The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-03-10


that the Fire Department does need tinkering up does
need repairs to far creator extent than the outlay OF
| Just now commented 80 much upon as the maximum
sum permitted TO tho discretion OF the Chief Engineer
The department needs entire renovation The ques,
which arises Tor discussion Is OF the two bills presented
70 this committee and which also presented for inc
consideration Of the Legislature Of the State which Of
complained Of and TO that Of affairs which the
friends Of the department. myself and those have
IS ps
pose Of making an attack on the individuals who COM
pose the present Fire Department for many Of them are
svsi success las attended ny i Staisssps s.Ess aa
%
city OF New York has soh just reason Y complain In
necessarily referring TO individuals will not speak In
peed 10 point out the power and duties conferred upon
the present organization TO which they belong by the sta
laws Of the State The nst great thing to understand
s what the Fro Department u.s. Now It would require
good legal mind and pretty good knowledge OF the
various scs passed with reference 70 the department. 70
many who have grown gray In the service many Of the
old dremen Of the department. who have grown with its
growth and strengthened with Its strength who do not
yet know what the department is They may be familiar
with some Of the statutes under which organized
and they doubtless acquainted with of the fea
lures of the system but with the actual creature
IL is They familiar with the entire working and
strained 90 some length into few facts with regard
to the present organization Of the department. What
This Department. In l1V6 the Legislature New YORK
passed. an act creating re department with corporate
powers and privileges and, among Others the right to
purchase and hold certain real estate to limited value
but which has been from time to time increased by
rous successive statutes, making imp inpeio,
acorporaton within tho corporation OF the city Of New
York The statutes provide that every company
consisting of than eighteen members shall select
two Of their number to constitute component parts of the
board OF representatives Of the Fire Department. that
other companies which should consist Of less than
eighteen members should have tho right to elect one
fbucQ rfad hv tha n
vice president treasurer secretary and collector of tho
Fire Department. and that they should annually elect
three trusccsbcng nine at first, three going out
rotation and three being elected annually TO b. known
the board OF trustees OF the Fire Department. This is
tho corporation known as the Fire Department and
which possesses corporate power and prveigcs and
which has hitherto had troll of the Fire Department
fund. SO far these officers concerned and tho
management of the fund, there was no intention to med
die with them or H. Under tho statutes O. 1898 and
1878 the Fire Department Of the city Of New York
went along the evils OF the system developing them
selves tho city increased in size and population
And i was at last discovered that the Common
Council, who had tho right to pass upon tie
question whether tho members elected TO the various
companies should DO admitted or rejected, were not
acting properly In this matter, and board of
commissioners were appointed as d panacea for these
evils This board 70 hear and 70 try AZ complaints
against nremen. II was vested with the power to con
firm reject the election OF fremen, and !. was sup
posed these fire commissioners were 10 be rcspccta
bic, energetic men that they would cure the evils that
the difficulty that siili exists These very commission
thomseves the creation OF the dcpariment-thc
urenlen
geuc and just administration be expected from men who
depending for their continuance in Office upon the
influence OF the very men upon whom they were to 81
in Judgment II could not be expected, and the fre
commissioners found not TO serve the purpose de-
signed they got another board In 1851 o. 1852
the board OF commissioners of appeaIwho were to con-
firm modify the dec sion of the board OF
AFRO commissioners But how were they TO be Of ctedy
BY ad Icrent constituency Oh no The old board of
representatives created in 1885, must aso elect the
board Of commissioners OF nppcat-thrs coilns BACK
70 the evil again The election OF oneel , ocasnea
nc nd nh In n ~ m.
being the creatures of those upon whose offences they
TO pass jud mont. Did ever sane men draw up
statute meant to supply check upon body Of men IN
such language and with such provisions rs tisy That is
branch Of tho department The practical working
gineer. How is he eectedg Is thers any cheek upon
hmf No. He Is elected by the popular vote Of the
which had been contained in other charters, tho Chef
Engineer made, not only the head Of the depart
mont but the head OF me bureau OF inc aopal,mn n.
parment having by law the to furn sh all the sup
plies necessary for the department SO wo have got tho
knotty complication Board after board commissioners
piled commissioners and bureau after burcau and yet
the evils exist with ther increasing and growing
virul Tho body is composed OF nearly four thou
sand members having one hundred and twenty-five
machines in all, exclusives oft tenders and hose
carts, with one hundred and twenty-five engine
houses which belong to the city OF New York. This
TX large and powerful organization ana we feel tho re-
we hcaI wn ,n usy o
action In the matter. We know we are right and be-
evng we have come here hoFng TO get some relief
so cumbersome machine ms this, with all ts various
boards OF representatives. Of commissioners and bureaus
that it does work badly. And yet, with all this
complicated human machinery, there isn0 responsibility
hence the question IS not whether maa charged with
msdomcanor guilty or innocent, but
whether he Is promineM member whose influence
with his fellows may affect their future election and con.
tinuance in office greater check than i thus afforded
required for tho prevention OF evils We want little
more of the three man power, and NO. dictator
boards and bureaus shuttle of the responsibilities that
should attach to them good citizens We want board
who knowing It's duty Will perform II. Nota board do
pending for it, existence the constituency which
II IL called rcse Its functions We have not got
that In the city OF New York and shalnot have IL
ony as this system continued of elc ting a these
and officers by body the members oil which tey are 10
try, to supcr.i Is and TO govern yer ,,o
teman mean charge that tho sy;cr.of the Fire De-
rartmrnt Is not conducted properly by Chief Engineer
Mr. Iawrcnce-I did not say anytlr about him per
sonaly. said nothing about Mr. Decker
Mr. WaYd-I understood you 10 say that the depart
men, not prop r!y conducted under MT Decker
NJ. Iawrcnec-I dscla. The n,onon Of say ns or Of
having said anything against MT Decker, and think
the majority Of tho committee VIII haze thus FAR 10 IN
dcratood me.
Chief Engineer (rising-I understand the gentleman
10 have laid that the department not conducted to
the satisfaction Of the Citizens'---
The Cha!rman's call to order interrupted Mr. Decker
from proceeding
Mr. Lawrence rcsuming One great OWL OF the system
IL that e present force IL cxccssvsi that there u
great crowd az rcmcn ut every fire. and that they inter-
ere with obruci each other greatly to the injury and
detrment Of the citizens and TO the destruction oil prop
crty In various ways with the evil arising from the
rushing Of crowd Of and boys atful speed through
the STREETS at the first ringing Of an alarm BELL and OF the
noise and racket and disturbance nthc streets such
occasions every citizen copvcrnt Thcn again. there
the principal claim put forth by tke advocates OF tho
present sysicm-that Il Is voluntary department But
nnd this garb and guIse OF voluntary organization, II
Il paid and excessively paid department, as Will be
seen from appropriations for last year alone, which
amounted 10 S5i6 97e ~. absurd and Ridiculous
20 talk OF II unpaid body Of mon Why for bell
ringers alone last years appropriation was sssooo The
real estate owned by the department in engine
houses was worth over $1,25o,o0o upon which
Estimating the annual expenditure Of the department,
with the further fact that tho property beongingto tho
cty was Withdrawn from taxation. Mr. Lawrence, from
this point entered upon review Of what he called the
other evils OF the present system-such rs the wani OF
discipline and subordnat among the members; the
recsieesness with which, through spirit OF rivalry
existing among the various companies, the property Of
citizens were subjected destruction and less; the sys
tam or tbup which prevailed and which osterc2