St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-24
IT is TOO EXPENSIVE.
THE MINNEAPOLIS FIRE DEPARTMENT
COSTS TOO HUGH.
so SAYS THE COMMITTEE


Between Minneapolis and
Other Cities of Its Size-Fa-
vorable Showing for the City
Assessors and Police Depart
ments-An Interesting Report.
The special council committee ap-
pointed to investigate the matter OF
salaries of Minneapolis city officials by
comparing them with salaries paid in
the same departments by other cities OF
nearly the same size. met yesterday
afternoon to receive the report made by
Aid. Snyder, the chairman. The COM
mittee consists of Aid. Snyder. Flan-
ders and Jockey. Aid. Jockey was
absent. but as the other two signed the
report, it will be submitted to the coun-
Gil this evening.
The report states that the committee
secured information from ten cities re-
garding the salaries paid in the fire.
police, city engineering and assessing
departments. The ten cities with which
comparison is made are Pittsburg,
Washington, Detroit, Milwaukee. New
! ark, Louisville, Omaha, Rochester, st.
Paul and Providence. Minneapolis is
sixth in this list in size and population.
The report closes with tabulated state
ments showing the expenses oTthe four
departments named.
These figures show that the Mlnneap-
| oils fire department is a far more eX-
| pensiye institution than the file depart
ments of the other cities. The
| total amount of salaries is larger
1 maid
employing more men. Concerning the
| fire department the report states:
The comparison between the eXpend-
| itures in the fire department of the city
| of Minneapolis and the other cities, is
| less favorable to Minneapolis than that
OF any of the other departments. Each
one may draw his own conclusion from
the figures set forth in the
table which accompanies this re-
port. Due allowance, of course, must
| be made for the broad extent
of the city. which in square miles is
nearly double that of any city with
which comparison has been made, and.
as is well known, the city has radiated
out in its growth from a common center,
leaving broad eXpanSeS Of territory In
| tervening in which there are no i'm
prOvementS, thus making the IRE pro-
lection more difficult Upon the face OF
the figures, the number OF men on the
force would appear relatively larger
than in any Of the cities, while the
number of zine houses and apparatus
certainly hold their own against all
corners. MINI eapolis Is lumber town,
it is true, and milling town, and, as
such, is inflam mable, and great care
should be taken not TO hamper the fire
department in the use of all proper
funds for its maintenance and sup
port. But when we compare the
cost of this department in Minneapolis
with such city as Pittsburg, which is
much larger, and find the difference
that we snow in our table of figures, il
seems wise to call the attention OF the
head OF this department 10 this relativ
difference, with the hope that in TIT
future means may be devised to make ;
more creditable showing and comparl-
son. Omoha does not offer fair COM
parison for the reason that she operate:
her water works OH the die CT pressur
system. and does not have to maintain
engines or pay the many expenses con-
nected with them.
Following is the tabulated statement
showing how much more expensive the
Minneapolis fire department is than
that of the other cities inv estigated: