New-York tribune., 1908-01-15
TTRN on THE LIGHT!

Ii is to be hoped that the inquiry ordered by
Mayor Mcclellan into the fire hose scandal VIII
be conducted with as rigid disregard for pollt-
fcaI consequences as was that made by him into
the administration of Borough President
Abearn. The thorOughness of the investigation
will measure the Mayors indifference TO personal
considerations in his service of the city. Mr.
Ahearn had been q devoted adherent of Murphy
throughout the factional contest between the
Mayor and the "bosS." Fire Commissioner Ian
trv and his Immediate predecessor, O'Brien. are
two of the very few Tammany leaders who have
supported the Mayor in that inglorious affair."
If the Commissioners of Accounts 60 at the
hose scandal with the same determination to
spare no one that they showed in probing the
pavement scandal the Mayors devotion TO the
city's interests Will gain him general applause.
The Fire Department scandal inevitably Sug-
gestS the Ahearn case for various reasons The
bursting of the lines at the Parker Building fire
seems to show that the city'S hose supply is in
as scandalous a state of neglect as were the
city pavements At that fire fOrty-one lengths
out of $50 in use burst or about Z per cent and
the records show that in eleven months of 1907
46O lengths burst, while in that period there
were twenty-five fires at each of which more
than ten lengths of hose burst. Not only that,
but. according to the New York Board of Under
writers-and its report is sustained by Chief
Croker-the Fire Department has not made for
two wears its regular test of the hose by sub
jecting it to $50 pounds pressure, for fear that
it would burst and that the department would
be left with monet "It is better to have poor
hose" says the Chief. than none at all
whats more" he adds. there's u lot Of de
"fective hose all over the city. It's not limited
"to any one section: its everywhere l don't
know what we'd do if big blaze struck us
TTo,, 1e-
the hose is rotten and sham which the fire.
men distrust when they go to fires The city
is inadequately protected because the honest
graft of politics either compels it to pay an ex-
| cessive price for an inferior article or diverts
into wasteful channels the sums that should go
TO buying a safe grade.
From the report Of the Board of Underwriters
it appears that the specifications for hose to
be supplied by contract to the city, when first
adopted in 1902 were so broad that most of the
standard manufacturers used to BID. In 1903
the specifications were so changed that only a
few firms could OF would bid As the quality
recently purchased is inferior TO that of the
| older hose these changes in specifications may
b due TO simple bad judgment or to desire TO
favor certain bidders. Drawing specifications
to suit insiders is a favorite device Of Tam
MANY Indeed. in the Ahearn Investigation it
was shown in regard to a certain sort of pave
ment that it had been the Borough Presidents
I habit to let a certain company supplying that
article draw up the specifications itself. How
much of the recently acquired hose has been
bought from political contractors? What truth
is there in Chief Croker's complaint that the
city does not allow enough money TO pay for
good hose? If the department has to buy such
wretched stuff that the firemen dare not test it.,
where do all the vast and increasing sums that
come annually from the taxpayer go? What is
the waste that imperils lives and property: