New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-06
OPPOSES TWO PLAT00NS.
Fire Commissioner Says 1t
Would Demora|ze the Force.
TURN PROFESSION TO TRADE
Measure Now Before Governor
Declared Against the Inter
est of Department.

Joseph Johnson. Fire Commissioner OF
this city, gave out a statement yesterday
earnestly condemning the two-platoon bill
for the Fire Department. which passed
the Legislature just ended and is await
Ing action by the Governor.
The Commissioner points out that every
fire commissioner and every chief Of the
department since consolidation. in 1898. has
opposed this legislation. convinced that
its enactment would mean Generalization
OF the uniformed force and it's loss or
prestige as the finest fire fighting organi-
cation in the country The measure. he
declares. is diametrically opposed 10 the
best interests of the Fire Department. the
city at large and the members OF the
force.
Neither battles nor fires can be fought
upon limited hours Of service" says Mr..
johnson. Men cannot be accorded the
right to go off duty when duty presses
or to ask relief therefrom when engaged
in a hand-to-hand contest. or to request
leaves of absence by reason OF having
been detained when the time comes FOR
their platoon TO go out Of service. without
greatly reducing the efficiency and the
morale OF the department and introducing
added complications and difficulties into
its management"
Division of Responsi biIity.
Commissioner Johnson dwells on the
unfortunate division Of responsibility
under the two-platoon system. with one
house and one set OF apparatus operated
TIT. M
firemen. and the confusion sure 10 result.
The necessary increase in force he says.
would mean large percentage Of green
and unframed men distributed among the
companies II is. he adds. an axiom or
old officers that 1t takes five years for a
fireman thoroughly to learn his duty
under present conditions. when he serves
at all times, except when on vacation.
Under the two-platoon system II would
take from eight 10 ten years
Another objection raised by the Com
missioner is that the proposed legislation
would tend to change entirely the char
acter of the uniformed force. The SER
vice is now regarded as a profession and
not a trade. The two-platoon system.
says Mr.. Johnson. would make Of the
force a labor union. and he adds.
The aim Of the vast majority Of the
firemen is, and should be, to perform the
greatest possible measure Of faithful and
notable service and to obtain the rewards
Justly flowing therefrom. When this am
| bition is lowered by the constant efforts
| for fewer hours OF duty and less service
the high standing Of the New York Fire
Department will be a thing Of the past"
Tried and Abandoned.
Mr.. Johnson tells Of the test made OF
! the proposed system in the third battalion
in the winter Of lsOi-'O5 and its abandon
ment. He points out that salaries are
based on the amount OF service rendered.
and If the service were cut In half, or
measurably reduced. a proportionate de-
crease I'm salaries would result In a lower
| ing of the pension schedule.
The conditions Of service In the uni
formed force" Mr.. Johnson concludes.
"are as fair and as reasonable as IL 10
possible to make them In a body neces-
safily organized and conducted on mill
tary basis. and the high standard OF eff
cheney now obtaining therein should be
maintained at all hazards"