Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-02
equipment as would prevent in the future

eiiAenS VI Inc Dlstrlct, put is held re-
sponsible for the safety Of the head of the
nation and his advisors, of the representa-
tives at the national capital Of the other
nations of the world of the members of the
Two houses of Congress, and of others
prominent in the life of the country. The
District fire department is also held re-
sponsfble for the safety of the many ma
tiona! government buildings and of the
priceless records they contain. Yet 1t is
fact that the department is today, as 1t has
been for years, the weakest to be found
relatively In the United States. Indeed.
1t is weaker, particularly in its reserve
force, than departments to be found in cities
smaller than Washington. 1t is greatly to
be regretted that its strength has not kept
pace with the growth of the capital it is eX-
pected to protect.
Increase Of compensation recommended
It's members are poorly paid. They are paid
less with respect to the nature Of their
duties than the officers and employees in
many other departments. The head Of its
nre-nghting force, upon whom rests reSpon--
sionltles greater In a sense than those
resting upon any other fire fighter in the
United States, receives less for his services
than is received by private in the New
YORK fire department. The salaries paid
the members of the District fire depart
ment, because Of their efficiency, because of
the vast interests they protect and because
OF the dangers they face, should be in
creased and the Commissioners have ap-
proved the modest increase recommended by
These officers and men are not only
poorly paid, but they are also the most
closely confined of the District employees,
being allowed off but one day in six, and
connned the rest of their time to their
quarters, day and night, except two or
three hours in every twenty-four, when
they are permitted to go to meals If one
member of company becomes i'll, then the
members OF that company are allowed but
one day off In every nine, and If two men,
hpcOnp ri ia O.
by illness, no one is allowed day off I'M
til one Of the sick men returns to duty.
Ihls close confinement, 1t Is respectfully
submitted s1 is another strong reason why
these men should be better paid. Then,
again, every member Of the fire-flghting
force Is required to supply himself with
Two uniforms each year, at cost of about
20; 1t often happens that a man is not
IN ms new uniform five minutes before he
is called to a fire and returns with his uni
form ruined. These ruined uniforms must
be replaced, and 1t would seem only fair
mat these men should be allowed by the
District summer and a winter uniform
each year-certainly either that or a rea-
.sonable increase Of pay
inspection of theaters, hotels, etc-The
last half of the past fiscal year was de-
voted by the senior assistant chief engineer
and the fire marshal Of the fire department,
under instructions from the Commissioners,
to an inspection Of theaters, hotels, apart
ment houses, asylums, and like institutions
OF the District, for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether the laws and regulations
providing for the protection Of life and
property were being observed. These off,
GERS reported that in but a single instance
did they find that in every respect the laws
and regulations had been obeyed. The in
spectton Is being continued, and much good
has resulted therefrom, for these RESPONSE
BILE for the conditions discovered have, as
rule, co-operated with the authorities in
their betterment.
ire T1,a do
tion Of the fire department that the char
acter Of the materials used in the construc-
ton Of building and the purpose for
which 1t Is used, rather than it's height,
should determine the question Of whether
or not it should be equipped with fire es-
capes, the Commissioners approve. AS the
law stands today no owner or lessee Of a
building less than fifty feet in height can
be compelled to equip it with a fire escape,
notwithstanding the fact the materials used
in its construction are of the most inflann-
mable character, and notwithstanding the
further fact that 1t affords by ordinary
means little, If any, possibility Of escape
therefrom in the event Of fire.
MISUNDERSTANDING the past year the
twentYfourth company of the fire depart
ment was placed in commission. This COM
pany. chemical engine company No. 4, is To-
Gated at Brookland. D. c., increased the
strength of the fre-fighting force to four
teen steam engine companies, six truck
companies and four chemical engine COM
panies. The quarters Of the twenty-f1fth
company. chemical engine company No 8,
will probably be completed about the LIST
of January. 1908, and will be located at
Congress Heights, D. c. Plans for quar-
tiers for an additional truck company, G,
are now being prepared, and this house, to
be erected on Sth street, between D and E,
southeast. Is expected to be ready for
occupancy during the coming year. In
this connection it Is proper to refer to the
condition Of some Of the Older houses oc-
NJ mi 6 hNy nroYN pia "a hn ono ~ anf
One Of these houses. that occupied by en-
CINE company No. 4, Virginia avenue, be-
tween AZ and 9Th streets southwest, should
be replaced by new quarters more con-
located. and the same can be
said of the quarters Of No. 1 chemical
engine company, D street, between 18th
and 18th northwest. Neither of these
houses Is suitable for habitation, and
others stand IN imperative need of most
extensive repairs.
The Commissioners have approved the In
creased estimates submitted for the main
tenance Of the fire department., believing
Of the department justify
larger appropriations. The Commissioners
also believe that liberal appropriations
should at all times be provided for this de-
in importance to none other in the pro-
lection of life and property. They are
satisfied that it is conducted most econom-
ically. and that it compares today. as 1t
mas lOr years past, most IdVOrdDly WIN
others in this country for efficiency.
Health Department.
Death rate.-The records of the health de-
partment show a slight decrease in the
death rate for the District since last year.
The death rate for the population as a
whole fell from 21.S3 per thousand per an
mum to 20.7s; for the white population, from
1882 to 1913; and for the colored population
from 3O78 to 3O.37. The death rate for the
population as a whole was below the aver
age annual death rate for the past ten
years. 80 also was the death rate for white
people. The death rate for the colored pop
ulation was slightly, though not materially,
greater than the average for the decade.
The average age at death of decedents
and Of white and Of colored de-
was greater than during the pre-
ceding year. The average age Of white de-
cedents was, as usual, much greater than
the corresponding figure for the colored
"a ce-forty-two years two months and nine
teen days, as compared with twenty-eight
years seven months and twenty-four days.
This difference is due in part, although not
to the excessive mortality
among coored infants. 1t is estimated that
during the year, out of every LOCO colored
infants less than one year Of age, 4446 died,
while out of every 1000 white children OF
age only 1861 died. The
number Of deaths among children in the
firSf vear of life was however leSs tha nj