Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-08-21
building INSPECTION =.
Means fire PREVENTION
VALUABLE PAPER PRESENTED At THE ANNUAL MEETING OF
THE NATIONAL FREMENs ASSOCIATION At ROCHESTER, N.
SECRETARY r. L. THE NORTH DAKOTA FIRE.
MEMS ASSOCIATION DISCUSSED


At the annual convention of the
National Firemen's Association which
is being held at Rochester, N. Y,
Hon. H. l.. Reade of Bismarck, Sec
rotary of the North Dakota Firemen's
Association, presented a valuable pa
par yesterday afternoon on the sub
ject, THE Value of Building Inspec-
tisn as a Means of Fire Prevention"
Mr.. Reade at the close Of his address
was the recipient of many congratu-
lations from the delegates assembled.
Mr.. Reade said:
Mr.. President and Members of the
National iFremen's Associations:
Before presenting my views on this
subject beg the indulgence of the
convention in a few remarks respect.
ing the conditions Of firemen and fire
matters in my own state of North
Dakota. At the Lansing, Michigan
convention last year l was very much
interested in the discussion on What
has been the influence OF politicians
and political parties upon the efficien
cy of the American fire SERVICE
Personally, l do not care much about
politics and politicians, though
know it is to the interest Of every
fireman-be be paid or volunteer-tc
take some part in politics, that he
may get what he wants. DO not un
derstand me to advocate party poll
tics when suggest that tiremen
should take some part in politics.
mean we should not support aspirants
for legislative honors who do not
pledge themselves to stand by the
tiremen of the state when they ask
for the passage of good, wholesome
laws looking to the protection Of, moi
only themselves, their wives and fam
lilies, but the lives and property Of al
citizens of the commonwealth.
have had the honor-please par
don the personal allusion-to be sec
rotary of the North Dakota Firemen's
Association for the past fourteen
years, and when first elected secre
tary our association had a representa-
ton OF eighteen cities, towns and vii
lagos, with thirty-Rve separate de
partments and companies; today w
| have a representation of 116 cities
, towns and villages with member
ship of l62 separate departments ant
companies. The North Dakota As
sociation has, what l believe no othe
state in the Union can boast, namely
The state code fixes running ap
preparation of 81 500 to be paid owe
to the secretary on the first day o
June in each year to help defray tn
expenses of the annual state conven
ton and tournament, to be used a.
the association chooses. We ais,
have a state insurance law paying t.
each city, town and village 2 pei
cent of the gross receipts on the pre-
/ NUNS written in such city, town o.
village (please note) the same havinl
an organized fire department with no
less than fifteen men, and not les:
than five hundred dollars worth o
city property in their possession, ant
all members are in good standing II
the North Dakota Firemen's Associa
ton. This money goes direct to thu
fifire companies, themselves, excep
in cities having pair fire depart
ment, in which case half Of the mon
ey is turned into relief pension
fund, duly incorporated, and the Other
half is covered into the city fire fund
You will readily see, therefore, thai
interest is kept up and maintained in
the volunteer departmnts of NORTH
Dakota. In this connection, let me
add, we have but two fully paid fire
departments and on June /, 1910, the
state auditor paid to the 116 cities
towns and villages entitled to the
benefit of the insurance tax, $19,743.
70. Not so bad for that state!
This has all been accomplished by
the fremen being in politics. AS q
member of the North Dakota house
of representatives, your humble ser
want has had tn honor to help bring
about the present most favorable con
ditions. Say, gentlemen, out in the
cow country" the firemen first gel
right, and then we go after what we
want; every fireman in that vast do
main concentrates his mind on what
is needed, and we get it-or get the
other fellows political scalp. We
have not yet placed on our statute
books a fire marshal law for the rea
son that with each attempt to pass
such a law efforts were made to take
the salaries of such officer and his
deputies out of the firemen's 2 per
cent insurance tax, and we have de-
feated evry proposd measure that in