The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-16

we also beg, to submit a table of operations for the first six months of this year giving the actual working time at fires by the various compan- ies, together with number of alarms responded to.
 From this statement it will be ob- served that the hours of fire service are not such as to cause extreme fatigue for any great length of time, and while we appreciate the fact that the risk of the business is considerable and the nature of service one of con- finement, we nevertheless believe that the prevailing rates throughout the country, for this particular class of business, should be taken into consid- eration in connection with the wages to be paid in the department of this city.
 We are not opposed to any man earning all that he can possibly obtain at his trade, but it must be admitted that the law of supply and demand regulates the wages in all branches of business, and the applicants at exist ing rates far exceed the requirements, and are from not only members of the call force but from those not at present connected with the Fire Department.
 "At the present time we have 108 men assigned to fourtseen companies, five of these companies consisting of complete complement of permanent men with the exception of two com .. leaves 63 men for the remaining com panies, which number is reduced to 54 on account of the regular days off per month, leaving an average of 6 permanent men per company for max imum strength. This number is re- duced at meal hours @ per day) to 4, and still further reduced at 6 day va cation periods so that for 3 hours in each day there are but men to each of the nine companies. As men are required to drive, it leaves only to make engine connections and look af- ter the laying of hose, which is not sufficient to properly protect the city.
 We believe we are correct in saying that all of the cities in the list shown, with possibly one or two exceptions, maintain permanent departments, cer- tainly the largest cities of Connecticut, namely New Haven and Hartford have abolished the call force, which fact we emphasize to show the condition in other cities.
 The proposed advance would in crease the cost of maintenance to the citizens of Bridgeport very materially without giving any increased protect ion, and we believe that if the City of Bridgeport can at this time afford to spend $24,000 more for the Fire De- partment that it ought to be applied toward placing the department on an entirely Termanent basis, rather than increasing the rate of wages beyond prevailing rates TOT InlS cldSS or ser vice"
 The conclusions reached by the fire commissioners from a consideration of the table opened to the above is shown in terms of average in the small table giver.
 Also accompanying the statement read by MT. Bullard was a table show ing the amount of time actually spent from Jan. to July, 1909, by each com pany in fighting fires. This time varied as among the several companies from 30 hours, 38 minutes for Chemical Co. No. 1, to 3 hours and 51 minutes for Chemical Co. No. 2.
 No. and No. Engine Companies were employed in actual fire fighting during this period IA hours and p minutes, and 13 hours and 22 minutes respectively.
 Truck No. 1 and Truck No. were employed 20 hours and 57 minutes, and 16 hours and, minutes respectively