The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-09

rate applies 10 all private dwelling houses
and stores not dealing in dangerous goods.
For the factories and other more combus-
tlble risks the rate In seldom higher than
SIS per year for an insurance of $500 At
these rates I have accepted risks on hun
dreds OF thousands Of dollars worth OF
property I'm the town on behalf OF one OF
the Oldest insurance companies, for which
4 was formerly agent
Let us now turn 10 Richmond and COM
pare the cost Of the fire department here
with this showing. For the year ending.
3ist January, 1896, the Auditor In his re-
port makes the cost OF the department
ssI .c62.O7. The Fire Commissioners them
selves state the cost to 3lst December, 1895,
AT ygl Obj and add that the account is
incomplete as many outstanding obliga-
lions OF 1895 are not yet audited" Taking
the figures OF the Auditor. which show the
amount actually paid within the year the
fact Is apparent that II cost the tax-pay-
ors of Richmond SSs 1i7.07 more 10 protect
the CITY from fire than II cost the tax
payers OF Iuddersfeld for the same pro-
lection.
171is Is a startling showing but II does
not reveal all the excess that IL cost our
citizens The normal rate charged by the
insurance companies here is more than
four times as high as In Huddersield. To
get rate on private dwelling house
OF g per 81 900 IS considered. believe good
business here I know I pay at that rate
on my own house. Notwithstanding all the
protection afforded by the fire department
In Huddersfed II would cost me 70 cents
per year 10 secure the same amount or
protection. The rate on the factories and
stores Is still more burdcnscme when COM
pared with English rates. These high
rates for indemnity from loss by fire are
practically an addition TO the taxation i'm
posed by the city for the maintenance NJ
the fire department, and do not speak well
for its efficiency.
Huddersfeld Is not exceptional in the low
cost Of its fire department. There are few
81 any towns or cities in England OF alike
size which expend more. Even London
tie greatest city in the world, covering an
area OF III square miles, or 0,iiO acres
(22 times the area OF Richmond. and with
n population of over 100000 people within
this area. only expended last year el61 -G63
or SS}S.31J on the maintenance Of its fire
brigade.
Richmond with one twenty-second part
of the area of London TO protect from fire
and one tftieth OF the population Of that
city spends One-ninth of the sum which
il costs the taxpayers Of London. and
twenty-sx times as much as II costs the
taxpayers Of Huddersfeld 10 protect
themselves from fire. Surely here is gross
and wilful extravaganza. With the OK
perience Of the expenditure OF Richmond
and other cities I'm this country on their
fire departments. it may be asked how is it
possible 10 make such saving I'm this
branch Of city government as would make
the comparison with the expenditure in
English cities compare favorably?
1 answer by adopting the same business
methods of management. In England the
chief OF police Is almost invariably the
head of the fire department and every po-
liceman is a fireman. No special force Is
maintained for fire service except to the
extent Of keeping one or two men I'm
charge OF the fire apparatus. and even
they are members usually Of the police
force and required 10 do such duty in that
department as shall not take them away
from the fire stations. Again every fire
plug in the cities is a fire engine in itself.
Constant high pressure is maintained on
the mains and i'm Huddersfield every fire
plug when drawn will throw water over
the highest building in the town. only
one steam fire engine is kept in Hudders-
field, and that is never needed except when
first occur outside the limits of water sup
ply by the mains
The Idea OF maintaining a special large
force 10 combat fires. never occurs TO the
Here where such special force is kept it
necessarily spends the greatest part of It's
time i'm doing nothing but drawing sal
aries. Il make no reflection on the eff
cheney when its services are required)
The truth of the matter is that here as
elsewhere in this country the fire brigade
service is nothing more than convenient
means Of rewarding politicians and place
hunters with place at the expense OF the
taxpayers, and that a place where the
pay Is good and the work Of the highest
character. There is no justification for
such an appropriation Of the hard earned
money of the taxpayers.
our city here is as well built as Hud-
dersfield and no more subject TO dangerous
fires naturally than that town. unless 1t
be that arson is more prevalent here than
there, which l much doubt. With less
ostentations display Of municipal provision
OF extinguishng fires the citizens them
selves would be more careful In prevent
ing fires and each adopt the hest means
OF extinguishing them on his own pre-
misses. The prevention and eXtnguish-
ment of fires is PRINCIPALLY the duty Of the
citizen, and not Of the community. The
only duty Of the community in its aggre-
gate capacity is To provide an adequate
supply OF water (and that not so much.
because OF its efficacy In quenching FIRE,
but because It is a necessity of life), and
the means of preventing the spread of fire
from the premises Of one careless citizen
10 a whole block Of property, and this
duty. can be well discharged by organizing
the police as n fire brigade, the provision
Of an abundance of fire plugs on every
street and the maintenance OF high
pressure service of water in the mains.
If the source of supply OF the water Is not
high enough TO secure this high pressure
then means should be taken 10 lift 1t 10
a higher point for distribution. This Is
secured in England by pumping the water
on to a water tower, high enough 10 meet
the requirements wherever the original
source of supply is too low.
This extra pumping costs little IN COM
parisOn with the cost of maintaining con-
stantly L large force Of firemen and the
requisite number of steam fire engines.
The one expenditure is of constant service
to every citizen in assuring a plentiful
supply OF water on each story OF the
houses, whilst the other is of only occa-
sional service to a few citizens.
AS The Scientific American well said
I'm a recent article this whole busin PISS OF
lire extinguishment in cities requires re
consideration. AS at present administered
generally, it is a burden, a means OF cor
ruption and an abuse of municipal power.
New York with an area not one-half as
la ian of a IL.