The Paducah evening sun., 1910-08-26

IuVopOho4SAAy NNNeS 49,
vidual.
For instance. recently the Paducah
fire department was called out to ex-
tinguish blaze, originating from a
caldron of burning tar in the midst
of a labyrinth of wooden sheds in the
rear of a business block in the heart
of the city. II that case were unique
il would not be worthy of mention;
but a trip through the down town
alleys will reveal tho presence of
wooden sheds full of excelsior and
pine wood collected in the rear of the
finest and costliest buildings in the
city, stored with hundreds of thou
sands of dollars worth of mercha-
ndlse on property valued at from
$500 to $1,000 the front foot The
property of those, who place the
menace where it is found, is jeopar-
died as much as that of their neigh
bors; for, of course, personal liberty
as we interpret il, dictates that a
man may do what he pleases on his
own property so 1t doesn't affront the
nasal organ of his neighbor and thus
become a nuisance.
The folly of this sort of conduct,
in view of the fact that the cost of
municipal government is getting
higher and higher. is brought out by
the contrast presented in the World S
Work between an English and an
American municipality, each of which
contain approximately $4,000 people
In the English town fIe prevention
regulations are strictly observed.
Nearly all the buildings are construct
ed of fire proof material and the peo-
pie are accustomed to observing pre-
cautions Qt is altogether probable
that the standard Oil company does
not construct oil and gasoline tanks
along a railroad in the heart of the
city). The city maintains fire de-
partment, consisting of three paid
men at an annual cost of $500, OF
which $1,000 is paid by insurance
The fire losses aggre-
gated last year $4,000. The Ameri-
can city. because II does not enforce
measures. maintains a
consisting OF 21 men, at
an annual cost of $4,000, and last
years losses aggregated $4,000.
The efforts of the firemen to put out
carelessly started fires is costly. So
the English city by observing com
mon sense precautions saves $35 900
in taxes for the fire depart
ment, certainly must enjoy low insur-
anee rates, and loses less than $4,000
a year by fire.
The fire and police departments of
the city take approximately one
third the revenues and are the most
expensive departments Of all and the
most annoying to the citizens. Near
ly all American cities contain dis
tricts In which dives and brothels
flourish, and where criminals are
trained and disease cultivated. Then
Paducah. for instance spends about
/ $4,000 annually to support police
department, whose whole duty ap-
parently consists in protecting us
lagainst this FrankensteiB OF our own
lcreation. In other words We found
refuge for murderers and thieves
and then hire men to protect us from
them.
But II is easier mentally to pay ex-
cessively for the protection of our
selves from the consequences OF our
folly than to stop the folly. Why II
is necessary to adopt the regulations
to make people take precautions to
protect themselves, is as dificult to
understand, as to learn why people
don't pay heed to their poor neigh
bors. whose conditions breed epidem-
ics, and why people object to paying
for sewers that may save their lives
They admit the truth of arguments
in favor of the precautions but pre-
fer to take a chance with their money
and pay 1t to the doctor.
SO they put their assessments low
and let the rate stay up, and retrench
on schools. parks and sanitary regu-
lations, which improve citizenship
and attract immigration. and go on
paying excessively for their folly. to
the discouragement of home build
ing and the utter ruination Of the
real estate market.
Morality is true economy, and
something besides eternal vigi-
lance" is the price Of personal lib
erty."