The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-27
Al the FLAMES, Mercy,

WASHINGTON, May CO. Special THE
, recent fire liz this city by which four fire
men lost their lives in a gallant struggle
, with the flames has served To call attention
to the fact that the fire department Of the
national capital is woefully inadequate 1t
Is Quilted with only nine steam engines
and the force consists Of but IS men. The
insurance men say that many cities OF half
the size OF this have better fire depart
ments. Congress has been asked time and
again To make more liberal appropriations
Tor the Washington fire department, but
without result. The government property
In this city is valued at $3.50, 600, 600. No
valuation could be placed upon the records
and archives which are kept I'm the great
departments. The government has no fire
department ofits own, not even volun-
teer IRE corps. 1t depends for protection
wholly upon the city fire department,
which is sadly inadequate.
Very Little Protection.
The confiagration in question was not n
| very large one so far as property loss T.
| concerned. The value of the property de-
stroyed was about 5000, 600, and no other
lives than those of the flremen were In
danger. Yet IL was necessary tn send TO
this fire every engine. hose cart and hook
and ladder truck in the city. All the pub
lie buildings, the White House and the
capitol itself were left without any prutec,
ton In case a fire had broken out, 10 say
nothing of the commercial and residence
sections of the city. Washington covers
10 or 80 square miles of territory and H. u
rich and prosperous city. Yet these nine
Dire engines are expected To furnish prutee.
lion against conflagration throughout this
whole region.
A. 10 off dol 81 Il
ole OF Washington that congress does not |
treat them fairly in the matter Of appro. |
priations. Many congressman from the |
rural districts come TO the capital find |
many of tho people living in elegant |
homes with smooth paved streets, fine |
carriages, bicycles by the thousand and |
other evidences of wealth and luxury. |
rhen these rural statesmen say to them |
solves: No wonder this is a thriving city. ]
IL lives Oft the government, and the gc,-
ernmepf even pays one half of It's taxes"
The natural consequence of spirit like |
this is that when appropriation bills for
the District of Columbia come up for con- |
sideration there is nearly always a cap
tious, hypercritical opposition 1t has be- |
come "a tradition that local appropriations
have To DO pared tn the lowest notch in Or |
der to get them through.
shortsighted Policy.
While it Is true tho government paws
one-half the taxes for support of the Dis. |
trict of Columbia, tho government owns
property here of enormous value. Besides
control Of local affairs was long ago taken
out of the hands of the people of the city
and placed in congress. The national leg
islature is the common council for the city |
Of Washington, and IL ought to treat the |
people with more fairness and Justice 1t
Is at least shortsighted policy to keep |
an inadequate fire department in the fed
eral city.
Representative James ID. Richardson OF |
Tennessee has taken on his shoulders n |
pretty serious responsibility. There has
long been demand for compilation of
the messages, proclamations and other :
state papers of the presidents of the United |
States. Mr.. Richardson, who was for n |
long time the energetic chairman of tho
on printing conceived the hap
py idea of compiling all these papers and |
having them printed by the government
'or the use OF congress, the departments .
md public libraries.
Congressman Richardson's Task.
Possibly II Mr.. Richardson had realized
he magnitude of the task, he would not
rave been willing to undertake 1t. But c
congress having authorized the publioa- e
Ion Of the work, Mr.. Richardson set TO | -
work. For months he has labored with
characteristic energy and skill, without
ompensation and through pure love for y
no work. The result promises to be y
most valuable contribution to American | p
history. The first volume Of this compila- c,
lon Is out n book Of 500 pages, contain >,
ng numerous engravings and portraits on -
teel. 1t contains the inaugural addresses.
,essages and proclamations of four prosi-
Adams, Jefferson and
iadison. Washington's papers fill $50 | III
ages, Adams nearly 100, Jefferson's | /
early $50 and Madison's 1876. Every one | !,
the presidents sent veto messages to u
ongress, the first one being sent in by 10
resident shington Feb. 2s, 1897, stint
~ his objections to bill concerning the
riny.
IL Is estimated that five OF six more vol | l.
mes will be required to complete the n
Dmpilatlon, which is to he brought down :
} the close OF the Cleveland administra- vi
on, thus comprising l05 years. Six nj
lousand copies are authorized TO be
rinted, OF which 2, 900 copies are for the
20 OF the senate and 4, 600 for the use of
10 house. The whole work will cost about NJ,
70, 600, but IL Is hoped the bulk OF the :,
pies will be sent To libraries and thus he W
value TO the people. Mr.. Richardson de- ca
ryes general thanks for his labors, which
I'VE been most onerous, requiring re-
arch In the archives Of congress and the | I .
ate department, besides the examination
biographies and histories In great num- 10
". WALTER WELLMAN. pi'
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