Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-11
THE FIRE BOARD.

II is understood that the Board OF Com
missioners of the Fire Department VIII
file reply to the City Accountants report
OF his examination into the books and
papers OF that department. we hope
that it Will. In our opinion. the public
Is very well satisfied with the manage
mcnt OF the Fire Department; but there
are some facts as to which the board
might well enlighten the taxpayers.
OF course the Fire Department has
TO answer no such charges as have been
brought against the Light Department.
There Is no suspicion that we know OF
that the Fire Board has converted dol
lar of the city's money 20 their own use;
nor that they have allowed any Of their
officers or employees to rob the city. Not
so with the Light Department. There
through the defalcation OF the late SUI
perintendent, and the indifference or col
fusion of others In authority. the city
lost tens OF thousands Of dollars the
exact amount can never be discovered.
And, remember. that this great defalca-
ton occurred under the management OF
a Council committee. The management
OF these works was not removed from
the City Council, but was in the Coun-
ellis own hands. and was controlled by It's
own men.
OF course. we do not mean to say that
the present City Council and the pres
ent Committee ar, Light are chargeabie
80. - !, No. the
responsibility must be divided between
several administrations. But what we
do say Is that the immediate responsioii-
~ is with the City Council. and that'
when the City Council undertakes TO
compare the work of the Fire Board with
the ,work of the Committee on Light, the
comparison cannot but be to the advan-
tage OF the Fire Board.
The vexed law questions raised be-
tween the Council and the Board are not
of so much consequence as is the
question whether the board has spent the
city's money honestly, and has managed
the department economically. The Ac-
countant's report shows that OF late years
the Fire Department has cost us more
than It formerly did. The board should
explain why this is so. We think we
know what the explanation Is, but we
should like the board to speak for
itself. Again: Something is said about
the boards paying the expenses of two
OF It's officers to annual conventions etc.,
and bearing some part OF the cost OF en-
tertaining visiting firemen
The Fire Board should let the people
know what has been the custom OF other
of our city government ~
this respect. Has the City Council or
any of its committees allowed like ex-
nenses? II so, under what circumstances
and when? Or, is the Fire Board alone
with using the city's money
in this way?
The Fire Board should inform the pub
lie fully as to these matters. They are
more interesting and important than is
the disputed law question as to the au-
thority OF the board TO keep TWO dr.
ferent accounts-one with the Auditor
and the other with a bank. But, since
the City Council will insist that commit
tee management is better than commits
sion management, we are glad that the
records of the Fire Department and the
Light Department can be exhibited In
narallel columns. The public, we feel
sure, will endorse the methods OF the
Fire Department, rather than those OF
the Light Department.