New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-14
4 MERE QUESTION OF "PULL."

A MERE QUESTION OF "PULL"
HOW TAMMANY MANAGED THE FIRE DE-
PARTMENT.
RAPID PROMOTIONS FOR RELATIVES OF CROKER
AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. INsUBoR-
DINATIoN. AND FAILURE TO
PAY HONEST DEBTS
The new Board of Fire Commissioners will have to
reorganize the uniformed force OF the Department IL
the officers and now in the service fall to
comply strictly with some rules which are be-
Ing drawn up for their benefit. There has been am
ple evidence OF Generalization and lack OF proper
discipline among the firemen lately. The Commits
soners have been astonished at the number Of fire.
men who have been brought before them to answer
charges OF drunkenness. They have been dsgusted
also by the discovery that many fremen have dis
graced the uniform OF the Department by getting
credit among tradesmen and then refusing to pay
their debts Irnseemly brawls and acts of nsubor-
dination In the engine houses have been reported
frequently.
There are only about thousand fremen In the
Department" said General La Grange president Of
the Fire Board. the other day. but did not see In
any regiment In the war much drunkenness as
has been brought my attention In the Department
lately. Even foremen OF the Department, who come
before me TO press charges against fremen. are
plainly under the influence Of liquor at times. The
Commissioners are going stop drunkenness In the
Department II We have to dismiss every man who
becomes addicted to the of liquor We do not
believe that a man who is a hard drnker Is ut for
the work OF lighting fires
REFUSING TO PAY JUST DEBTS.
Then there are too many iremen who make use
OF the uniform OF the Department to up bills
among tradesmen. F1remen are well paid. and they
have no excuse for getting into debt There Is still
less excuse for their failure to pay their debts
have had a number OF complaints lately from trades
men. and hremen who have been brought before me
have admitted that they had refused TO pay just
debts OF several months standing. believe that n
man who Will try to cheat tradesmen In that man
ner is not to be trusted In buildings where valuable
property Is lying about loose. one foreman tod
me the other day that the hremen in his company
had such IA bad reputation among the tradesmcn
that one Of them could not get trusted for piece
of ple think the Commissioners will make a rule
10 fine n fireman twice the amount Of any just debt
which he refuses To pay.
THE Commissioners have had TO give notice that
they will hold every officer OF the Department to ac-
count for the discipline OF his company, but they
Will no, tolerate any unfair bounding OF men for
motives Of revenge 1t had come TO our notice that
some OF the officers INDUCED In petty tyranny which
had the effect demoraiize the men. The lack oil
discipline has been noticeable In some OF the com
panies where the officers have been promoted for
political reasons"
DISCIPLINE WAVES UNDER TAMMANY.
II has been known to many observing New York
crs that discipline IN the Fire Department was at
low water mark while the Fire Board was directly
under Tammany control Fircmen understood that
their promotion In the service depended. not upon
heroic conduct or faithful performance OF duty but
upon Tammany put" Many OF them felt that
they could get drunk frequently. run into debt ana
commit many acts OF characterization with impunity
80 long as they had back OF them the Influence OF
some powerful Tammlny politician. There have
been reports about number OF foromen In the De-
partmont like that which led TO the trial OF Fore
man Andrew G. Gafrney On the charge OF borrow
ing money to pay FOR promotion. To show how po-
liical influence has caused the rapid rise OF some
officers I'm the Department under Tammany mlsru.e.
there were prepared recently the following official
renor;s ~ the records OF Deputy CHIEF furroy ana
battalion chiefs croker and Shea:
CHARLES -. PrRKOY-Appolntcd January y
issS. promoted to assistant foreman April ). isl
May J. 1864 stood No g. as to date OF rank. IN
fun number Of 70 foremen promoted to Deputy
a. to date Of rank. In fun number OF IL CHIEFS
EDWARD +. CROKER Appointed June q. 1884;
promoted 70 assistant foreman august 10 ISs
IN full number - ~ foremen.
JOSEPH SiiEA-AtpOlnt"h May lN,'t aS Iof'-
man. promoted 10 chief OF battalion January Z,
1879. stood No. g. ar TO date or rank In full
number of NJ for"m"n.
by WAY OF CONTRAST
chief plrrOy II a brother OF Henry ID. Purroy the
Tammany leader who was president OF the Fire
Board for number OF years Battalion Chief Gro
k.r A. a nephew Of Richard Croker. Battalion CHIEF
Shea II a near relative OF less conspicuous Tam
many leader. By way Of contrast. their records
have been compared with those Of Battalion Chiefs
Castles Shaw and Welsh. who prominent
fcremcn In the Department more than twenty years
ago but were held back from promotion 10 allow
T.mmany favorites To be- advanced They were pro-
NOTED recently because they were all veterans OF
the war. and therefore had precedence under the
law.
JOHN CASTLES Appointed Juy =. 1896 promoted
assistant foreman April l. 1853; foreman July
I5 1853. chief OF battalion February ;. lsb;
stood No. T. to date OF rank. IN fun number
OF ~ fOrcmcn.
WILLIAM SHAW-Appointed October 2 1855. as as
slstant foreman; promoted TO foreman May !,
1859, chief OF battalion January /. 1870 stood
No as TO date OF rank. In full number or 81
fofsmen.
Holm WELSH-Apponted October II. 1855: promot
ed 10 engineer of steamer August /. 1906 assist
ant foreman February II. 1872. foreman June 10
1874. chief OF battalion January !. 1875; stood
No 49, as TO dat. OF rank. In full number OF
~ forcmen