The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-30
THE PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THE PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The Mayor yesterday signed the Paid Fire De-
partment bill, as we anticipated that he would,
and the volunteer system, as his Honor
sagely remarks, for SO many years our pride,
but for the last few years not so much SO,
ceases to exist. A great pressure was brought
to bear upon the Mayor to induce him to
veto the bill upon political grounds, but Mr..
Fox, we are happy to state, was able to waive
what he not unjustly considered imperfeo-
tions that interfered with the rights of the po-
litical party to which he belonged, and refused
defeat great measure for the public good
for purely partisan reasons When we con-
slider how powerful political infu-
ences are, the Mayor is entitled
to great credit for his action in this matter,
and by appending his signature to the bill he
has gained the goodwill of the intelligent
men of all parties, and has proved himself
to be public-spirited citizen and officer.
The Mayor ought to have been met at least
halfway by Councils in his desire to make
the new Paid Department as free as possible
from the influences of mere partisan politics
by securing for each of tho political parties
proper representation upon the Board of Fire
the Republicans of Select Council should
have insisted upon nominating and electing
q Democratic commissioner yesterday, for
such proceeding cannot but cause dissatis-
faction. Mr.. George w. Plumly, the Demo.
cratic member of the board elected
by Select Council, Is entirely unobjectionable
personally, and will, we believe, make very
excellent and efficient commissioner, while
his attachment to the Democratic party can
not be impeached. This, however, does not
alter the principle at stake; and the Demo-
Gratis should by all means have been permitted
to make their own nomination, and they can
fairly contend that they are not represented
upon the the board SO long as the commits
sieners are exclusively the nominees of the
Republicans. If the Democratic caucus
should select a manifestly unfit person the
Republicans would be perfectly justified in
refusing to confirm their nomination.; but
unless they do this. fair play requires that
they should be given no cause for complaint.
We hope sincerely that Common Council,
when it elects its four commissioners to-
morrow, will not follow the example of the
Select branch, but that it will give the De-
mocrats all they are entitled to in as liberal
q spirit as is possible.
Our principal fear in regard to the organi-
zation of the Paid Fire Department is that the
Board of Fire Commissioners will allow them
selves to be induced to purchase or lease more
apparatus than is needed. All the old COM
panies will undoubtedly endeavor to sell out
to the best advantage, and the city will be
called upon to pay for gewgaws and ginger
bread work upon machines that for all practi-
cal purposes are worse than useless. The
commissioners ought not to pay sny more
for apparatus than it is worth for actual, eff
cient working purposes, and all the machinery
used by the new department should be made
as plain and unattractive as possible, and
every Encouragement should be thrown in
the way of unauthorized persons running to
fires or hanging about the engine-houses.
We do not pretend to say that the Paid
Fire Department bill is perfect, and nume-
rous imperfections will doubtless be Disco
vered when it goes into practical operation.
In its main features, however, it is, we be-
lieve, unobjeetionable, and it at least answers
the purpose of finally and forever putting a
quietus to the old volunteer system, which
has become an intoerable nuisance. The
citizens of Philadelphia are to be congratu-
lated upon the fact that a great reform has
been accomplished by the creation of Paid
Fire Department, and now the commission
ers, Councils, and the public generally should
unite in endeavoring to make it as efficient as
possible.
THE INDIAN RING.