention field and the motion picture representatives themselves. It is the culmination of eighteen months of sincere, earnest, painstaking and technical efforts to get the safest regulations possible for both the industry and the public.

The title of the new law is as follows:

AN ORDINANCE to amend chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances by adding a new article 20, in relation to inflammable motion picture film, and repealing the present article 20 of chapter 10, and subdivision 23 of section 1 of article 1 of chapter 10, relating to the same subject.

Be it Ordained, by the Board of Aldermen of The City of New York, as follows:

Section 1. Article 20 of chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances is hereby repealed and a new article 20 is inserted in place thereof to read as follows:

Article 20

Sections 240 to 244 and part of Section 245 have already been published. Following is the conclusion of Section 245:

§245. Special provisions applicable to motion picture film studios.

(d)All storage of inflammable motion picture film, whether permanent or temporary, shall be in vaults or cabinets constructed as provided in this article. Except as otherwise provided for not more than 1,125 pounds, 225 standard reels, shall be stored in cabinets in the editing rooms.

(e)Vaults or cabinets for the storage of inflammable motion picture film shall be located in a section cut off from the studio floor by fire partitions constructed as specified in article 18 of chapter 5 of the Code of Ordinances.

(f)At any time not more than 2,000 feet of inflammable motion picture film exposed outside of closed containers and not more than 15,000 feet of inflammable motion picture film in closed containers shall be used by any person regularly employed in the projection, examination and/or repair rooms. Not more than 20 persons shall be regularly employed at any time in any projection, examination and/or repair rooms.

(g)In shipping Rooms, in which there are employed not more than 10 persons, there may be maintained 100,000 feet of inflammable motion picture film in closed containers, and not more than 50 reels, or 50,000 feet, of inflammable motion picture film shall be exposed outside of closed containers. Only bronze hammer heads shall be used in packing and shipping.

(h)In positive cutting rooms, in which there are employed not more than 6 persons, there may be maintained not more than 72,000 feet of inflammable motion picture film in closed containers and not more than 24,000 feet of inflammable motion picture film may be exposed outside of closed containers at any one time.

(i)In negative cutting rooms, in which there are employed not more than 8 persons, there may he maintained not more than 120 reels, or 120,000 feet of inflammable motion picture film in closed containers, and not more than 30 reels, or 30,000 feet, of inflammable motion picture film shall be exposed outside of closed containers.

(j)In experimental rooms, in which there are employed not more than 4 persons, there may he maintained not more than 90 reels, or 90,000 feet of inflammable motion picture film in closed containers, and not more than 12 reels, or 12,000 feet of inflammable motion picture film shall be exposed outside of closed containers.

(k)All storage of film except as otherwise providedshall be in vaults, provided, however, that raw stock in original cases may be stored in a special room used for no other purpose.

§246. Special provisions applicable to sound recording and motion picture titling studios.

Sound recording studios and motion picture titling studios shall comply with the following in addition to the general provisions of section 243:

  1. Exits, (a) Exits shall be designated with exit signs and lights and where such exits are not plainly visible from any portion of the building which they serve, directional signs and arrows and other markings shall be painted on the walls to aid occupants toward reaching exits.

    2. (b) No exit nor line of travel to same shall be obstructed in any way.

    (c) No exit door shall be locked or fastened in any way while the studio is in operation. All doors leading directly to the street or open area in excess of those lawfully required to be maintained may be fastened by panic bolts, or other locking devices, approved by the Fire Commissioner, permitting easy opening from the interior.

  2. Treatment of combustible material, (a) Materials constituting a permanent finish or interior surfacing on ceilings, permanent partitions and walls, and used to reduce the reflection or transmission of sound, shall, if not incombustible, be or treated so as to be of approved slow burning composition or character.

    3. (b) All fabrics of monk’s cloth, canvas, muslin, burlap, silk, satin, velvet, velour or similar material suspended from ceilings or hanging against walls or partitions, shall be painted, sprayed, or saturated with fire retarding or flame proofing material or otherwise rendered safe against fire to the satisfaction of the Fire Commissioner.

  3. Projection booths. Motion picture projection booths in or connected with sound recording studios shall be governed by the provisions of Section 244 for screening or projection rooms.
  4. Film. No inflammable motion picture film shall be kept in a sound recording studio except in the projection booth or other location approved by the Fire Commissioner.

§247. Laboratories.

Motion picture film laboratories shall comply with the following in addition to the general provisions of Section 243:

  1. Construction. No laboratory shall be located in any building not of fireproof construction.
  2. Quantity of film limited, (a) In all rooms in which film is handled the ratio of square feet of floor area to number of persons in such rooms shall not be less than 35 square feet per person. Not more than 15 persons shall work in one room at one time, except as hereinafter provided for.

(b) All film not actually being worked upon or going through some operation shall be kept in closed containers. The quantity of film not in closed containers, shall not exceed 3 reels per person handling film; provided, however, that this restriction shall not be applied as limiting the quantity of film which may be in process on printing, developing or drying machines.

(c) In all work rooms in which film is handled there shall not be more than 10 reels of film not in approved cabinets for each person working in such rooms; provided, however, that in developing rooms there shall not be more than 20 reels of film not in approved cabinets for each developing unit. Not over 150 reels of film shall be kept in approved cabinets in a single room. All film in excess of the above quantities shall be in vaults constructed as provided in this article. Vaults for this purpose may open directly into the work rooms and a single vault may serve two rooms by opening into each room.

(d) In positive joining and assembling or inspection rooms, in Motion Picture News Laboratories, not more than 250 reels, or 250,000 feet of film may be maintained in closed containers, of which not more than 50 reels, or 50,000 feet, may be exposed.

(e) In examining and assorting rooms there may be not more than 150 reels of film in such rooms not in cabinets.

(To be continued)

A delegation of members of the State Firemen’s Association met in the office of Chief A. McC. Marsh, of Columbia, S.C., in the interest of the proposed firemen’s college. A committee was appointed to go before the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina and ask for land on which to construct a drill tower. If the site is given, the firemen will then ask the legislature for a $2,500 appropriation for building the tower.

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