New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-08
FAVORED BY SCANNELL.
TWO COMPANIES WHICH HAVE A
MONOPOLY IN FURNISHING SPE-
CIAL FIRE ALARM APPLIANCES

CIAL FIRE ALARM APPLIANCES.
There are two private corporations In this city
which appear to have such influence with the
Fire Department that public attention has been
drawn 20 them. These two companies are the
Special Fire Alarm Signal Company. of Nos. Is
and 20 Rose-st., which is represented here by
Thomas r. Power AMI the Manhattan Fire
Company OF No. 10 Barclay-st. and No. "a Park
Place.
According to a statute passed in 1897, owners
and proprietors of all factories, apartment
houses office buildings. warehouses etc. are re-
CURED to provide such means Of communicating
alarms of fire to the Fire Department as the
Fire Commissioner shall direct. They are fur
Their required to provide such fire hose fire eX-
tinguishers. buckets, axes and other such means
Of preventing and extinguishing fires as may be
directed by the Fire Commissioner.
Under the authority of this law the Fire De-
partment has recently begun vigorous crusade
against the owners and proprietors of what 1t
has seen 1t TO deem unprotected buildings IL
has sent out to the owners of such buildings
circular stating the law and the following re-
quirements
Provide means of communicating alarms of fire;
accidents or danger to the Fire Department, and
Provide such IRE hose fire extinguishers BUCKETS.
ere hooks FIRE anq o5er be
by the officer serving this notice
Now il is not this energetic attempt to carry
cut the law which has aroused the present pro-
tests. 1t is. instead, the monopoly which the
companies mentioned are said to have obtained
through the consideration of Fire Commissioner
ScannelL
A letter was recently written to the Depart
Inent by Israes & Harder. in regard to in
stalling such fire preventive appliances in the
building at Nineteenth-st. and Irving Place, and
asking who could best do the work. In the let
ter in reply signed by Augustus T. Docharty is
this sentence:
Whether any electrician perform the work
Of making SAID connecu9ns prosi1eo e I he deter
mined by making application TO the Fire Com
missioner.
The Fire Headquarters were then rung up by
telephone and the question was asked what cleo
trician was recommended The answer was, 1.-The
special Fire Alarm Signal Company the Man
haitian Fire Company"
When asked if other firms could do the work
satisfactorily, considerable demur was made 1t
is said.
1t is also said that competing firms have met
with rebuffs more less marked at the hands of
the Department S really to deprive them or
the opportunity Of doing any or TINS KIM OF
work
The two companies who are thus said to be
getting all the work charge sou for the year.
payable quarterly in advance The company
does not sell its appliances out and out and TINS
manner of doing business has provoked many
right to remove and dsconnect the apparatus
from the circuits in the event of the non-pay-
nlent on demand of any sum due in accordance
with the agreement III this case the owner IS
liable under that part OF the statute Whlch
makes each such offence punishable by me
The officers of the Manhattan Fire Company
are Vernon c. Brown. president; Albert H
Cross, secretary; and Joseph W. Storer, treas
urer Its directors are Vernon C. Brown, Fred
erick r. Roll, ]. w Storer, William H. WOOL
verton, Edward ]. Berwind. w. F. Allen and
lhRrf
The officers of the Special Fire Alarm Signal
Company Charles j. q. Hall, president;
George H. Tamlyn, secretary; and Frederick
Pearce. treasurer.
when Commissioner scannen last
night by a Tribune reporter at the Democratic
Club, he emphatically denied that any favor
itism had been shown by him to either COM
pany.
Il want il distinctly understood" continued
the Commissioner. that l am not interested in
any such business as this. l dare any one TO
come right out and prove IT, either. 1t makes
difference TO me how the people send in
alarms, long they sent in. The more
companies that want to string wires to fire
headquarters, the better Amt that right"
And no hint has been given by your De-
the preference" asked.
mo. sir; nothing of the kind. defy any one
10 prove this true
Have not these companies. however, obtained
a monopoly in the business"
"A monopoly? Why, yes The Pearce & Jones
company has virtually had a monopoly for the
last two or three years. They have abundant
means Of doing the work, and they've done 1t.
That's simple They have strung their wires
right straight to headquarters from the alarm
boxes of their patrons. and their service appears
n every way satisfactory. The other company
har a headquarters of its OWL don't just re-
member where-and sends in alarms 20
headquarters from there. 1t is chiefly employed
by the theatres.
Now third company or ten more could enter
the field, Ear / am concerned. Surely,
am not responsible for their not coming. am II"
How is il that these companies refuse to sell
their appliances but instead compel people to
tent them?'
Ask the companies. That's the way they do
business, i suppose. That doesn't prevent 9TH
ers from conducting the business in another way
IL they wanted to-"
How many boxes has the Special Firm Alarm
Signal Company at this rental?'
That don't know. And here / TO say
again, and repeat third time, that l have no
interest In these corporations. Why, il would
not DO for a Commissioner to do such thing
would ii? When / give up my office | might II
II was good thing; but not now; no, SIR