New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-10
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I. HAYES.

CLAIMS OF UPTOWN COMPANIES FOR BACK PAY.
Every great revolution has been accused of
working disaster and injustice somebody The change
in the Fire Department Of this city exception to the
rule The old volunteer fire company system, with its
hand engines, drawn through the streets by noisy
and boys with its frequent fires and much less fire.
quent fights, had TO give place years ago to the
present effective Paid Department with its compact,
handsome steam engines, hurled through the streets 10
the scene of the FIRE, with prompness and dispatch,
by well trained horses After the organization
OF the paid Department, for two years, four up
town Companies still their hand-engines in the old
way but in certain under the supervision OF tho
organization In the latter part OF 1865 the jurs
dction OF the Metropolitan Department was extended
the Companies north OF Eighty fOuFth and these
Companies were organized in accordance with the rules
governing the department The men who had been
employed as nremen In these Companies from
1855 TO 1865 presented their claims TO the Legislature
Tor back pay as hremen. bill calling Tor
100000 was originally proposed, but it whitfield
down. under the discipline OF Committee TO $4,000 and
thus passed near the close OF the last session clear
understanding Of the status Of these claimants only
with the meIOpoltah FIRE Department When the pres.
ont Fire Department organized 10 found mex
pedlent 10 establish companies, with steam engines and
tons Of the island north '' Of Eighty hS fourtRst
a aSe oS s@e9ra were no lt
neT companies organized. TO consist Of fifty each
These companies were furnished with the best hand
engines OF the old Volunteer Department aud placed
" VI onceIh OF their own election, YET
under the general supervision OF the MetrOpOlitan De-
partment As far as the practical working OF tiese mp
town companies was concerned they did not differ from
the old volunteer organizations, but from the time the
inauguration OF the Metropolitan Department they re-
ceved az the end OF each year 1000 which they divided
among themsclves astheysaw Mt span was continued
through 1896, and 67. when these companies were dis
banded, steam engines substituted for hand engines the
number OF men greatly reduced and all the up town
companies formally taken into the Metropolitan Depart
ment Now II 10 well known that there are nm all paid
FIRE companies certain called "hremen The term
Indicating heir special duues All the men from 80 10 20
IN number, engaged IN the uptown companies from
1865 20 1868. were also called hren,en In
1865 the Legislature fixed the pay OF 6remen In
the paid companies at 500 per year In 1866 the nay was
Increased 20 per cent making their salary $40 year
and IN 1867 still further increase made mailing the
pay $1,000 year. Now The claims Of these uptown
services in 1865, they should each receive 500 m issg
$780, aud since the act Of 1867 up to the time oi the dis
banding OF their companies IN 1893 M the
rate Of Sl,0OO each year. They say The Iecis
latnre voted these salaries for frcmen of naid
companies They were paid companies because they