The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-02
Democrats went down
concluded from Page IL

and in twelve cases defense had been in
terposed. Six suits for damages or for tho
recovery of real estate alleged to have
been taken by the city have occupied
much of the time and attention of the So
licitor during the year. Eight boards OF
viewers have been appointed to assess
damages, live OF whom were asked Tor Dy
the city and three by the property own
ers.
An important work which has engaged
the attention of the department during the
year was the compilation and publication
OF the principal ordinances enacted by the
city councils of past years, which have
direct bearing on questions of general
nature affecting the city and the taXpay-
erS and citizens.
The large sums of money which are re-
covered each year through the medium
of this department are sufficient arSu-
ment for the manner in which the work or
the office must necessarily be looked after,
that the rights of the city may be guarded
ana the interests of the taxpayers, who
are providing the city with street improve
ments and sanitary conveniences may he
protected. and ! think the showing made
during the year in the amount of delin-
quent assessments recovered, and In the
vigor and ability manifested in watching
every interest and question involving the
city, Is highly complimentary to the de-
partment in the care and methods that
nave Deen observed.
Work of the Fire department.
In no one of our municipal departments
has greater progress been made in equip
ment and general efficiency in the last
two years than in the fire department.
This branch of the public service. inti-
matey associated as 1t is with the lives
and property of all our citizens, merits
the closest attention of the honorable
councils. Under the careful superin-
20, - tI,. ,1. hoo n hD "a
partment. and the wise course pursued by
your honorable bodies I'm making frequent
additions tot permanent manual strength,
its capability has been steadily Increased,
until now Ii Is fast approaching the limit
of efficiency attainable by volunteer or
ganization.
Fourteen additional men have been en-
rolled in the department under the pay OF
the city adding greatly thereby to the in
dividual usefulness of the companies to
which they are attached, and, of course,
to the department as a whole. number
of horses have also been added to its
equipment, perceptibly decreasing the
haulage rent formerly paid to l!verymen
and the stable board paid to the COM
panies owning their own horses
The most important single addition
made to the paraphernalia of the depart
ment In recent years, or possibly in Its his
tory, is the chemical engine which was
purchased during the fiscal year just
closed and placed under the charge of the
Phoenix Hose company. / am informed
by the chief engineer that this machine is
rendering Invaluable service TO the de-
partment in the eXtinguishlng of in
cipient fires, where heretofore the use
of water despite the greatest care exer-
cised by the flremen. oftentlmes resulted
in great loss on the contents of the build
ing. Another instance of its usefulness
was very pointedly Illustrated last Feb
ruary in the case of fire breaking ont in
a locality where the fire plugs, owing TO
the extreme cold weather, had become so
frozen as to be made useless for the time
being. The fire was totally eNtinguiShed
in few moments. where If the depart
ment had been compelled to depend on its
water supply, as would have been the case
year ago, the building and its contents
would unquestlonably have been complete
ly destroyed.
Revise the Fire Limits.
Since the establishment of the hrc
limits by the honorable councils n few
years ago the business portions of our city
has overlapped the confines, which at that
time We're thought ample for its protec
tlon, and now many handsome and valn-
q BILE business blocks have been erected be-
yond this territory 1T is manitestly un-
Just TO the owners of these buildings,
which contribute so largely to the APP
existence of their properties should be
constantly imperiled by the proximity of
shabby, inflammable frame structures,
which are not only already built, but are
being erected by the score each year in
that portion of the city which has long
since been given over to business. I
would recommend that your honorable
bodies draft new ordinance embracing
within the fire limit those sections of the
city lying adjacent to the parts already IN
cluded in the limit. which are either now
occupied by business houses or evidently
will be within very short time.
The proper protection from fire of that
extensive section of the city lying i'm the
Ninth and Seventeenth wards. which is
composed almost entirely of frame dwell
ing houses, urgently demands that one of
our fire companies shall be, located at
some point within easier access of this
district AS is well known to your honor
able bodies this portion of the city is very
poorly provided with fire prote ction; and
in view of the eXtensiveness of this sec
tlon l think that it Is just 10 the residents
that this security should be extended to
them 1t would seem to me that the best
way to accomplish this would be for the
city to proceed with the erection of the
building which 1t was proposed TO put up
last year on the site purchased for that
purpose Immediately in the rear of the
building. This building Is great
" needed as a suitable headquarters for
the fire department, as well as a location
for a permanent company. ] would slg-
gest to the honorable councils that they
keep this subject well in mind and that
as soon as the resources of the city will
warrant the step, this stru oture be erect
ed. The erection of building for a fire
department house on the city lot on
Franklin avenue should also be accom-
plished at as early date as possible.
Need Of a Paid Department.
As have stated above, I believe that our
city fire department is fast approaching
the limit of efficiency to which volunteer
fire system may attain. The members of
the department work enthusiastically in
the interests of their several companies,
the service given the city is as good un-
doubtedly as that furnished by any volun-
teer department in the country, and the
department enjoys the confidence and re-
spect of the citizens generally. These
conditions might seem to answer the re-
quirements of any fire system, but in my
opinion the time is near at hand, If it is
not already here, when 1t will become a
necessity for us to make q change from
our present system into a paid depart-
ment. This Is an experience undergone
by every city of our class, or larger. in
the country, and 1t is unreasonable for us
to suppose that we will be able to continue
under conditions which all other cities
have been compelled to discard.
/ am convinced that by careful figuring
we might be able to establish paid de-
partment similar to that operated in some
other cities, at not much greater ex-
penditure than we are now laying out an
nualy for a volunteer system; and. I'm the
difference in the protection afforded to
our property owners, in the reduced insur-
ance rates and even In the prestige of the
city itself we would be more than COM
pensated. This is one of the most impor-
tant matters which the city councils will
have to deal with In the future, and earn
estly hope that because the ordinance
which was drafted last year, which looked
fnu a,I ha tnl IicIr nf IA