Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-03-15
WY HAS TIVE FIRE DEPARTMENT
BEEN CRIPPLED?

For the first time in its history Chi
cago has taken long step backward.
This retrOgrade movement was mad,
when the City Council in passing it.
appropriation bill last week cut dowi
the allowance of the fire department
by nearly S2OO.WO. thereby practicall,
gripping it.
Never before since the paid fire dc
partmcnt of this city was established
has the efficiency of the same been IL
any way impe,lcd. impaired or other
wise interfercd with
ON the contrary. il has been the spp
clal care of every city administration
we have ever had ,outside Of the pres
cnt onc) to see to IL that. whatever arm
of the city government might suffer
from financial difficulties. on from pD
litical or any other considerations, the
fire department should h. encouraged
and maintained at the highest possibl
standard. and its growth and develop
lncnt In every way encouraged.
Under the existing city administra
ton. however. u policy directly the op
posite has been observed. Hostility Ia
the fire department has been noticeable
from the day this administration was
inauguratcd up tn the present.
The most blighting influence east
upon il. however. was that Of the civ.
II Service Commission. by the mis-.
chicvOus activities Of this board. the
control OF the fire department was
practically taken away from its rcg,l.
lar commanders. promotions came only
as II result of examinations In arith
mctic. Euclid and mcns,rWtiOn. instead
OF being made for faithful service
obedience To the rules of discipline
knowledge OF the methods of practical
tirc.iiglrting. and bravery IN the cxpcu
ton Of duty. The uucnrhing Of u dan
gcrOtis blaze or the rescue Of human
life under conditions of great peril
counted for very little compared to Il
knowledge Of photography. AMI. as u re-
suit. n period Of decentralization anon.
the rank and file Of the force cnsucd
Scandals arising from the "xaminn.
lions held by the Civil Service Commits.
sion smirchcd the reputation Of the
force. then came u loss Of confidence
on the part Of the public although the
department has now at It's head. In the
person Of CHIEF Musllam. the best exec.
utivc officer II has ever ladb. and now
on top of II all comes the inability Of
the city administration to provide ado
q,,atc financial support for this the
most important branch Of the munici.
pal service.
II II nll bOsh for the heads of the city
administration to claim that they could
not lind places to lop on expenses sui.
fcicnt to make up the bulk Of the deficit
In the fire department appropriations.
\ cursOry examination ~ the pay
rolls will prove the falsity Of this
claim. There ARE scores Of bnrlacles
held on these pnyrolls whose services
could DO easily dispensed with. and
there are pet bureaus whose apprOpria-
tiOns are much larger than there seems
any need Of. ana which could h9 cut In
two without any injurious effect being
noticeable to the public.
For instance. let MS ask what pressing
need exists for the expensive Bureau
OF Local improvements? Why could not
the heads Of departments attend tn
their respective duties. and working
cOnjOintly as they did In the past. with.
out having to come together every once
In u while under the name Of u bureau
to sit In solemn cOnclnvc over matters
upon which each and all had already
passed? To be- sure. the elimination Of
this bureau might deprive the heads of
departments Of the advice AMI counsel
OF a poet. and one or two political pets.
but the city might he able To withstand
the loss better than the decentralization
of the police department.
Thousands Of dollars have been voted
to the Small Parks Commission. an or
ganlzatl0n who's" labOrs might be sus-
pended without quite such disastrous
results ms the crlppling Of the iirr.iigh,'
Ing force Of the city. The Civil Service
Commission gets u snug appropriation
for clerical force whose work Is en-
tlrely supertluous. seeing that Il con-
sists for the most part Of II duplication
Of city puyrolls. similar remarks would
apply to several other little arrange
ments for convenient pap-sacklng IN
the city Hall.
But pets and hnrnncles seem Ia h.
more important In the eyes Of the Ilnr-
rison administration than nm efficient
fire department.
To II wondering public there IL hut
one explanation Of this extraordinary
condition Of affairs. and 1t can only h.
put In the form Of u question.
Is II because the fire department re-
fuses now. as II has always refused. To
take an aciiv" part In politics: