The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-12-30
CASUAL OBSERVATIONS.
Fire Department Headquarters
Should Be Free From Vice.

Small Committees More Economical Than
Larger Bodies-A Small Fire should not
Rattle Everybody in the House,
The Summit Record condemns
the Township Committee for re-
lquesting the resignation of a NUM-
Der of fremen who were caught
gambling in the headquarters of
the Fire Department.
The Town Committee is to be
congratulated and not condemned
for doing just what it did, and we
think the sensible people of that
town will strongly endorse the
action Of the committee, and they
should lend all the assistance pos
sible towards rebuilding that
most importmant feature of a
town-a first class fire depart
ment. The experience in every
department where gambling and
its attendant evil, drinking, is
permitted in the houses where
the apparatus is stored, or where
the members of the company as
semble, is that sooner or later
serious trouble will follow. Nor
ristown has had, In times gone
by, very costly and bitter ex-
perience in this respect though'we
believe at the present time the
companies are remarkably free
from the evils which unfortunate
! y were winked at SO long by the
officials of Summit.
~
Another matter which evidently
is weighing heavily upon the
mind of the editor Of the
Record is that the affairs Of the
township are at present managed
by town committee composed of
but three members. The Record
hopes that at the ensuing session
of the Legislature that number
will be increased to five. We are
of the opinion that committee
with membership Of three, as at
present constituted, will manage
matters more economically and
with better Judgment than a
larger one could or would. The
same principle holds good as to
the management of county affairs
by boards of freeholders with a
large membership The CHRoNI-
Gle all along has favored the
County Commission plan. It is
in successful operation in Ohio, in
some counties of Pennsylvania
and elsewhere, and it is matter
of public record that wheree yer
the plan has been tried, it has
proved very successful, both as to
the wisdom displayed in manag
ing the numerous details connect
ed with county work, such as
bridges, roads, county institu-
tions, etc, as well as effecting a
very decided saving in expendi-
lures. We hope the County Com
mission plan will soon prevail
throughout New Jersey.
**
Naturally when man sees his
own or his neighbor's house on
fire, he proceeds to prepare for
the worst, without considering for
a minute the wisest thing to do.
It seems pity that the city should
be put to an expense of forty or
fifty dollars, when all that is nee
essary is a pailful of water, or, in
the case of a chimney on fire.
quart of salt.
In the case of slight fire, the
proper thing to do is to call up
the central telephone Office and
ask them to send still alarm to
the chemical engine or the truck
company's supply wagon. Either
of them would respond at once
and extinguish the fire rapidly.
If more apparatus is needed they
could see it at a glance and a gem
eral alarm could be turned in,
~
It is hoped that suitable APP
preparation will be made by the
Legislature to complete at least
portion of the new reformatory at
Railway. Recent reports made by
/ the Board Of Managers of the
| State Charities Aid Association
show statistics presented by the
officials in charge of the State
Prison that prove during the past
five years the number of prisoners
put in on first commitment has
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