Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1911-05-25

engineer, he must learn to manage
the steamer, and he is allowed a pe-
riod In sort of school to help out
In this. A similar rule governs ap-
pointment to pilot on fireboat. En-
gineers are paid $1,000 year, and
pilots $1,000. The promotion to the
grade Of assistant foreman, or lieuten-
ant, is the one generally sought, as It
is in more direct line of advancement
to still higher positions, and now car
ries a salary of s2,100 annually.
After working six months as lieu
tenant your boy is eligible to take the
examination for promotion to captain,
or foreman, position which carries a
salary OF $2,500; but this does not
mean that he will be made captain
four years after he has started in the
department Vacancies do not occur
so conveniently, and promotion comes
only when there is place to be filed.
The higher the promotion the fewer
there are Of them and the harder they
are to reach. However, positions
often become vacant, and they are al
ways filled by promotion, The chief
Of the entire New York department
grew UP from the ranks. The total Of
over 4,200 men In the service includes
one chief, Is deputy chiefs, 81 chiefs
of battalion, 259 captains and 361 lieu
tenants. Every one of these posts is
possible OF achievement by your boy.
The captain has charge of COM
pany, consisting usually of ten fremen
and two officers, although there are
double companies of twice the num-
Der. Six companies make a battalion,
presided over by battalion chief, who
Is paid $500 year. Over the bat
TALON chief is one of the deputy
chiefs, paid $4,000 annually, while the
present chief of the department, the
boss of the entire service, gets $4,000.
1t is technically required that there
be a service of at least six months in
any lower grade before being eligible
to promotion to a higher
Quite an elaborate pension system
is In vogue In the New York fire de-
partment. II member of the depart
ment should incur total disability
when on duty, after ten years service,
he is retired on half pay for life; if
the disability occurs before ten years,
on one-third salary II partly disabled
after ten years work. he Is given en-
ployment that he can do at the same
salary as before; II partially disabled
when not on duty, he is given other
work at one-third his former salary.
If he is killed when on duty, his
widow and children get half his sal
airy Ca minimum of 5000 and a maxi
mum of $1,000 is fixed. however,, till
the widow is married again and the
children are eighteen years of age; II
he dies when not on duty they get
$500 a year. II killed In discharge of
his duties, and he has only one child
or dependent parents, the latter are
paid $500 year, Also 1t is provided
that all members of the force pay 81
to So month into an insurance fund,
SO that at death the widow or depend
ents get $1,000 in addition to the pen
sion.
There are few places in either pub
lie or private service, with the excep-
ton of the army and navy, In which
this paternal interest exists. In addi-
ton to all this, any member of the
force Is permitted to retire after 20
years. service on a pension of half the
pay he was drawing at the time of
retirement.
Thus your boy, who started in at
twenty-one and rose only to the grade
of captain, can quit at the age OF forty
one on a pension of $50 for life, and
II he should become a battalion chief
he will draw $3.50, no matter where
he goes or what he does.
Discipline in the department is
quite rigid, similar in many respects
to that In the army. The disciplinary
rules were prepared by United
States military officer.
Copyright 1910. by the Associated Lit