The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-23
TIE Firemen.
To THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS:

SIR | can't do as please, ! won't
play, seems to be the way the Provi'
dence fire commissioners act. Now, he
question arises: what have The other side
to say in their behalf? Only the commits
sioners' side OF the question has been
published.
Now 1 wish 10 call particular attention
to few of the stat iements made by the
commissioners. one OF which II in regard
TO salary for services not rendered. The
fireman IL ever at bis post of duty "a
hours day, seven days a week; no mat
ter at what risk 10 himself, or what the
weather may be, he is-erer ready. How
many people are there when they near tho
fire apparatus going 10 fire al night,
and see the fremen dressing think OF the
danger these men are in? How many
think that these same men were IL bed,
gone to the apparatus room, barnessed
two or more horses, and are ready to
start to find the "fiend, Fire, not know
ing III they will ever return?
OF what use are his leaves OF absence?
He cannot go to any place OF amusement,
or even visit the cemetery (should he
wish to do SOY, or IL he should 20, and by
so doing miss an alarm, the consequences
would BEG the loss OF his next leave OF
absence. Do you, the thoughtful citizens
OF Providence, who love recreation, think
that three days of month any more
than recompense the fremen for their
evenings and Sundays?
What would these same commissioners
do il they could not visit the West Side
Club every evening? Is a fireman less
human; can he live without recreation2
Now these commissioners state that the
firemcn get good pay, and that they have
not done seven days work in the last III
months twhat a cowardlv thing 20 say.
DO they want more fires? IL IL the fault
A
ever there Is an alarm, night or day, no
matter how many there are? II they (the
comm issioners) want the freGen 10 do
more work, why do they not have moro
fires? They will find the men ever ready
at their post. As regards pay, IL is good,
il 12le cents per hour is considered good
pay, and IL may be considered big pay by
Q very few jewelry manufacturers in the
south part Of the city.
When the committee on fire department
gave the hr.men three days off per mouth
in 1893, there were 203 permanent men,
At the present time there are 230 perndn-
ent men. Now, why should the commis-
sioners say, IL three DAYS of were given
the nremen that they would he obliged
10 add % permanent men to the force. at
the cost of s25, 1856? Are fires put ont in
any different manner than they were
under the o!e administration?
When they had their Days of they
always, with very lew exceptions, nt-
tended all fires in their district the same
as they do at the present time. The
records will show this. The only difftr-
cnce being they could "don' their uni
forms ana feel little more freedom,
whereas at the present time fireman is
under more restraint and excitement
than he is when in the ststiou. Another
thing Is stopping tireman's pay when
injured while performing his duty at n
IRE, trying TO save life and property. 1
ask, Is this fair2 They always received
paw before these salaried officers were ap.
pointed. Now. when these commissioners
first took charge OF the fire department.
the statement was made hat they would
save slS,C01 by not giving tho DAYS of.
AID not paying salaries when injured
at q FIRE.
Did they do Il? No II does not look
like it, when they asked for $1,000 To- finish
up ths year with, besides special appro-
priai ion for apparatus. Then look ut tho
superiluous officers they have created.
Until within he past NV weeks tho city
has received the samo service for $500 per
years. Tor which at-the ptcseni -tlnae lney
paw i2sOO per year, aud Keep two or three
extra horses. Now. can YOU blame the
fremen II they tbink they are not rightly
used2 Can YOU blame them II hey have
lost heart? Are the Bremen lcss human
than these same COMMISSIONER tho ma
joritv of whom lived their dey 80 years
age. IL the time Oi he Bucket rrigade"
and hand cngin,s, and whose chicf pleas
ure seems 20 he IN transferring the ru'cs
of the state prison 10 the Providence IRE
department. n FIREMAN : FRIEND.
Providence, Zee "a. lspb