Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-05-07
BELITTLEING THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT

be happier man when engaged IN the
task of what is commonly called
knocking" the fire department.
Their motives in doing this are vari.
Gus. Some are chronic kickers, who
would not be satisfied IL the depart.
ment we're equipped W w.th heaven-manu
featured apparatus, manned by angels,
and ca2tained by Archsngel Michael
himself For the comments Of such a
lot no vne cares a cent, aid their ut
terances are taken for wnat they are
worth--nothing Again, there are
those who pose as know-it.alls. and
claim that. unless this or that is done
or made according to their views or
plans, all is wrong. These are bores
of the first water and have to be sat
down upon violently or they will be.
come insuffersble. A third party is
that of those who are academic re.
formers and think that extravaganza
and graft run riot in all municipal
circles. As a rule, they are more or
less ignorant Of the first principle
practical civic economy, and under
the idea that every municipal officer
is of necessity either a CRATER or the
tool of those who live off the city,
oppose every step that is necessary
for the betterment of the taxpayers
until they themselves have approved
il. hese, with the last groud-the
politicians pure and simple, who will
sell out the community's best inter-
ests, If only they can thereby put
money in their purses-are the foes Of
true economy and the worst enemies
of the ire department. The first set
being altogether ignorant of what is
needed to render that department
thoroughly up-to date and efficient
imagine that every proposed improve
ment to the equipment, every sug-
gested addition to the firehehting
force, to the salaries of the members
or the ranks of the permanent mem
bership is "wasteful and ridiculous
excess" The politicians, on the can
trary, would needlessly make raids
upon the city treasury for their own
enrichment and that of their hangers
on, and, as a consequence and still
with a view to their personal pecun-
iarv profit, would involve the city in
useless expense for new, and not
needed equipment, for enrolling ad-
ditional firemen )voters of their own
political party, or for adding to their
salaries or off-days. These last two
classes are those who stand most in
the way of hindering the cause Of fire
protection On the one side, they
ignore the rapid growth of a city or
the changes made In it by the estab-
ishment OF new factories, a differ
ent style and type buildings, growth
of the population and the like, all of
which demands that the fire protection
should be correspondingly increased.
That increase, however, is not made,
owing to the cry of the would-be-econ-
omists that there IS no necessity for
it. On the other hand, oven although
the desired increase should be shown
to be necessary, because il is known
that the politicians will make that
an excuse for launching out into eE-
travagant additions in equipment,
which will bring in corresponding y
large profits to them in the way of
commission, or in that of aswarding
(nor improbably for a pecuniary con
sideration or a quid-pro-quo in some
ether way) their adherents by foist-
inf on the department either more
men than are required OF men utterly
unfit to fill the position of fremen,
the thing falls through and the pro-
lection of the city falls. For that rea-
son, then, it is imperative that the
question should be approached from a
sane and sensible standpoint, putting
entirely out of sight all other ques-
tions, political or personal, ard above
everything else, avoiding belittling
the fire department, which nine tin ss
out of ten will be proved to have done