The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-09-07
FIRE BOARD TAXES ISSUE
 WITH "PAID PESSIMISTS" OF
 UNDERWRITERS COMMITTEE

tionment and the Fire BcaId that the matter was so extensive a one that the money should properly be raised by bonding In accord witE that agreement the next Legislature will be asked to authorize the issuance Of ponds Tor that express purpose. This fact was known to the Underwriters committee but evidently forgotten when it's report was prepared. Recon1n endaticn <o. IS of the U,n- derwriters committee is that Cheraf- cal 1 and each ladder truck be equip ped with three waterproof covers, their use to be part of the regular duties. The Daa of such covers is essentially the work of a salvage corps and is mainly for the benefit of the IS already done by inc mem 5ers of ths truck companies. Tn coing it, covers have been used til they are now near ly worn out.
 This condition was called to the att centicn cS 2 leading member os the local Fire Insurance Exchange near Iy year ago and he was requested to ask the insurance companies t0 fur n1sh new tarauiins. His promise was given to take np the matter. but no report has ever been received regard Ing it. The members of this board are confident tbat he did his best and are equally confident that the insur- ance companies refused the request.
 The board admits there is need Of additional hydrants. But it calls af- tention to the fact that they are be- Ing installed in an increasing quan- tity each year. Records showing this were at the disposal of the Under writers committee The board can not agree that 1t is necessary to have hydrants with a barrel of not less than 6 inches diameter If 41-z or inch hydrant will give all the wa ter that steamer can handle the board cannot see any advantage in the using of a larger. A recOmnenda- tion regarding threads on hydrants Is simply in line with the Underwriters general effort to secure adoption Of a standard fixed by them. To adopt thi$ standard would be an expense to the city with no apparent special gain This criticism also applies to the rec ommendation regarding hose cou- plings.
 special couplings for use In ease en- zines are called here for duty from other ctiies- Those cOdplings are Of the same thread as is used in those other cities and are so built that they may be used in connecting to Bridge port hydrants and hose It was but recently that an exchange of cou- pings for this very purpose was made with the department of Hartford.
 It is the intent of the board to cor vert Truck ?, located on Middle, street. into q motor-driven truck next yeac- This work would have been under way now had money been appTop-iau- ed for it as a sum for that specific purpose was asked in the last reauis1- ton of the Fire Board to the Board of Apportionment. When this truck is so converted, it is the opiafon of the board there will be no need of es- tabliSh1ng an additional truck com pany in the northern section of the ctiy, as is suggested by the report
 Improvements are being made in the fire alarm system, have been in pro gress for some time. These include the installation of an additional re- ground work. setting up of boxes of the newest type. The board intends to have the fire alarm system efii- c1ent as possible and is not waiting one moment longer than necessary to install the manual system. In the meantime the present system will be kept up to the grea test efficiency pos sible. Records are good things to judge by, and the members of the board do not recall any occasion when the fire alarm system has failed 10 transmit alarm except during severe storm. Even the latter failure has been so rare as to be practically negligible
 Experiments were made last year by the board in the designating of fire alarm boxes by red lights rhoss experiments did not prove cesuitful as it was not found feasible to mark a street light with red except at the loss of it's Illuminating power and to place special lights showing red at fhe boxes was a step rhat would prove very expensive.
 In conclusion the Fire Board wishes to say that it considers the inspection by the Underwriters committee as a good thing. It spurs the men in the department to renewed endesvor, it
  partment. But it has it's own weak point-and that is it's failure to give credit for improvements which have been made, it's failure to take note Of beGterlnents, it's aim to force the city to adopt methods arbi- trarily fixed by the Underwriters themselves which are productive of no better results than present methods
 It is the Underwriters committees business to find fault. But 1t is Tot wise for the city to take too seriously every criticism which is made. And it is aSSuredly evidence Of civic pride when city officials endorse with either of the fire department or any other branch of the city govern luent.
 gems Gf Bridgeport world not think much more highly of the Underwrst- CTS if lower insurance rates were granted them. And it is interested in the outcome of the work of the special committee appointed by the Board of Aldermen to work on his matter But most of all it is interested in keeping the fire fighting force in effective and eVery-ready condition to meet whatever duty may come to It. have with us The fire department will be vigilant to do it's utmos4 to prevent that hazard from deTeiopinE into a certainty Of serious loss.
 The greatest fire that ever consum- sd property could have been extin- guished with a pail of water, had ft oeen discovered soon enough It is n fighting a fire The Fire Board will continue to work to have she Bridgeport department one that gets on its job'' quick. that knows what o do when if gets tbere,-a depart uent that shall be continually impTov- ng upon it's present efficient condi- ion.
 The annual meeting of the Fairfield County Fish and Game Protective As