Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1901-12-06
means too much complication for effi-

means too much complication Tor ell
cheney.
The essential principle is illustrated
by a story President Madison used to
tell about the early days of our gov
ernment, at the height of the Federal :
list reaction, when distrust and fear of
popular institutions was strong with
many of the best minds; and at a
dinner party one evening these ideas
took their usual expression 10 the
effect that democracy always meant
mobacracy, and that the only salvation
of the people was in having some su-
perior minds to rule over them and
that was why monarchy was the best
form of government and aristocracy
the next best Yes" said Jefferson,
who was present, smiling, - once
heard of a University where the pro
fessorshipeof mathematics was heIed-
itary." What Jefferson meant was
that the collective judgment OF the
people most interested, and the closest
to the facts and duties to be done, was
the best reliance for government, and
this in intelligent communities is as
true in the long run of fire depart
ments as of nations.
If we are going to reorganlze we
should reorganize in earnest and not
plav at it, and establish a permanent
mid department, which must come
sooner or later. Greenfield affords an
example. with five men constantly on
hand ready to respond at an lnstant's S
call, and the rest call men AT 80 cents
an hour. Rutland has the same mum,
Der at her chief station. Compared
with the proposed scheme what would
such a system cost, with the past ~
wears experience as a basis of estimate:
In these 10 years We have had 81 tlre
alarms, of which 81 have required more
than simple response or more than
an hours work by tiremen, aggregat-
ing 80 hours according TO careful es-
innate made for the Reformer by eX-
Chief Turner. The average Is 5. 4
fires per wear and g. hours tire-tighting
at 3 4 serious fires. With permanent
tiremen. of whom the chief should be
one, 30 call men would be sufficient
instead of the lO2 men now IN the
department.. All would of course have
to respond to every alarm, making one
hours time at every fire, and ON the
basis of the past 10 years experience
they would have g. hours additional
in fighting hard fires. Tabulated:
chief engineer present salary in
addition TO iiremcns pay SIUV'
-Four other permanent men at so
a month, 4''-V'
Fifty call men responding to 50
fires yearly, ~
Fiftv caIl men SO hours addition
al at hard fires, l''.8
Total. - $3.50
Which is about $1,000 more than pres
ept pay to firemen or than the bailitfs'
PROPOSAL. But out of this difference
should be deducted 'eXtra work now
paid for in inspecting hydrants, shov-
cling snow, repairing hose, pumping,
repairing cisterns, etc, which now
averages to cost some $500 to $500 a
wear and also the steward service, or
at least charge of the rooms, when
could be done by the regular men.
The difference in the pay of tiremen
therefore would be only about 5000.
A permanent department" means
also two horses all the time at the
engine house. but all the other eX-
penses would be substantially the
same with the difference of the two
rather in favor of the paid system.
At the outside the increased expense
ought not to be over $1,000 a year,
and it ought to save several times that
in insurance. Several years ago when
the reduction 90 per cent on residence
property, 20 per cent on mercantile
buildings and 10 per cent on stocks,
meaning some 5000 year to the place
was secured as the fruit of the he
former agitation and the efficient work
Of Committeeman Martin and Calvin,
the Insurance Exchange gave assur-
ances that the establishment Of such a
DEPARTMENT should secure another llb-
pral reduction The villages action
in voting to sell one of the steamers
and buy chemical put an end to fur
ther action at that time. But the
steamer has not been sold but retit-
fed. and the addition of the chemical
makes the equil ment so much better
than the Exchange asked. and a paid
department ought not to fail now to
secure all the reduction promised
meaning perhaps another 5000 year
for property holders.
The danger is that if the improve
ment is made without first making
terms with the Insurance Exchange.
taypavers will bear the expense and
the companies pocket the profit. At
least it will be harder to make terms
afterward than before.
The thing, therefore. for the village
to do. proceeding Systematically, IS to
appoint committee to negotiate with
the Exchange. find Just what it re
.auires to give Brattleboro the rates ac-
corded paid department places in
view of all the towns other advan
tages. report to another meeting and
then reorganize in a way that amounts