New-York tribune., 1903-05-17


ent time about 20 per OF the city's fire force
are married. In the future. according TO
rumo-. and unless the Board of Estimate and Ap-
roronment disappoints their expectations, the re-
Tainng unmarried 10 per cent going TO look for
wives
Good looks bravery or uniforms are
not the cause Of this unextinguishable fire. Strange
as may first. il is money An appropria-
ton Of s,5oOcO has just been passed by the Board
a. Aldermen and approved by the Mayor II II
meets with the favor Of the Board Of Estimate
and Apportionment at its next meeting. the fire
force will be increased from 200 to 1900 men, and
each fireman will have more than twice as much
time home at present He now has only Tour
hours day for his meals, a twenty-four hour day
and q night of in ten days. Under the pro-
posed system. he will have day and a night of
every five days, and a two weeks vacation in sum
With this prospect in view the bachelor fireman
naturally enough begins to think he ought to have
a home OF his own. Hitherto. when his associates
who are married asked him what was the trouble,
he would say he hadn't the cheek TO have a
wife he could her except at meals or
on his day off. three times month.
The scarcity of it viii make you think all the
more OF her" some OF family might reply
but the stubborn bachelor sti sticks 10 his excuse
OF course he never told of the girls who had
turned him down the girls he was afraid 10 ASK
A doctor never tells of the cases he turns OVER
the undertaken.
The need OF more leisure for the New-YoTlI fire
man not only for the sake Of his family, but Tor ms
own health and the good of the service. appeaed
10 Fire Commissioner Sturgis as soon as ne tooA
office But he opposed the two platoon proposI1oh'
He said that complete shift Of men each morning
and evening would demoralize the department ne
pointed 10 opinions Of every Fire CoIInisslolie
who had preceded him who had been calleu
,,pon TO Judge this question. All had opposed Iie
two r,lstoon plan. Under the present system lhe
5a-s-t-,e,+ i7as attained an efficiency which in
roInt of promptness 10 respond 10 alarm Is Ili-
eoua1Ied elsewhere il the world. The two platoon
svstern the Commissioner said, would endahger '"e
NeN,-York freman's name as fire hghter
In spite Of the Commissioners warning q TWO
-,1-,oon tSll was introduced at Albany. and there
was hot fight As one Assemoiymah saiu - "Ile--
-be spokesman Of the two platoon contingent was
harancing the committee;
70 y,oor LEGISLATORS will need fire screens to keep
froua blisJering- -,
The Hill was passed. only 10 be extinguished by
-l,e hand grenade Of the Mayors Veto Inc Aa!o
1i5 NO, deny that the fireman needed more time on
i-5t ne thought that the Two platoon Dill was not
-l,4 remedy lie pointed out. first OF an Ihat Uie
act was mandatory. that Albany o'ctateo 10 ~
YORK what it should do and thus violated the prli-
.rfe NJ home rule" He contrasted the plli WIN
the Buffalo two platoon hremen's bill. "hleh was
=. ,nl, signed by the Mayor Of that city but also
1,- the Governor showed that the Buflalo OH
vsss permissive and left the hnal ueclsioi u ~
c,estion 10 the municipal authorizes
--,e afavor then recommended Ne"-hor ~
,,afch Buffalo and see how the TWO platoon So
-royt-eJ in that city before coHlinIbAAlle
s,,c, a Man with the enormous expense "h10h -
- ,ncrr In the mean time Mr. Low salo 'he
Fire Commissioner had found way 10 solEe 'l
+5rernan problem. BY increase n the hCiiO "
The city-s FIRE fighters. at a cost OF e-F''''' II -.
s-ed men could be ADDED TO he 1orce- anu
- ,n-o,,d not only have twice as much uliie
q. home hut a two weeks vacation III me suin
.s-,e The Mayors solicitude for the llieIiioii
- -. ,,,1,, shown by a visit TO the bedside OF
51-irr fire hghter who had risked his lie IN tle
-. of his duty but also BY his prompoy
signing the resolution submitted pE 'Ile re -
-issio,,.r for the increase in the hre Iofce d S
= :. -. - him from the Board Of Aldermen
r,,sni+e the Mayors action the Boaru VI @>
- - sc last session passed d resolution Request
tnr him 70 put two platoon system iii'8 t
tn Aldermen who secured the passaee O
luton argued that the Mayor Ne0Ou N!- ~ - re
+oor hill chiefly because ii was aroltr<Is aHu
-. tbe -irv authorities already hao Ihe ilsiit 10
institute such plan should they see ~ 1t ~
sol the Mavor asked 10 secure 'Ue ~
Fire Commissioner the establishment u - 80 PC,
toong In the inncrmost corners o. lIe @ III. M
=. :. ,ss-ered that the resolution viii never see
the light Of day - .,r, ,,-o,,l5 ds
-noralze the Fire Department IS nelo nor ons , -
the Mayor and the Fire Commissioner "u | ~ -
- T-siority Of captains who have been on the
FIRE line for years .. 80
a., ro+ believe in two pIatoons.' SAID captain HaIIS
- - e E-,,ire ,-oupanv No 90 which is sta
-iored in West Forty-third-st- such a system
with its DAY and night force coming ana soins p
tween the sounding of alarms "oui' silly en-
70 deruoralizaton. How would the night shlIl' ior
szsT,T,le snend the long nights in which no alarms
are received2 They would sleep, as they no" 90
and in the morning they would be free TO speno
The dav as they please. Even should none nho
,rrortIulties for dissipation they would get stale
and return TO the rehouse tired. and in no conol-
ton fire duty
Tine life Of a fireman is that OF a soldier. and
not 2 day laborer. Snap quiciness. muscular asil-
ttv and discipline absolutely essential he
r,ust alv-ays be ready 10 respond TO alarm
Immediately The increase Of the fire force and
the hours of fo4 its members. favored by the
Fire commissioner and the Mayor, will be welcome
70 US all for will bring relief without la1ity OF
discipline ] hope IL will be approved by the Board
OF Estimate"
a million dollar bill for extra hrenen is hkely 10
look beyond the domestic side Of the question he
naturally enough wants TO know what the duties
oF q fireman are TO warrant such an expenditure
The average citizen sees a fire occasionally and
watches the fireman work. but that is soout all
he knows Of his life. He knows nothing about his
hours on watch. what hours he has 10 spend In the
frehouse in readiness for alarm. how he gets
his meals. or how often he has his liberty. When
the hght was hottest Albany over the Two
platoon bin there a great deal said about the
firemsns life. but the supporters Of the Dill salo
thing. the opposition said another and contra
diction met contradiction, that through the
smoke Of the conflict the fireman himself became
extremely hay
Should take the trouble visit the irchouse
nearest his home and talk with the captain whom
he viii generally find proud Of his company that
he viii gladly tell about his men. he will find that
fireman is duty continuously nine days out Of
ten. except for his meal hours and one night of
II he eats At home three times day he has an
z eaV for zach