New-York tribune., 1910-12-24
HITS FIRE CHIEF CROKER.
"Twenty Years Behind Times, .
Witness Tells Investigators.
BRENTANO PRAISES CHIEFS
Suggests State School for Fire.
men-Many Factories Here
Said to Invite Disaster.

A lively tilt over the merits of Chiei
Croker as fire fighter coupled with the
novel suggestion of a state educational
course in fire prevention and fire extinction,
frightened the fire insurance inquiry of the
legislative investigating committee at yes
terday's session.
Frank r. Chambers, senior partner in
the firm of Rogers, Peet & Co. started the
lnnatter when he said:
"Ctief Croker is a good fireman. but he
is twenty years behind the times. He says,
Let me get at it and I'll put it out He
doesn't enjoy getting to a fire that's been
put out by automatic sprinklers or other
private devices. There's no glory in that
Sin on Brentano. head of the book firm.
was the next witness called, and before M
Linn Bruce, the counsel to the committee.
Icould begin his examination the witness
took things in hand himself.
I'm not authorized to speak for Chief
Croker or the Fire Department" said Mr.
lBrentano hotly, but think if Mr.. Cham
bers had thought minute he wouldn't
have said that Chief Croker or any OF his
men would be dspeased to come to fire
because it had been put out by sprinklers
or anything else.
Fire prevention and extinction is a most
excellent subject to go into. In view OF
what we have seen in Chicago. Cincinnati
and Philadelphia in the last few days, and
considering my intimate acquaintance with
fire chiefs in those cities and all over the
country, want to say that the work these
men confront is too much underestimated.
Tribute to Chcaeo's Dead Chief.
Mr. Brentano paid tribute of respect to
James Horan. Chicago's fire chief, who
died on Thursday In the performance of his
duty at the stockyards fire in that city.
These men," he said, with a gesture In
dcating the inclusion of all the country's
fire chiefs. t'must extingush fires. They
didn't build these structures. Their busi-
ness is only to respond and put out the fires.
They have no part in fire prevention work
IF the work of these men is esteemed so
Lightly, want to say that the man who
was killed in Chicago yesterday was one
of the abest fire fighters in this country.
1t takes twenty-five years to educate
man to that efficiency"
Mr. Brentano seemed to resent strongly
the criticism of Chief Croker, and in de-
Tending him he included In his defence the
fire fighters of the country generally.
He said that the view of the ordinary |
man in the street toward fires in general |
has been wrong. It was just as culpable |
to have a fire, he contended, as for an |
automoblist to run over a child when he Is |
insured against liability for it.
I'VE must educate every one to a different |
standpoint as to fres,'' he said, but it will |
take years..
State Education for Firemen.
Along that line Mr.. Brentano advocated |
a mental as we'll as physical training for !
hremen far in advance of the present |
ideas upon that subject. He thought that |
training should take the method of a |
course at some such university as Cornell, !
which should be moulded to train men In
practical methods of fire extinction and
its closely related subject Of fire prevention
I'VE have no standardization Of fire ex-
tinction," he said "a fire chief learns 1t.
but the knowledge is gathered slowly and
Transmitted in a haphazard way We need
training and literature on the subject, lit
erature as thorough as our teAtpooks Oh
law and medicine
A fire day, set aside by the state, would
be a means of general instruction, Mr.
Brentano thought, not only for schools and
school children, but for older people every
where. Such a day is recognized by law In
he pointed out.
Mr. Chambers, before his shot at Chief
Croker made a strong plea for the whole
sale and enforced by law installation or
sprinklers That one move, he
said could make New York absolutely free
from the conhagration hazard a hazard
which both he and MIR. Brentano testified
was ever present In this city.
Throughout the country. said Mr.. Cham
bers the annual fire loss of S25oUnoCo
would probably be a half-billion dollars
were it rot for the continued ard growing
use Of the automatic sprnklers.
cl,a of 10 |
slJrance of the Merchants Association of | !
this city he said, he had taken up this
subject with the past and present city ad-
and he thought that the one |
best thing the legislative committee could
10 would be to recommend legislation look {
ng toward the requirement Of these de- {
vices in all buildings in conSested districts |
Would Abolish Insurance Broker
Mr.. Chambers advocated also the aboii-
ior of the insurance broker as a needless
,xpense of the fire insurance business which
he policyholder under present conditions
cannot evade. A big merchant, even, he I
said, is not allowed to sidestep the broker,
because his premium rate remains the same
whether he insures directly with the COM
,anv,s agent or through the broker, who I
collects commission from the premium
Powell Evans of Philadelphia. represent
ng the fire prevention committees VI 'he c
National Hardware Association. the Ma d
ional Association of Credit Men and the .
National Association of Manufacturers, de- +
dared that the common apathy toward the
subject of fire prevention was one of the
nest criminal things in the commerce of
he country.
Franklin II. Wentworth, of Boston. sec
etary of the National Fire Protection AS T
ociation startled the New York members
# the committee with the statement that ?
here are in this city to-day at least +
factories in which conditions as :
o the possibility Of disastrous fires are as P
.ad as they were in the recent Newark | =
sctory fire. I'm which more than score of T
ives were lost ~
Efficient fire prevention appliances, he s
aid. are a crying necessity in country c
ubiect to such tragical fires and accidents
g produced within the last week-the New -
-ork Central explosion in this city, the .,
,hiladelphia and Cincinnati fires and the .N
hicaso stockyards holocaust. ~
H., Il..ft pvn1 ltc