Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1875-09-25

The proposition made at the last meet
ing ofthe council to purchased steam fire
engine has caused much comment among
our citizens. Of the necessity of some
adequate means of fire protection all
admit, but there seems to be wide di
versity of sentiment as to what that
means shall be. Although strong adj
vocate of fire protection, the TRIBUNE
last week opposed the purchase OF a
steamer, and as yet has seen no argu-
ments advanced to cause it to change the
| position then taken. A steam fire engine
is an expensive luxury, one that is con-
stantly calling for the expenditure OF
money. A very slight mismanagement
upon the part of its working force will
cause damage that will call for hun
dreds of dollars to make good, and at the
same time render it useless at fires. To
make it at all effective, none but the best
and most experienced men must have
charge of it. The cost of these men will
not be inconsiderable. To render the
engine useful at times of fire, the water
i'm the boiler must be kept constantly
warm, or during the time the engine is
getting ready for work the building will
be burned down. The quick time that
the records show these engines getting
up steam is not from cold water. At the
time of fire. minutes, and oftentimes
seconds are the salvation of property.
To render a steamer any more available
than hand engine, it must be kept con-
stantly i'm state of service. If it is not
the large investment that is necessary
for its purchase and maintenance is COM
paratively useless. There is very little
comparison between large and small
places i'm this respect. Because steam
| fire engines are the most effective in a
large place does not prove that they are
i'm a small place, for they have to be man
aged so differently in the two places.
Granting that steamer is the most
desirable, can this villege now afford to
make the investment. The taxes are al
ready high, and a special tax levied on
top of these would not be very popular,
and even if the council has the right,
they should not be levied without a
popular vote. Those who pay the money
should have an opportunity of express
ing an opinion upon an investment of
this magnitude. In our opinion the
water works should be the only perma-
nent and large investment for this pur-
pose, but we have our doubts whether at
the present time the village is in con-
ditiOn to make even this investment.
ThereI is, however, this difference. The
annual expense required to keep up the
steam department would pay the inter-
est on the investment for the water
works. This would show the saving to
the village in favor OF the water works
of not less than $1,000 per year, besides
giving the village the benefit of much
larger and more constant supply of water,
a supply that could bemuch more quick
ly brought into reguisition than with
steamer. The taxpayers should have an
opportunity to judge between the two
methods proposed, and the matter should
only be decided after the fullest and
freest discussion. Ali investment of this
magnitude should not be pushed through
without investigation.
The TRIBUNE will always be found an
advocate of economy in all matters of
public nature, an advocate of the inter-
ests of the people. The business of
municipal corporation should he con-
Quoted upon the same basis that an indi-
vidual conducts his business. If this
were done in this matter we think that
the merits of the chemical engines would
be fully investigated, to see if one of
them would not answer our purpose
until the hard times are past, and the
village could afford to make a perma-
ncnt investment. Then We think that
the merits anu dement's of the hand ell
CINE, already the property of the village,
would be fully and fairly tested. Other
places have hand engines that answer a
good purpose. Places which have steam
ers do not throw aside their hand engines
rs useless. At the late state tournament
at Jackson, the engine from Quincy
threw stream 229 feet and the Battle
Creek engine nearly as far. We venture
the opinion that the hand engine in this
place properly repaired, properly taken
care of, and properly handled, would be
in condition to do great deal of good
service, should occasion require it. A
steamer with no more care, would not do
any better. Would it not be wise pol
icy to make the best of what we have
with perhaps the small investment that
is required for the purchase of chemi-
cal engine, rather than run i'm debt for
what at present we have no means to pay.
1t is a good deal easier going in debt
than it is to pay those debts, good deal
easier to levy taxes than to pay them.
SOME Philadelphia folks are talking
about making another advance in rail-
roading-an advance over the Pullman
palace cars-by constructing private
family cars. The idea is for rich man
who desires to travel to have built, or