The New York herald., 1865-03-24

testimony wss offered by any side and thu fact, ma
ssnssd wss: 1S urged =, sy several ssnemen The only
deem sound bsis Of legislative action appeared n
raj reports OF the hesds OF paid re DEPARTMENTS OF va
kind and do not sufficiently disclose the elements neses
sary 70 satisfactory conclusion They are made bv
parties responsible for the condition Of the
they CONTROL and assertions by parties in their
own favor and although entitled to much respect not
hastily to be adopted ratified all points II does not
Appear TO the undersigned that these reports develop
soenty the circumstances preceding the Introduction
OF tho new systems, or which surround them, TO
ssn Condition o the paid fire department in other ces
the applicability Of the principle Of paid Gre organ
cation to the city Of New York For instance
pendture does not appear from any report that there
not ohev disbursements Of money which, though not
charged to their Fire Department. STILL properly form
rates Of insurance in sxtent Of twenty-five or thirty per
cent in Baltimore from the time Of what is said 70 have
BEEN vol. volunteer Or: 70 h. time Of the
tenn appears clearly however that the rates Of in
surancs depend upon many circumstances peculiar to
any . dnyers ri,
For instance, tho rates Of insurance vary widely in
said that in Boston, where there paid fire depart
mont, the rates q insurance arc greater than In,
volunteers Yet with this must be taken other facts
equally certainfcr example, that In London the Of
insurance are much Ices than in Boston Nappeas from
do mot depend upon the fact whether there exists paid
or volunteer nre department It has not been shown
.
departments 10 Cincinnati Boston, St Louis Baltimore
or any other city were Of like organization Of the ono
now esta0lshed IN New York There very great df
unteer1
that there have been presented to the COMMITTEES no au
thentc facts sufficient TO determine satisfactorily the
working emcency or economy or individual character Of
any paid nre department
The conclusion must rest therefore upon general rca
soning In the absence OF definite statistics.
was conceded, az general principle OF legislation
that an established system should not be destroyed until
proposed in s well and clearly shown to be
therefore, maintained by advocates Of the bill
70 create metropolitan fire department that II
deficient In efficiency and economy, and was accom-
panied by organic peouliaes leading immortality and
general disturbance Of the peace Of the community
organization itself Of the present department. that the
system defective and necessarily produced the evils
complained Of and therefore, that the bill called the
ordinance Dill would only perpetuatc them and third
that the Metropolitan Fire District bill would establish
system which would necessarily lead to correction OF
1res
On tho other hand it maintained -Firs-Thep pre-
sent system in actual operation with good results
SecondThat the proper mode or legislation the
Ject was to improve the present system, without
That matter Of fact the present system time
TO time adopted such practical reforms wore de-
manded FourthThat the abuses alleged to exist were
present department about equal to that OF the
age paid department. and sixh-That the Metropolitan
Fire District bill guarantees neither economy efficiency
nor proper reforms.
The Ordinance bill comprises minute details Of provi.
sions found In Of time necessary perfect work.
ing Of the fire department. and is recommended by the
result Of experience
The undersigned do consider It has been satisfac-
tory established that there exists the present depart
ment such abuses and such inefficient action that
total destruction is demanded and they do not think
the metropolitan Fire District bill proposes to establish
any department which will secure Increased facility,
economy or morality
Tn commit re argue that II the law is just and proper
for New Yor1 II is equally 80 for Brooklyn, and COM
plain that W. 10 its operations confined TO New York.
all tho commissioners to constitute board OF estimate
under 1t may bo selected from Brooklyn and the
mittee objectto the unlimited power vested in said
board.
As to the charity fund.- they argue that under the Me-
tropotan bill the trustees can have no
that the oe maintaining the fund destroyed,
and that there fsShe fund will be exhausted within four
years. the fourhundred widows and orphans who
the recip shs Of its benefits will become dependents
on private charity or the almshouse
For these and other reasons eaboratsy stated the MI
nory, Messrs Ward and RoberSon recommend that the
bill be rejected.