National Republican., 1881-09-13
DISTRICT FiREMEN.
Report OF the COn,naIssioner-WorE Ae-
compiiAhed and Money Needed.

comphhneu ana AOney NeS"
The annual repaft of the Fire Depart
ment has been paomtted to the Commissiopers.
After statingf'the expenditures for the year at
slO0262gs, they ask for dehciency>0f $500.
causcd by the excessive increase in,She price of
Goed and certain other specific itepS. The unsafe
and dilapIdatcd condition Of The houses Of No.
and No. 8 companies - are ndverted to,
and the necessary legislation asked for
tho erection Of new houses for said COM
panies, as well as for new houses In the
northern section of the city, Authority is again
asked for the exchange of the three Amoskeng en-
gincs for new ones they have been in the service
ior iueen years and are now becoming unsafe.
The horses purchased during the year were good
ones, but for various reasons they now short of
animals. large sum is asked for this branch for
the next current year. The FIRE alarm and tele-
phone service Is In good condition. but still needs
certain additions and improvements, for which
$4,000 is asked. The estimates for the year ending
June 30, 1888, are ns follows! For salaries, SlO,iO
miscellaneous, s6663O; extraordinary, NLV2O de.
| hcicncy, $500; extraordinary expenses Tor hre
alarm telegraph, sl7,Gi0
SOLID FACTS
Referring TO the estimates the report says: "The
estimates of the Chief Engineer aud Superintend-
ent of fire alarm telegraph for the next fiscal year
| aggregate larger amount than was allowed last
| year, but the figures represent exactly the sum
needed, and should be allowed In order to avoid q
| deficiency In addition to the ordinary expenses,
the estimate for certain much needed improve.
mcnts and additions, and with the knowledge that
| the present department Is numerically too small
| to cope with an extensive fire, or two large
ones occurring ut the same time, we would fail in
| our duty to the community II we did not second
their reasonable request. According TO the last
report of the assessor and treasurer, the buildings
in the District are assessed at nearly one hundred
million Of dollars; add TO this the money value of
| the furniture, merchandise, and other personal
property contained In them, and 1t will hardly
need the testimony of the expert hrcmen to
| prove that the present force Is totally IN
adequate for the proper protection Of such
vast interests IL Is true that during the past
year the losses have been SMALL but It's also true
that we are liable at any time to have an extensive
conlagration such has visited other cities.
There is always possibility Of large fire, and We
should be prepared to master II If II should occur
II Is certainly better to expend small additional
sum per annum IN strengthening this department
Than TO be compelled To record loss OF property
amounting to hundreds of thousands OF dollnrg.'
| The loss by fire during the past year was s3S,g2O
| against sl33,ij0 during the previous year. and
nearly $1,000 less than the average for the past tell
years.
| DISABLED FGEEMEN.
They again call attention to the proprCty Of
making some provision for the relief of disabled
| ttCnen, as the service Is attended with many
risks by accident aud exposure, uud II is only just
that when men are thus broken in health and in
cRpacltated for physical labor they should be re-
taincd by some lighter duty under the
Government or placed on the retired
| are now several men on our rolls who are really
unable to perform the active duties of the position
but they are retained because II would be n great
hardship 10 discharge them after they have be-
come thus broken down in health in the pcrtorm-
uncc Of duty"
The report closes with complimentary para
graph upon the conduct Of the officers and men OF
the department.