Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-30
IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE.

Kansas. Eyed Attempts to Beliltle the
Efforts to Promote Efficiency In the
Fire Department Service.
The Union. in its write up of the an
nual review of the volunteer fire depart
ment, takes occasion this morning to att
tempt to belittle the efforts of all pro.
gressive citizens to provide the city with
a paid and disciplined department. Such
policy might naturally be expected
from backwoods, slow going Kansas
eyed concern like the Union, but the pub
lie, accustomed as it is to the display of
ignorance and lack of enterprise con-
stantly made manifest in its columns,
was not prepared to witness such flag
rant and wholly inexcusable violation OF
the ideas of common sense and modern
advancement as that shown this morn
ing. Here is what it says:
In discipline and efficiency, if not alto
gether IN equipment, the Rock Island
| soiultCCI uCpdithCht SoupofSc Ao-
vorably with the paid department OF any
| city twice the size of our own. while in
effective numbers our department is larger
than our taxpayers could afford to main.
tain where the misguided counsels OF the
advocates of paid fire department to
obtain. Our nation prides itself on its
citizen soldiery and the glorious victories
achieved by its armies of volunteers; and
in like manner our city feels an enthus-
iastic pride in the bravery of our volun-
teer firemen, the hardships and perils they
willingly invite, and their brilliant record
in many a well fought contest with fire,
that would be altogether lacking were
this noble service placed in the hands of
hirelngs.
The Union attempts indirectly to at
tribute these ridiculous assertions to City
Attorney Haas as having been made at
the lunch after the parade. whereas Mr..
Haas made no such remarks. He has
too much common sense to give himself
away in any such manner. Mr.. Haas
did pay the volunteer department very
fine and very deserving compliment, but
he has seen enough Of the workings of
a disciplined service to make compare
sons between it and volunteer firemen as
to actual efficiency.
The Rock Island volunteer department
is as serviceable, as reliable. as efficient
and as well disciplined as any volunteer
fire department in this country, but no
one conceding and acknowledging all
this, would think of comparing it with q
paid department but an ignoramus or
a man frightfully misinformed. Take
this one passage from the Union and
note the ignorance it shows: The Rock
Island volunteer department compares
favorably with the paid department of
any city twice the size of our own, while
in effective numbers our department is
larger than our tax payers could afford to
maintain," etc. The first pari
of this brilliant assertion carries
its own ridicule, whereas the
latter part displays an entire lack oil
knowledge of what constitutes a paid
department, the chief beauty of which is
that it cuts down its working forces to &
few well disciplined men and dispenses
with the uncomfortable masses who are OF
more hindrance than use at a fire. Tht
theory In support of paid department
is, that dozen paid and disciplined men
accomplish more effective work than two
hondred volunteers at a fire. The city
would not be obliged to have more than
thirteen men, at the very outside, in 6
paid department, and it would be
benefit rather than a disadvantage t.
have the number reduced to an exten
that it could be placed under prope
drill and disciplined.
Furthermore, the idea of paid de
partment is gaining ground steadily
The majority of our people want it. tn
council wants it and the f1remen them
selves want it. In fact, all want it. ex
cept those whose crop of knowledge j
CLEANED from cultivating Kansas garlic.