New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-05
INEFFICIENCY SHOWN.
POOR WORK OF BRoOKLYN'S FIREMEN
INSURANCE MEN MAKE MANY CHARGES TO

INSURANCE MEN MAKE MANY CHARGES TO
MAYOR BoODY AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT
The general charge Of the nericcncy Of the Brook
,yn Fire Department was repeated with details, show
Ing what should be remedied. by representatives. vi
the Insurance TarG Association before Mayor Booay
and other city officials yesterday In the City Hail
brooklyn. The Committee OF the Ta1h Associauo" |
consisted OF j. H. Waslbrn, OF the Home INSURANCE
Company: Marshall s. briggs, OF the Williamsburg |
Company George ". Colt, OF the Royal Company |
IT, +. Bowers, OF fhe Guardian Company oil LONDON
z. R. Kennedy president OF the Board OF fire .hoo'
writer's OF New York. and Benon LOCKWOOD piesi"eh'
Of the Tariff Association. The city was represented
by Mayor Body Corporation Counsel jerks ri'e
Commissioner Ennis. CITY Works commissioner "aa"s
Assistant Fire Commissioner Moore, Chlcf engineer
Nevins, Assistant Engineer Dale. and Tire MarShal
Lewis. The Mayor read the resolution OF the iar"
Association adopted on December - 10 raise the
of insurance business buildings III BROOKLYN
% per cent, and went on TO say
need not say that the language OF this resolution
CONVEYS "A charge against the efficiency OF our fire
Department 1t implies that there are certain defects
until they removed the increased rates Will
remain: and when they removed the old rates VIII
be restored. This makes II necessary for to know
I'm what you believe the I1re Department 10 lie
inefficient that may be able to correct the
errors II they exist. TIE charge Is serous one and
reflects upon the government OF the city. II We
ascertain through you that thcre are defects IN our
Fire Department It IS duty TO that they are
removed and must not rest one moment until We
remove them. On the other hand believe You VIII
b. only too ready to do Us Justice you are cOn'nced
that Il Is due TO us"
The Mayor then asked tho committee " at any
time the association Ind complained OF the condition
OF the Fire Department TO the department or TO any
OF tho officials Of the oty. Chairman Wasiburn re-
piled that II had not done 50. nor had complaint
been mndc to the officials OF any city where the con-
action the association ever took was TO raise rates,
Mr.. Washburn was then asked TO make statement
and said:
THE action Of the Tariff Association. which has
been so much discussed. IN my opinion has been OF
benefit 10 Rroohlyn. We have desire 10 Interfere
with city government except so far II affects our
Interests But for the raising Of rates NJ INSURANCE
company would have cared any longer 10 write rShs
| I'm BROOKLYN. MANY had already ceased u 40 So
A prominent company has record o! losses III B'ooN
Iyn for a year amounting TO 10 per cent OF r'cep'S
aud expenses are over 80 per cent oher business
| elsewhere had TO make up the difference. Nv com
| pany had large losses in Brooklyn ana We cahc"ieu
and reduced policies few months ago and paid Dack
| $4,000 In premiums. We have saved Si4o,oVo IN
Iosses by returning those premiums. In most cities
where there is an efficient FIRE department. there are
manv alarms but few total losses. The latter seem
(, be tho rule in Brooklyn. There are some appar-
| ent defects In her fire depart ment. Hroo"yh mas
| coa scd to be big village and has become II great
city and u requires suitable nrc department hI'u
| urstclass equipment. In Brooklyn You cover inc
same area IA In Ncw-Yor with Que half the engines
yopr fire alarm boxes are too few and far apart
mud time Is lost In hunting keys and sending OUT
alarms 4 small department under perfect ds-
| cIplin~ Is better than a arg" one nndiscp'ined'
think there is lax discipline in your department
40 not live I'm Brooklyn and never attended fire
| there but Judge by common rnmor and the reports
I'm tie newspapers. They show that frcmcn are r'"d
for gaming In engine houses for lounG ne In Inc
streets when or duty that they frequent grpgshop'
vhc-r there are congs TO summon them - fres' thht
Grcmcn have been tried for assnuitirg i"rtm"n ana
| then sent back 10 duty: that they boast that they
canno, be discharged they have political pulls
that Gr.mcn have becl poorly equipped that thcy
have had 10 borrow axes to get INTO DEidins'' ahu
,h, proner patrol duty Is not done 10 sec ina, ny
drants are not frozen. All this shows lax dlscphn"
The Tar'a Association has no politics and the BROOK
lvn Fire Department shout have do'r. Yet
II Is no secret and no Islander that vonr Fire Com
missioner WAS appointed for political reasons
and not for especial fitness or training
7 speak OF these things from reports do not know
(a,let Ncvins personally. but know Of nm ms
capqAc fireman But he Is TOO oil and too rich 10
remain at The head Of the department. lie Is fond"r
IN winter Of spending his tIme on hi' plantation In
Florida and In summer Of being TO race-track or
his Yacht than Of being fires. and such man cannot
b. ~ efficient q, fires man who gives IN" Wh"le
time to the work. lie has gained his spurs ana can
! afford 10 res' Then there DaNe been ugly run'"rs
TINT the supplies OF tho department were not pr'
chased in the most economical way. and that fremen
pre employed on outside work. All these things are
worth investigating. We shall be- satisfied when the
fire Department of Your city IS efficient as the best
~ flo departments in the country. We DO not care
! what the pr.onncl 81 In" department Is $3.50
Mayor lloody then pat series of questions when
| MIR Wa,hLnrn answered lle agreed To reduce We
| negations To writing. apd said "a" committee wonil
nc, lriialiy In m advisory capacity With committee
Of business mon appointed IN investigate the case ior
tho CITY Tue need VI fire PATROL OF bet,er wafer
service and u better hulding laws were MI bruusht
| ont I'm tho course Of The discussion Mr. WaSlhurn
| said that property IN Brooklyn wa. no more ,ombuS'
,bc than In New York. but in thc latter cy me nrS
| wcr, pnt out while in Brookyn they were nilowe; 10
Lurn AMI lie admitted that insurance rates had been
rsl.cd IN n number Oi cities aud that the trolley wires
| ,vo,d render tho work OF frcmcn moro dhclilt ana
nrohably Increase losses. Corporation iouUsei JrnS
I'M series OF questions designed 10 tar" some OF Tue
| ,,r,rht ~ blrnr OF the Iirr Department.
| v H. nar'ictt. Henry Battcrman ana James
Nothews Spotn Of tho interest NJ business men IN me
case and Incidentally referred 10 the good work done
| by nrcmen In recent rrt>. -, . ,,,,
II WINS understood that the charges would be formu-
lated and that then the MAYOR would appoint an w.
v.stlenting committee to cooperate with tne iafiH
| Association Committee