New-York tribune., 1901-03-10
OPPOSE FIRE.uE'N.S BILL.
DEPARTMENT OFFICERS SAY SHORTER
HOURS WOULD IMPAIR EFFICIENCY
OF THE SERVICE.

Officers Of the New-York Fire Department are
denouncing In strong language the bill which has
been introduced in the legislature to shorten the
hours of duty of the uniformed and paid ftremen,
They say that II the bill becomes a law IL will dis
organize the fire ghting forces of this city decrease
the efficiency of the Fire Department and add
such burden to the taxpayers that there Will be
a public demand for the abolition OF the pension
system. Fire Chief Croker and Fire Commissioner
ScannelI have received from the Board of Fire I'm
derwriters Of this city statement that If the bill
becomes law the insurance rates in the city will
have be raised. because the city Will then have
minimum protection against fire with a maximum
of cost The views of the highest officers of the
Fire Department regarding the bill were expressed
yesterday in Z. statement by one Of the battalion
chiefs who authorized to speak for them.
follows:
Clifford. who dismissed from the Fire Depart
ment. 1t is understood that fund of $4,000 was
raised help the bill through the legislature.
The bill provides for doubling of the present uni
hours of duty one half Ofncers of the Fire De-
par in Ne hot to the NUMBER ES Of R are
be opposed to the bin If tney were included in IT'S
stroy the prestige and efficiency the department
False appeals to the sympathy of the public are
men have been induced TO advocate its passage
solely on the IL that hs family b S0ndons Of
Of duty The people of the city are INCLINED 70 give
many are inclined to think the hremen entitled
to shorter hours, forgetting that fremen spend
most of their time I'm the engine houses in dleness.
The actual hours of work for the hremen few
in the twenty four, day in and day out The cry
for shorter hours is raised by the young men in
the department the men who are veterans in
the service The veterans see that the bill would
mean the ruin of the department The number OF
hremen would have to be doubled. with the result
ing increase in the salary appropriation, but the
actual efficiency OF the department would be re-
duced one-haIf at first. Only onehalf the present
force could be on duty at time, and IL takes
about two years for fireman 10 attain the high
proficiency in the service. company com
posed veterans and greenhorns, half and half. Is
not half as efficient fire as a company OF
veterans.
Supporters of the bill have said that provision
ought 10 be made for relieving tired fremen at
large fires. II Is true that when the fremen do
have work IT frequently is exhaustins, but 1t Is
of record that the largest fires in the city
under control within six hours. The Tarrant
fire under control In two hours, and the Mas
sau Chambers fire was under control in four. from
time of starting The bill now before the legis
lature would not provide relief for hremen who
were exhausted in hghttng large fires 1t probably
would decrease the efficiency OF the department. so
that large Ares would last longer and be more
destructive People who are inclined TO he led oy
false appeals to support the bill should remember a,
that men not drafted or driven into the FIRE
Department In fact there is TREMENDOUS rush rush
OF applicants for appointment as nremen every
year. There are over ave thousand applicants on