Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-01-23


OUR FIRE DEpARTMENT.-The City CouucI!
by way of retrenchment began at the ioof
House, and whether charitable or unchafltaDle
10 such beginning, we Will not prctenu ~ oe'
eide, but certainly the work OF economy cou'-
ncnced at the Poor's House, and we most sI'!-
cercly hope our city fathers will continue tlis
work until it reaches the Fire Department.
To this we take the liberty Of calling their serI-
Gus and unbiased attention; also to the manner
in which money, without the consent OF the
Council, is spent to gain that which mas long
since proved to be Improbable, VIZ: l. ID"
profitable working. as Il rule, OF two steam nre
engines at any fire that may occur WITHIN inc
corporatioD limits. After the terrible lesson
taught bv the Market House fire, no sensible
citizen will peril his credit for common senN,,
by asserting that two paid fire companies with
four horses TO iced two drivers, and TWO ehSI-
neers to pay, are at all necessity. The manage
ment Of the Fire Department from the very
| first week Of the enactment OF the law py me
City Council for It's government, has been' We
think, dctormity, and no good, but eY'l al"
that continually, has resulted, anu lar more
than this every act Of the Fire Nurdens 7lncr
instituted has been and is null and VOID, Tor
the statute of the Legislature on the SllJecl
defines the Fire Department to be composed
/
and the presidents Of or commanders Of the re
spectiye fire companies And in violation OF
| this statute the Wardens assume the control
of the whole atfaksud ignore all the fire cou'-
panes which do dot recognize them as sort
of 'iimpr,tum IN impcriO. The manner III
which this matter has been conducted Is enough
TO awaken the vigilance OF those who are III.
tercsted in taking care OF the interests oil those
whom they represent. Is the large SUN al
two or three thousand dollars per year to be-
gathered from tie pockets Of an already over
taxed people al whose doors stand the anxious
bondholder clamoring for his lnterest,to CRAFTY
u few whose professions cannot and never VIII
fit them for fremen? Is an extra pnta IRE
com pany to be kept in exlsteHce by al already
deeply indebted peOple-irom whose aggregate
pockets money enough cannot be drawn IN SIX
months to pay hall the city taxation, ID ORDER
TO afford any an excuse TO avoid court duty :,
Is the City Council-cOlnposed OF men irom
whom the people expect much-lo SIT idly by
month after month and witness this, without
calling "huh in the management OF the FIRE
! Department entrusted TO those who have been
acting as Fire Wardens? AS taxpayers We
have a right to ask these questions, and ~
pertinent aIe they that ne defy any advocate
| OF the present system OF management OF the
Fire Department to point out one single IN
stance Of good that has resulted from 1t to the
citizens; on the contrary We are prepared to
show that the present government OF the Ere
| Department has resulted in useless expense To
the people. often uselessncss in time OF lire,
and dem oralizati0n Of the respective lire com
pauies. May no, all this be attributed to i
want Of attention on the part OF the City toun-
Gill; and their failure to give the matter that
consideration its importance demanded. The
tiue of the present City Council is precious to
the people, and instead of starting on raid OF
economy, beginning at the Poor'S House, whose
supplies appeal to the charity Of each and all
who have augEt to spare, let retrcnchment be
gin where it ought and must il right and not
might be the principle which actu:iteN tho>r
who are representative, Of the people. ''The
poor ye have with yc al ways, and he WHO
made this assertion had not even where Ia
lay his head and he blessed the che rt"I
giver, and enjoincd charitable acts upon all;
saying ''lnasulch "a, ye have done it unto one
Of the least Of these yc havr done il unto me-.
JAM % CITIZENS.