Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-05
AN URGENT NEED.
An Appeal by the superintendent. of the Dis.
trict Fire Alarm Telegraph Service

An Appeal by the superintendent of the Dis
trict Fire Alarm Telegraph Service.
The superintendent of the District fire alarm
police and telephone service. Mr.. H. r. Miles,
has written the following letter to the Commits
sioners relative to that portion Of the appro-
priatiOn bill that affects his department:
In view of the very limited appropriation
provided for in the Distric: bill (H r. 674G)
for support of telegraph and telephone service
during the fiscal year ending June 80. 1893.
feel 1t duty to appeal to you for strenuous
effort on your part to secure before the Senate
committee an amendment OF the clause for
general supplies. repairs. &c, raising the
amount from 5000 TO $4,000. i explained
the necessity for this specific sum fully TO the
House committee, rs you will remember. but as
it seems without avail. i called the attention
OF the committee to the fact that We need go
new poles to supply the place of that number
now rotten and in constant danger OF falling.
/ made it apparent that these poles would cost
when set 81 500. and suggested that at least
$500 worthOf new wire would be needed i'll
making these extraordinary repairs making a
total OF $1,000 absolutely necessary for special
repairs In order to maintain an efficient fire
alarm telegraph and tried TO impress the fact
that If these repairs are not made in the near
future the whole system must go down.
explained also how it occurred that the
lines have unavoidably gotten in this very bad
condition, namely. the want OF appropriation
to purchase and erect poles l did not over
state the fact and now reiterate the warning,
with the hope OF better success in the Senate.
also gave the committee data, in detail, to
| show that ordinary expenses Of the depart
ment would necessarily aggregate sl0 1000 ex-
elusive Of salaries. But oniy 5000 has been
reported. We are trying to get through the
present year on 5000 basis, but to do SO it
has been impossible to spend a single dollar to
enlarge the fire alarm telegraph, nOtwithstand-
ing an urgent necessity for such extension. As
an instance of this taxe the liberty OF quoting
q letter l received from the pastor OF the Cow
ensnt Church shortly after the recent IRE in
that church.
He wrote: Ny Dear Sir: I beg TO make appli-
cation for the erection Of fire alarm box on
the southeast corner Of 18th and streets
northwest. There is much exceptionally valu-
able property in this immediate vicinity, and
the nearest box is at the southeast corner Of
NJ and Connecticut avenue. The recent fire in
the chapel Of Covenant revealed the need Of q
nearer call.
(Sisned) TEUNIs 8. HAMLIN,
Pastor Covenant Church.
The only response was able to make to this
urgent and reasonable appeal was the stale an
swer: No funds. There are scores of places
needing fire alarm boxes as much, and some Of
them more, than the place mentioned by DIR.
Hamlin all OF which must remain unprotected
unless the appropriation shall be increased as
herein recommended, as you have hitherto APP
proved all these items. appeal now with con-
| tdence Of success