Evening star., 1902-08-18
Carelessness and Neglect.


through this connection instant response
by the department In the event of a hr~
occurring iE the schools
Carelessness and Neglect.
Probably nine in every ten fires are du"
to carolessness or neglect. For instance,
during the past year there We're thirty
eight calls made upon the department as
the result of dirty or foul chimneys twenty
fires were caused by children playing with
matches. twenty-six were due to defective
ftues, twenty-one caused by the dropping
Of lighted matches, seventeen 10y curtains
being ignited by gas jets. twenty-thr,r by
overheated stoves. eight by Children play
ing with fire, twenty-five by lighted ciS.lr-
cites or cigars, nineteen by hot aSh's -tud
twenty-five were due to spontaneous rpn-
bustion, cause which can by care br pr,-
vented. One of these fires, that on The river
front, April H. 1902, which resulted I'm a
loss Of about $4,000. is believed to have
been due TO a lighted cigarette thrown or
dropped in rubbish by a careless boy or
man, This fire was not only the most dis
astrous of the year. but for time threat
ened the destruction of practically the
whole river front, and yet far this
department is informed, there is no law or
regulation in force in the District today
under which a person guilty uf such
thing can be punished.
Water Service.
THE department trusts the effort t. Sc
cure the installation in the business see
ton of the city of a high pressure watrr
service will be successful. There is need
of larger mains and larger outlets on fire
hydrants for use by the steamers If this
department, especially in the business See
ton, and If the proposed high-prcsSure
services should be installed the depIrtm, III
would be immeasurably benefited.
Shorter Hours.
,,,e,oaberS Of he -6rrht tir.r f,,r...- y
the department are the most closely con-
fined of the District employees. for they ar"
compelled to remain on duty in quarters
five out Of every six days, being allowed
during the five days to leave quarters only
for the purpose of getting their meas.
Sickness often restricts the men to "a day
off every ninth day, and not infrequcntN
deprives them entirely of their day off.
While the department has been enabled L"
allow the men the full twenty DAYS annual
leave provided by LAW. II has not been able.
because of the smallRess of the force, tu
grant them additional days off. Therefore,
it was forced to recommend adverse action
on the bill introduced at the last session ~
Congress proposing to restrict the hours of
duty OF members OF the department to not
more than twelve in every twenty-four To
make possible such thing would require
an additional appropriation at this time of
Sl25,0O0 per annum, and while ii cannot
recommend such an additional appropria-
llon at lulS lltne, TIE htAGSANS
no men are more deserving Of consideration
in this respect than the members Of thu
Districts fire-fighting force.
Small Salaries.
''The officers and men form the poorest
paid body of fire-hghters in this country.
and as they endure as great hardships, face
danger as often and are much more closely
confined than the members OF the police
force. the department respectfully submits
that, in all fairness. they should be equally
well paid. Therefore, IL is recomme nded
that Congress be asked to make the pay OF
a private in he fire department not less
than that of a private of class one of the
police Experimentation per aunum-aud
that the salaries paid the other men and
officers be relatively equalized.
Uniforms.
"Out Of the small salaries received by
the officers and men of the department
they are required to provide their uniforms.
at an outlay of about SO year Often
these uniforms are ruined while in service
at fires, and then they must be replaced.
In view of these facts II seems but fair that
either the members of the fire-fighting force
OF the department should be allowed 81 an
nually for uniforms that uniforms
ruined while the men are engaged i'm actual
fire duty should be replaced by the Dis
trict.
Hearty Cooperation.
The department takes great pleasure in
stating that from its officers and men it
received al all times during the past year
ready and hearty support, and to their sup
port and efficiency the community is in no
small measure indebted for the compare
lively small loss suffered by fire during the
year Just closed. This debt OF the COM
munity is especially due to the fire-dghttug
head Of the department, Senior Assistant
Chief Engineer VIM. 7. Belt, a man of
progressive ideas, and one whose abilities
and success as fire fighter have given him
much more than mere local reputation.