The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-10-13

lat, ny w. ~ dll Ddllh SOlll-
pany, Chicago, and is much purer and
more wholesome than lard. 1t is car
ried by all good grocers.
a man, Tor company comes to your
City, and finds you have not the men,
nor the equipment to protect his prop
erty from dangerous flames, he
straightway turns a deaf ear to your
City. Why does he turn a deaf ear?
That is easy answered, you would do
the same thing yourself. The only
way to invite capital to come to your
City, is to show them that you will
protect their property at all hazards,
regardless of cost.
Now, one word to the city fathers:
| have never heard a good citizen. a
wide awake man of this city, say one
word against you in regard to your
having plenty of first class fire equip
ment,and good strong fire companies.
What we need in this City now is
first class aerial truck; one first class
second sized engine; two more horses;
six more men. Then your City would
look inside of first class insurance,
which would mean a saving of about
$1S,O0000 per year to your citizens.
With such fire protection you would
see moneyed men and factories look
ing for location in your City. Until
you show them that you will protect
their interests, they are not coming.
BY better fire protection. these money
ed men and factories get the benefit
of first class insurance.
The rule of cities is, one paid fire.
man to every thousand population.
An Ounce of Preventive.
The result of all of our efforts is
that today we are burning up property
at the rate of $60000O.O0 per day, a
sum which is simply appalling to the
average mind. There is no doubt but
that good has been done by our efforts.
great deal of good, but our work
has been superficial as we do not seem
to have reached the seat of the d.
cease. Our insurance brethren thought
that the whole trouble lay at the door
of the fire department. and it does if
you have not a perfect fire-fighting
chino ht1t oil R,,o
can do is to put the fire out when
they are called they were not there
when it started. II the chief has his
men to do their inspection duty at
frequent intervals, keeps the apparat-
us in good shape, and the decipline
of the department in perfect condition
to do business, he has done his duty.
Have law passed so that all build
ers of chimneys would be licensed
and would have to give a bond to the
municipality that all chimneys built
by them would conform to the specif-
cations set forth in the ordinance The
criminal avarice of some men who
building chimneys, and who for the
sake Of saving a dollar in the ma
terial will endanger the lives and
property of people trusting them to do
honest work should be punishable by
term in States prison.
But few years ago a doctor was
called only in case of illness and then |
was invariably expected to give med |
icine. And the nastier the medicine |
the greater was the chance of recov-
cry At least so thought the average |
layman. Today our doctors are ex- |
pected to, and actually do a great deal |
to keep people well and the best of |
them give mighty little medicine. pre-
scribing, rather sane and hygienic liv-
ing and diet. So with fires; twenty !
years ago our fire departments exist |
ed solely to put out fires when they |
occurred, and the more water that |
could be thrown on. in spite of the |
damage it did. the more effective it |
was considered the department. to-
day our people look to the fire depart
ments not only for fire extinguishing,
but for advice and help in the pre-
vention of fires, the minimizing of it's
dangers. For discussion tells the whole |
story of the wonderful progress, the
undermining of the methods. the wild.
ening of the scope and the marvellous |
Of your several departments. |
No one in this City has the idea |
that the fire department is of minor |
Importance in the City's affairs, but
some of you perhaps have an made
quate idea of what fire means in the
aggregate to the country. Only the
biggest of figures can tell the story.