, 1875-11-15
LOCAL LETTERS.
TIE FtnE-tt.AttM hCRpICE.


| To &he Editor Of Tbs chta1o Tribune:
CHICAGO. Nov. 14.-rn ronding The TRIBUNE
OF this morning nntico1 that the Supcrinteotl-
Ont Of tAe city dro-alarm Telegraph has nskc.l
for large appropriation for rebuilding autl put
| ting the wires Oh poies. Tho wisdom Of such q
movement on tho part OF tho Superintendent IA
not apparent, rs n matter Of groater ell!ceucy Of
| tho service, nor OF economy to the tax-fsyors.
For number OF years past tboto has been no
| department. Of tho City Government
moro incflcionsly and expcnsivciy man-
| aged than thA Banlo ono. Th3Eo
can be no lcason why the wires may not DO con-
tinucd Huspouded from tho tops of houses with
| cquat advantage ta the TELEGRAPH! service, and
NTH great economy to tho c,tzens II tho ofdl.
| nary euro was taken III their CONSTRUCTION ami
ropa!r That other telegraph companies 'lse ii tho
bulld!nR and management Of th1lr respective
lines.
polca "ould VI Necessity entail an expeuso upon
tho CITY Of not less thAn :5GO,U 100. which, j1 tho
present depletod condition Of our finances. We can
not possibly nfosd. II tIc Superintendent Of tue
fire-alarn telegraph would dsyotn very smnlI
nlnuunt Of his valuable time to lis legitimate
business. for which tho city paYn him 10 LeraI-
H. aud SEQ that the w.rcB were not, 81 they
noN nre fn very mnny places, lying fiat upon thu
roofs. and against ch!nnoss, br!cs walls. troes.
and lightning. rods, oovercd with all SORTS Of
litter aud rubbish, until sometimes they might
ca4iIy bo 1nistakcn for clothes lines, ho Would
sccuro tho rclutuste efficiency OF oven t!,u pses-
cnt lines. without any additional cost beyond tho
ordinary aud current appropriations.
Where ate tho roparorh OF tho itnes2 In-
stances eau he poiutod ou; wlpro tho wires
we're and nre 30 low as to cndangcr hats and
heads alike, and hare continued in ts disagroe-
1bfe, d2uEefoas, Ru1 diBpraco1ul cuf,dlt1qp for
tnun as at q tims. w1thuus rccelying tho slight
cut attention whatever from tue niagnalo OF the
&lre-alarin neryice.
At the urgent solicitation Of tho Superutend-
ent, tile c'ty. about year since, purchased zoo
patont, doublc.bacK- action, roclproclting. fire.
alalm bo1ed, 1t $50 apiece, aggregntiuS tho
eputmous sum Of S50. .1JU, mud ret not over tcu
Of thoto expensive oaublos aro to-day iu posi-
ton. or iaso oror been ~ use BY tha Depart
mont. Ibis u certainly hea.ttty eShlbi. to tax
payers. This certainly IL suggestive OF very
latge mlce. to say tho least.
Ou: city haa ropeatodly bncn .IiHgracod by tho
tncil1clencv and blunderiuy lncutnintoncy OF our
F!Io Department. aud no. until ul.lllonH uTlo1l
millions tlsi bteu swept away IN the wrath OF
tho destroying element: not nntH capital had
uetl ami Was still f}ceing nat aull! tie remnant
aud romans Ut hs1lrlynE insurance companles
had again and again bed at the shrine aud altar
Of our dlsgraeefat Encouragement, and refused
to write iurthor ugou Chicago risks, did tho peo-
ple AElso and demartl d r0tolm md IN eiIciont
administration of tho Hro Department service,
and ieecued IL from tho anclens control aud stu-
p4d!ty OF the cot1norants who had 30 long Bigual-
lzcd their want Of braIuH OF tlote ayartco.
Wig nny not. aud why should not, our flro-
alarm telegraph bo correspondingly reformed.
mad reeuscltated and made salHerylont to tho
,nterosts Of the CITY and tho tax-payors. and IN
eta Of competency and cAiolopcy lnauanrateda
The people hayo not Jot forgotten tho llro at
Wallis glue-faetor., which waa almost cou-
sumed beforh 1t was known to the officials at
headquarters that fro was even In prog1oss
No satisfactory explanation has ever beeu maLc,
despite tho watowasLing investigation made on
account thereof.
Tho facts simply arc that the poop!o OF this
tA1'1lddeu aud heayi, .iudubted city are deman,s-
ln2 tho qusd pro quo for "monsy paid, laid cut,
and expended" Shall wo hare It 7" y.