The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-11
DING. DONG. DELL.

DING. DONG, DELL.
 4 fortnight ago we printed an edl- torial upon the question of the city fire alarm system. The matter is not a new agitation Periodically it comes up and periodically 1t will come up until the bells ring their own death knell The end of the bells is sure to come some time. The only question is how soon that time will come. As the fire alarm system exists to-day 1t IS very imperfect. There can be little hope of it being otherwise with only three bells in operation and 19O,OO0 people scattered over many square miles of territory to hear them. But the worst feature Of the situation is that it Is not the intention of those high up in matters pyroteehnic, as far as can be learned. to increase the number of bells. There are large sec tions of the city where none of the bells can be heard. If as the city grows in latitude, new bells are not put in, the system is going to get more and more imperfect, and less and less worthy of our New Haven.
 The time has come for definite de- cision one way or the other. If, as we contend, the city has outgrown the town custom of fire bells. then all of them should he done away with. If, on the other hand the system is to be held to, it should be as near a perfect one as possible and as consistent with city that in matters aesthetic is aspiring to be known the country over as "The City Beautiful' as 1t can be made. It must be case of 1 one thing or the other; there is no middle course; the people who live in the Edwards street district now have as much right to hear the bells, if we have them, as those who live around the city hall Both pay their taxes. At present the Gone street tower is out of commission. It has been so for some weeks As far as can be learned from the chief, no steps have been taken to replace the crack ed bell. Is it the intention of the Fire Commissioners to abolish the bell en- tirely? If so, to be consistent. tho 1 other three bells must follow. If not | if the fire-bel system is to be con. tinued, then cannot the Fire Commis sioners be called on by the resident. of the Goffe street section to act ant to act quickly and not to keep idle z I tower which cost si,SO0. and a bell striking machinery that cost s1,50O especially when there is a 3,s0O- pounc bell at the Edwards street house tha Is unused and could replace th, cracked one at Goffe street The tim, seems ripe for flre-bell decision ant i've hope that the commissioners vii see fit to recognize that the system i an anachronism
 As we have said the only possible excuse for the bells Is to enable bus mess men, when away from thei shops. to know whether fires tha break out are possibly endangerin their property ar not But even thi is far-fetched excuse for the bel as in nine cases out of ten the pres ence of the proprietor of store at fro does not materially aid in the say ing of his property. Our efficient fire laddies will do their best for hin whether he is present or not and wha he can personally save Is more tha likely to be counterbalanced hy th thefts of the crooks who are attracte tO lne pldCs ny tue IllElnG ol tnP Dell and who are too ready to step in whe nobody is looking and depart only af ter appropriating what looks best [ them in the place. The idea that tn bells will not have to he done ava with. no matter how great New Hs ven grows to be. is ridiculous. Fanc fire bells in New York The crowd that responded would be so great ths the engines could not get through tn streets. And who knows but that Ne'
 Haven may he New York some day
 Who of us but hopes so, at any rate
 What are we going to do about i
 Fire Commissioners We believe th time for the inevitable change is 2
 hand