The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-08
TIMELY TOPICS.

Now that councils have taken com :
mendable action with reference to III
creasing the number of street lights.
it would be well TO give the same at
tention to q more vital matter. more
fire hydrants and fire alarm boxes for
outlying districts. To keep step with
the march of progress in municipal
affairs, the needs of the citizens must
needs be looked after and Il broader
spirit must be shown than appears to
be the disposition in the matter of fire
hydrantS. Since we "eVolute" as the
cross-Woods debater would say,so must
we ''revolute.' AS Carbondale moves
and the outlying districts are built up
so must the needs of these taxpayers
who have erected homes be looked
after. 1t is ancient history that there
are fire hydrantS in certain sections of
the city which have long since out
lined their service; and in other
parts of the town there is no fire pro-
lection, at all. Evidences of this con-
dition We're sadly at hand Il few weeks
ago, when at Il fire in the West Side,
house was half consumed before the
hose of the companies could be laid
from hydrant nearly thousand feet
away. AT IL subsequent fire on North
Church street, another dwelling was
reduced by the flames, by reason OF
their being no fire alarm box at hand.
and by reason of there being no fire
hydrant close enough to reach the
burning house with the hose of one
company.
1t rises TO the height of shame that
citizens should suffer for fire protec-
1ion because of the disputes among
councilmen as to the location of GER
tain hydrants. The rights of taxpay-
ers are paramount in such issues, but
sometimes they seem to be subordin-
ated to personal interests.
\ curious condition exists as TO whose
duty it is to repair or cause to be re-
paired hydrants that might be out of
order. There are a number of these,
several of them so old that they are
useless because of rust, Now who is
1t that should look after them and give
them necessary attention, Is not clear.
Councils think and say it is the chief
of the fire department, but the urdin-
ance creating that office only loosely
defines his duties. 1t is,a case of over-
''S'N''o Wv ANeAN7 VI TIC Olllttt Mnen
the office was created, In the face of
this, councils should give this matter
the necessary attention, and is no such
provision has been made then ii should
be done at once. An imperative ne
cessity exists for such action, the safe
~ and protection of the taxpayers
But for the good cause in which they
act, the newspaper writer's of the town
would weary of inquiring after the
storm doors which should have been
erected at the postoffice three months
ago, more or less. These storm doors
have been sought after since the win.
ter season opened, not that they are
a luxury, but a stern necessity, be-
cause they are indispensable TO the
comfort and health of the postoffice
employees. TO secure what belongs to
them, nothing more, ii should not be
necessary for the postal authorities 10
become supplicants before councils, hut
this is almost what has been necessary
to bring about action for new doors.
The resolution for the doors passed
councils weeks age, but the storm doors
have proven as uncertain as the wealth
er and now II has become a joke about
the postoftice that they viii appear
about the middle of summer to keep
the festive fly ON the outside.