New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-09-17
OFFICIAL JOURNAL
OF THE CONSOLIDATED CITY OF NEW oRLEAN
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER II. 1852
OUR .FlRE.AfEN.


n OUR FYRE.AtE.N:
We have one cause of just complaint against
l. the members of our City Council, of both Boards.
= wings and democrats 1t is a matter which we
: have long considered, and upon which we have
! come to the most positive conclusion. 1t in
wolves the character of both Boards in all the
. fairness, iberality and intelligence which they
may claim.
The point to which we allude is this {: when
ever any one of our fire companies petition
(why should they petition y for aid, at once
the members of either Board start a long and
declamatory argument, in which the word
economy figures largely-much more largely
than the sum finally appropriated shows in the
appropriation.
| we take the common sense of the matter to be
plainly in opposition to this controversial spirit
| We believe no rejecting man can come to anv
other conclusion
| What is Neworleans Fire Company An
association OF young men, few of whom possess
| any property, and who yet give their time and
iapor to the preservation of the property of our
wealthy citizens. In so doing, they risk life,
health and limb, without the least expectation
Oh pecunary profit, Actuated only by gener-
GUS public zeal, they leave business in the day.
anu apandon their beds and repose at night, to
save property which swells the private wealth of
cltizens and the revenue of NewOrleans and the
state. If two of our chief business SQUARES were
TO be consumed. we do not believe that two men
out OF a hundred in the Fire Department. would
suiier Il loss OF one dollar. The active fremen
are generally young gentlemen who own no real
estate and who act only in spirit of generous
enthusiasm and public spirit In the scorobino
and clustering blaze of CONFEDERATION. in tho
alarm of crumbling and falling walls, in the
throng, and hurry and confusion Of axc;tod
'nuitltuaes, they stand at their post and do
their duty like soldiers in battle. Soldiers ara
PAD but they are not paid. The alaru,e af
the IRE bell calls them from business NJ. ,..,,,so
them from sleep at any hour of dav a.. ,,ior4
and SO they are even more useful than tho sa1
der upon the battle field.
=, !. certainty Goes strike US as most sip gular
that SO useful body of men, acting so zeolorslu
lor the public good and in such a disiptoras+od
spirit, ought not to have to bep tn q ,,rt,;o |
authorities upon every occasion on ", bicb +bo,,
need the least assistance.
)" even seems singular to us that members of |
lhe Clty Counoil-who are generally men of
"eai'i ana owners Of build ngs-should be so
'flelcal' exceptional and i.iberal toward the
lnpald volunteers to pro tect their property
rom confagration, askir 10 nothing more than
VIZ apjaahces necessary to do so successfully
~ IL Is notorious tn DIT a Fire Company can
not ask 1or an apr ,ropriation, large or small,
out that stralght'Says either Board will fall to
WORK. except ar.lend, etc, as though they dis
covered an attempt to rob the Treasury And
'he very hrst to take exception are the wealth.
eS' oi our nabobs, who Of all others ought to
oe ihost grateful to our public spirited firemen
'oV VINO mani1estly think that everybody, and
firemen generally young men COM
hehcang lie, not overburdened with wealth,
md Immersed in business) ought to be morteaped
of their profit. We have noted one fact in the
pAeil'ses: those who are always ijourneying to
ana concentrating their means in Philad elphia
and Kew York, are of all others the most ex-
oep tionably illiberal
Now. for their special benefit, we will suppose
a case. A Fire Company asks for an appropri-
'l1ioh 20 make necessary repairs. Through their
'hnuencel tls refused. A night or two after wards
lsay az one IN the morning) the property of some
one OF them is on fire. Ofcourse, they expec tthe
young men of the sarne company they treated
50 cavalierly, to be upon the ground, and with
out any interest in the world, to risk life, limb,
and health for the preservation of their property,
md for which they are unwilling to contribute
one cent.
All this has to be changed. The fremen of
our city are growing disgusted with this per-
petual inper'tinence of being classed as impor-
'unate 6eggarS. They are willing to work,
Wiling 20 rush from business, willing to leap
from bed at midnight, willing to stand the risk
OF taiiing walls, willing to face the blaze of
searching flames, but they are not willing to work
for those who rank them among |
annoying beggars We think they are right,
and that the policy of our City Council should
De promptly changed