New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-09

counted Ol US NV s'''''-' $3.50 49, -
nqpI' say tSat the figures presented by my friend
oyiaiy from he figures which have been fuT-
80, NJ 90 Iy Inc Fnnnce Department Of Ncw-IoTk:
ia ~ Firrce Dcpa't iueft Is tl't by when every
an ia nejJ aud through which every blu passes ana
.' :, to of that report made 10 a. having been
w JoS In lie YEAR 1854 foI tine Fire Department u
s GsG ~ instead If two hundred and odd tlon3and
a. yiich nv fried has referred WI give Tie Com
mitteo tie items Oh tha' e1fehu'u'o Deioie se'
'Sts tha. there are evils in this system and shs
conne Isysolf pore paiesF % tnS Gys that exist
~ ~ oe of those Of NewIOre. In the first place
saw there is no proper responsibility III this Depart
n tbe Committee look NJ tie statutes they will
- struck With amazement WHO creates the Chief
Tnrinccrl Tue Fireincn, who creates his fourteen
Assistant Fn gneeIs; the rcmen. That is the Fire.
men elect them, md The Common Council 80 through
a Formally OF confirming their election We
lave o Board Of Fire Commissioners who determine
whether sbal be admitted into the Fire Depart
-ren They determine when ne has been charged with
delinquency whether beshal be punished The Board
oCommsi0ners Of Appeals Sit in Judgment upon that
decision and reverse or confirm Ii as the may be.
undertake to soy there is 10 oheek there is nothing
which would lead TO proper superintendent OF the
Department. and it does result in making every single
man who sits in Judgment upon rolnan dependent al
Iecty or indirectly upon The accused Tor bis position
There be, there is check upon tn superior Off
GERS Of this Department We say again that there is
Jorge force Of fremcn; that the Department. isun'
necessarily numerous
In round numbers. there arc 1000 men connected
With the Fire Experiment. There were eight districts
though the new ordinance referred to by Dir. Hitch
nan provides for more. Each fire company rups 10
40 Of these districts. The consequence is, if they do
theiI dus-and they always do their duty III running
% 6res-Ono Thousand men IN the City and County Of
New-York 60 to FIRE; and almost any old fireman
will say candidiy and emphatically that one hundred
zen many men as can ordinarily ana adyGnldg
sously work at fire There may be cases of very ex
tensiye fire whore the would be different but
general thing, one hundred men would be sufficient.
Wish the Committee 20 understand my position aud the
position Of those whom have the honor to represent.
We do To n az ia
hs not IN its past history been productive of great
deal OF good. We do not pretend to say that in its
past they have not done their duty; but this city has
become so laGge-tEe election system has become SO
h.ge that the tine has core when 1t must be changed
Ny nex objection TO the present system is THAI II Is
enormously expensive and now viii refer to the fig
ores which ] presented q moment ago.
Senator Fie.d-Wo ud II lot be well to have The eyi
deaee before the summing upl
Mr. Lawrcroe-I am uoi summing NJ. My associate
vii do that.
Senator Field-Mauy policemen are here from New
York think it would be better to have the evidence
before we have the argument
Mr. Lawrence--I wish 10 direct the attention Of the
Committee for few moments 10 the items Of exrendi-
tare for 1864. For Ere machines and apparatdsus.
salaries for Fire Department stoZ7i 49, for ire tee-
ua,h, 200. ] only give the largest items there
l. tota OF Sj5e76 q For bel-ringeTs alone 50 Vt0
vas spent last year. Taxing the suggestion al the
Senator from the CITY, viii aude 10 certain genera!
evils, and then put L. our evidence Any one Knows
NO has attended q fire il the city Of New York that
there is q eat dealof unnecessary exciteuent There
Is terrific ringing o. bells anu shouting o.
