Evening journal., 1897-01-26
WHY AMERICAN FIREMEN ARE
THE BEST.

London is the chief sufferer from the
action of the County Council in refus-
ing to purchase fire engines in Amer
lea. This action was due simply to a
desire to prevent the expenditure of
any money abroad while English work
men were unemployed. In this case
the County Council is short-sighted.
While the superiority Of American Fire
Departments to those of Great Britain
is partly due to the superiority of the
American organization, the improved
machinery used here is also RESPONSE
BILE Comparative tests made from
time to time have demonstrated that
American fire machinery is the best
in the world 1t might almost be said
to be as far ahead of London's equip
ment as the latter is ahead of that of
Turkey, where the primitive engines
are worked by hand and water is often
carried to the scene of a confagration
in buckets. The experts who attended
the International Fire Congress in Lon
don in 1898 were astonished at the
American machinery and the American
firemen, and their verdict was practi-
cally unanimous in favor of our men
and machines. Our superiority is due
TO our system and regulations as well
as to the improved machinery. In Lon
don apparatus and men are massed at
a central fire station, whereas in Amer
lea the cities are divided into many
districts. with separate stations Sail
ors and seamen are preferred in Lon
don for some inscrutable reason. and
while their discipline is excellent the
men are slow. Married men are pre-
ferred, and they, with their families,
occupy adjacent barracks, while no
women are allowed on the premises in
America, and the men bunk in their
stations. Another disadvantage under
which the London department labOrs is
that horses and men are not allowed to
4 be kept under the same roof OF course
/ this causes delay. The fire hazards are
! however. much less, this being because
the buildings are constructed of stone
/ brick, tile and such noncombustible
materials. Foreigners often wonder
| that while in every other respect the
/ branches of our municipal government
are so inferior to those of England
/ Germany and France our Fire Depart
ment is vastly superior. The answer is
| known by every student of city admin
! istratiOn. 1t is because while the other
| departments are mere anneXes of local
political machines, the Fire Department
is conducted on business principles
! This is due to the influence of the in
surance companies. In recent years
where the Fire Department has been
inefficient the insurance companies
have either refused to insure or have
established rates that are practically
prohibitory Thereupon the property
holders are aroused and the city au
thorities are forced to establish an eff
cient fire service. The Fire Department
Of nearly every big city has been re
formed in this way. Perhaps, in cours'
of time when insurance against bur
glary becomes more common, Police
Departments will be made more eff
cient by similar means. AT all events
the efficiency of the American Fire De
partments is a practical lesson in thu
advantage of allowing politics" t
play as small part as possible in tn
administration Of affairs that concerl
the life and property of citizens.-Chi
cagO Times-Herald.