The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-07

| change bridge. | am informed by the
Commissioner OF Public Works that unless
some action is soon taken said bridge,
| being unsafe, must be closed TO public
| travel. Plans are now on file for the ex-
| tension OF abutments and piers from the
| junction OF the Moshassuck and Woonas-
quatucket rivers TO Crawford street, go
that sections of the river can be bridged;
and, as it is necessary for the best inter
| ests of the city that the work should be
commenced as soon as possible, recon-
mend that this matter be given your
early attention.
Police Department.
During the past year the hours of extra
duty performed by the members OF the
police department was equal to az days
for each man. That this amount of extra
service should not be required OF police
men, many OF whom are exhausted after
nights Iaborious travel, must bo at once
evident, IL the present high standard OF
discipline is to be maintained. During
the year the whole number OF
arrests made was 6478. The depart
ment has been particularly active in the
enforcement and prosecution OF persons
for the violation OF the statute laws,
especially with reference to Illegal liquor
selling, on Sundays, as well as other days,
as shown by the small number of arrests
on Sundays. The present strength OF the
department is $50 men, but OF this num-
ber five are on the superannuated list,
while there are several patrolmen
doing fulla police duty who, by
reason of their infirmities, would be
unable to run down burglar or murderer,
should occasion require. In my opinion,
the active police force should be composed
of 250-or such additional number as the
Council shall determine able bodice d men,
capa BILE Of performing full police service.
Authority should be vested in the Board
of Aldermen to retire from the depart
ment, upon recommendation OF the
chief of police and the police sur
geon, such officers as are unable
TO meet tho requirements of the
service, and these men should be given
half-pay for such duties as thcy can per-
form. An ordinance providing for the
retirement OF permanently disabled police
officers on half pay was adopted by the
Board OF Aldermen at its last meeting
too late, however, TO become effective, for
before it becomes law. This
bill, therefore. in order TO make
IL operative must be passed again by both
branches OF the present City Council, and
/ have no doubt that it will receive
your thorough and immediate considera-
tioD. While this plan Is not the pension
system that i recommended a year ago,
yet il is in effect a pension system, and
should commend itself to the members
oil the City Council.
Fire Department.
The work performed by the Fire De-
partment during the past year has been
attended with the most gratifying re-
suits, and is deservingyof the strongest
commendation. There are, probably, but
few cities of the size of Providence that
can point to record wherein but five
fires have occurred where the loss ex-
ceeds the sum of five thousand dollars,
and whore the total loss by fire during the
year is less than two hundred thousand
dollars. While our citizens are to be con-
| graduated upon the fact that the depart
ment has proven equal to the task of
coping with such fires as have occurred,
yet we should neglect no opportunity OF
strengthening the equipment of this por-
tion OF the municipal service, and, in my
opinion, action should be taken which
will result in securing at an early
date at slsast two more engines
of the largest size. At the present time
we have eight engines--seven I'm service
and one in reserve. With one exception
they are OF limited capacity; in fact, the
majority are not capable of discbarging
more than 700 gallons OF water per min
two one-inch &streams Is exceedingly
doubtful. While engines Of this capacity
may be sufficiently powerful to per-
form the service which may
be expected upon ordinary occa-
sions, yet IL seems to me that two extra
nrst,size engines arc essential, and should
be added to the equipment Of the depart
ment without delay. Both of these en-
gines should be placed in service in the
business section OF the city, where, in
case OF serious fires, they could be
promptly called into use.
Another matter which / consider
worthy of your consideration is the one
relating to placing the wires of the fire
alarm telegraph in underground conduits.
The purpose for which these wires are
used Is one which affects the interests of
every citizen, and the experience of the
past year has been sufficient to
convince any person, who has
given the subject the slightest con-
sideration, that the proper course to pur-
sue regarding them Is TO adopt system
of construction which will render them
completely isolated from other wires.
Nearly forty thousand feet OF pipe are al
ready laid which are especially reserved
for the use of the city wires, and the only
safety for the fire alarm system lies in
placing the wire, therein. This work
should be commenced at as early date as
possible and i trust the matter will re-
ceive that attention which its Importance
warrants.
The present system of fire alarm tele-
graph should also, in my judgment, be
superseded by what Is known as the Seen
tral Office system. This system IL in
operation in nearly all OF the large cities,
and is considered vastly superior TO the
automatic method which we employ. Ii
Is a matter OF but O few years when a
central Office must be csta ablished, and as
the only change required will be in the
mechanism at city hall, believe that it
would be exercising true wisdom to pre-
pare for the change during the present
year.
In this connection desire to renew the
recommendation that l made year ago,
urging tho immediate election OF board
| of fire commissioners. IL the City Council
| does not deem il advisable TO elect these
commissioners, then application should
| be made to the General Assembly for the
repeal OF Chapter HOO OF the Public Laws.
| When this act is repealed IL will restore
the management OF the department to
the City Council, and not leave the de-
| pariment as it exists today, without any
lawful control over It, or any person law
| fully authorized TO enforce discipline, so
long as the City Council does not comply
with the present law requiring the elec-
tion of board of fire commissioners.