great numbers OF persons 4Ae bells are FuDs so
nat any person who wnHjs to 60 for improper
purposes is immediately wsrned where the tro Is
II lie wants 10 commit piunder tie beIis aud
tie engines direct him where 10 commit
6erredatOrs, unless he WAS SO uiaftuLG-e as 20 De
,tsnped By tie police. We shah show you thar tbs
ringing OF he bells be dcLe away Will tEAt tc
enormous expense contracted for that purpose Is en-
tirely unnecessary We propose to show The Comm
.se TINT this volunteer IRE department has Que Object
In yew-that il the extpgmsbmcnt OF IRE; Iher
6ty they think, consists in Throwing as nnc9 wafer
.. they can in al cases lie Consequence. 10 ld.l p
vast amount OF water is wasted, ana tnut thoLsihus
OF dollars worth Of property are destroyed ny W"tr
Te srupose that men selected TO pat out ireS wouO not
u a. ignorant OF their dates as ~ 90 that lie ey
OF NewY has l25 engine housrsfor its 10
Two or three companies have Desn olSDanuel Vut We
rumber ia los Tue average vslae Of Tie buildings Is
sboye slO coo each aad assuming II to De SVo theie
2 S25 90 for houses alone. his ~ nuch more than
/, necessary. Again these houses are hs.u as
rloces for social gathering. There are a class
Of fremen who ore called - DunkeIs "oniI ca. At
tention 10 document furnished BY the Chei EDsmeef
himself to the Common Council L viii take 1t up ut
random think snail be able to show that IN almost
every instance large proportion Of the parties Whohe
attached 70 hose Companies OF hre-englnes gre llt
down as residing where tie house % thh coLtbn! ~
heated That may be AL right and proper i
have no objection that any gentleman ShAl
reside where he poases but l kn9w q, OF c,i no
Iake the case Of Washing ton Hose CoInpai NO. IL
lind upon page % Of tie Report ior $50 az Is da-d
August. lrCi), that the COMPANY y Vt't,u ~
s0 West Forty.third-st; ! fId that III. ChIGs. tie
STsman liyes at No $40 West Fort -thICst so run
tigc o. Mr. Arkons. the assstantorenen al the same
place; Matthew Kelly, one Of tie ioIeneA, AZ 'ne Sc
,ece Nor than half on tbs list OF gentlemen, we IND,
re stated as residing where this Hose Company 10 TO-
Gated Take If you please, the TonpAins Ao'e CON,
rany No. l54 Noriolk-5t large n iIin. a. ~
TIE members are Tut DOWN a. n',,t''n , ~ ~
the house OF the Company. l W nj weary
tie committee but there axe tic Facts 40 hot COZ
low many individual feuen come up mere ana pesenl
1fHdayts TO contradict that iepori. say mat Is an
ot;iciaI document. and Which citizens Of New'i ORR
NOW 10 be correct II these gentlemen desire res
49, -, The expense OF he city Of New York Oh
sect 20 furnishing them. We do DOT thnH We Gun ~
accused Of making attack upon any uraheI Oi lhe
CITY goyernmentor upon tue me Depdi mn. beeas
We quote an official document, lssueI ~ tAat uspaI
gent itself. ,.uo ~. ,,roo,,r :,
the dark when "a! that PAID ME oeDoII9chl WI
re,ocdv the evils 70 which have referred The Cy
OF baltimore as understand, has now pOlufiioh oil
10000 II adopted the paid fire system IN lsJo aitei
having suffered the various eVIis "a we @ y ~
which we have endured in Newly OK. have he.e nc
Teport of the Fire Commissioners Vi Baltimore 70 the
Navor and Common Council OF tina, city In when they
say thaince the last annual report there has been no
oange in their organization, and that the force EN-.
pioyed remains as herctO.Ore-lH ohcers ana men, I
steam FIRE engines. two hook and ladder, 81 horses
The total expenditures for 1904 were S5J 9I A. ms
is in Baltimore. after experience OF seven years ..
tie paid fire system The cfieci seen IN te iaet taat
The rates of Insurance are u or 50 per cent less IN
Baltimore than in NewN OTk. In 1863 there were lOl
fres In lsl under the old stein IN six months there
we're 22 fires; and there is almost az great contrast
IN other years. The Baltimore report SLOWS com
patiye statement Of the amount oi losses ,E res IN
That city f.. tie four years previous 70 oVJ ana inc
same period since that date which Is as ioCws ouci
Isses dnrio9 the years 1859 1870 1851 and ie5a we're
l75 600 against $50 for the years leo. lsoO
1901 and 1862 and such Losses for the years 1901 ana
ls5z were only $4,000 thus SHOWING TIC great superb
oritv of a paid over d volunteer system.
Gentlemen may surmise or resuTnise or nuch Us they
please there is statement Of facts and figures Which
Cannot be overcome. AID which shows what a sel
reeuated paid system will do for any city. Look at the