New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-05
WHAT ABOUT THE FIRE CONTRACT

AS the fremen, or at least the great
body of them, are citizens, 'and therefore
interested more in the welfare of the city
than in their peculiar organization, we
propose to show TO them, as well as to
the city government, that the ordinance
submitted by Mr.. Remick in the Board
of Administrators is not what they want,
nor what the city wants. In the first
place, the term is too long. We live in
an age of such rapid development that
the wisest man can not estimate the
changes which even twelve months may
effect. And since this IS the case, and
since next year there might be some inn
provement in machinery which may en-
tirely supersede the use of the present
fire engines, what would the city do with
contract that bound her to keep up the
present system nine years after its useful
ness had ended? If the fremen will
look at this matter in the light of a
judicious business engagement, they win
say that their own agents are not justified
in engaging them to any such term of
service. At least this is our Judgment of
the decision they will make, assuming
that they are now simply engaged in
public and trustworthy labor, without
any selfish notion to move them thereto.
II their association is merely philanthro-
pic and public-spirited, as they pretend it
is, paying them nothing, but costing them
great waste of time, loss of sleep, and
putting them in frequent peril of life aud
limb, they should be 10th to bind them
selves for the term of ten years, and they
should be the first to welcome any i'm
provet1ent which will allow them to dis
band their organization. This seems to
usto be the time position which the fire.
men ought to take in this matter.
Then, again, the city has her duty in the
premises, which is to guard against in
volvement in any engagement which may
be unnecessary, and which she might re-
pent of at future day In the next place
she should decline to create any agency
for the distribution of the public moneys
beyond the control of the city authorities,
for longer period than one year, or dur
ing the official term of the administrators
making the contract. She should, proba-
bly,, reserve the right of selecting the
chief engineer and his subordinates, to-
gether with the higher right of dissolving
any organization that engaged in disturb
ing the peace or in directing political
movements. And it is possible that the
Council might make its engagements with
each company separately, instead Of
making a general contract with what is
now known as close corporation, the
Firemen's Charitable Association. This
suggestion is made with full apprecia-
ton of the danger that exists of creating
dangerous rivalries in the department,
but the provision for disbanding any
company that disturbed the peace or dis |
obeyed the orders Of the chief engineer
disposes of this trouble
The matter of prolonging the contract |
with the Firemen's Charitable Associa- |
ton is one that need not be hurried |
through, since the present system can be
preserved indefinitely by simply paying
the association the regular stipend of
ten or twelve thousand dollars per month.
Let the Administrators discuss and con-
slider this engagement with full reference
to the possibilities of the future and to
the reforms that may and ought to be
instituted in the premises The fremen
are as much interested as any other citi-
zens in seeing that the best is done with
the proposition that can be, and if any
can be made on the present
system we feel certain that they will ac-
sept it with as much good will rs their
neighbors.