Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-10

trucks are in fair to good condition,
but facilities are provided for the
handling of heavy streams and fire.
quent use made of them Facilities
are provided for carrying fuel to fires
and 1t is well distributed at the
houses, but the coal on hand appears
dirty and a1r-slacked.
Hose wagons are in good condition
and carry uniform equipment but
appliances considered important by
many cities are lacking. Repairs are
performed at the department repair
shop. which is well equipped. A good
veterinary hospital is maintained and
horses receive proper care. A drill
school with tower has been estab-
llshed. and the training is tending
toward increasing the efficiency of
members. Building inspections as
made by officers of the department
are too infrequent. Department rec
ords are incomplete. but the annual
reports are comprehensive and con-
tain recommendations for improve
ments."
No Dad management"
Commissioner Stratton said that the
statement that customary bad man
agement" resulted from the fact that
the Board of Fire Commissioners is
bipartisan does not accord with the
admission in the same report, that
expenditures are low as compared
with other cities where there are not
bipartisan boards and with the ad-
mission that the money for per-
manent improvements has been spent
to the best advantage.
1T Is ridiculous for this board to
attack our fire alarm SYSTEM" said
Commissioner Stratton, when 1t Is
known that heads of fire departments
in distant cities, coming to New York
to inspect the department there, come
to Newark to see our practically per-
feet fire alarm system They also
come here from Philadelphia, and it
is generally understood that we have
the best alarm system In America.
This board cannot tell the COM
missioners where they ought to To-
cate new f1rehouses for the simple
reason that they do not know the
conditions In Newark, as the commits
sioners do. They have asked to have
firehouses located near city lines,
where they would be of more use to
adjacent municipalities than to New
ark.
1T is impossible to send the hose
wagons to fires in advance of the fire
engines which are drawn by three
horses. The hose wagons could not
keep In front of the engines so rapidly
do the latter travel. The only way
to get the hose wagons first to any
fire would be to hold back the en-
gines until the former had a fair
start, and l may say the commission
ers would not consider such an alb
surd plan.
Men Are Not Slow.
ut is an easy matter to charge that
the department is slow to answer
alarms, and some persons will always
believe such a statement, rather than
the contrary. l insist that the men
are not slow, and the best way TO
test that is to time them.
1T appears to me that this report
was written by theorists without
practical knowledge of Newark and
prepared In a vindictive spirit. Some
ago the National Board of
Fire Underwriters asked permission
TO test the fire engines of the Newark
Having in mind the eX-
perience of Jersey City. which last
year permitted such test, with the
result that seven of their engines
were put out of business. we refused.
Commissioner Frank Hague, of
Jersey City, also refused. The test
they put the engines to Is altogether
too severe and is more trying than
the test the manufacturers use on
new engines before sending them
from the factory. 1t includes the
coldwater test. There is no reason
why engines should be racked In that
Wav
"The report says casually that we
take care of our horses. We do, at
the expense of some cost and lot of
care. We also take care of our appa-
ratus and there Is a special engineer
with nothing else to do than to see
that the apparatus is at all times in
the best of condition. Our engines
never stop pumping.
1T seems to be a case Of L wan
dered to the village Tom with the
compiler of that entertaining IL not
highly instructive report de-
clared Fire Commissioner Thomas
e. Burke. HE says that there
have been changes and improve
ments In conditions since 1905,
when a report bearing upon Newark
was Issued. That report was a re-
markable literary production, like the
one now under discussion. Stress is
laid upon the conditions of 1905. In
fact, repeated references are made to
that year. So there have been
changes since then, have there? How
amazing. These people should come
to Newark oftener. Their visits are
like those of the angels, few and far
between. Eight long years is too
great a period to leave this big city
alone and neglected, don't you
Think"
Welcome inspectors.
Understand there is no intention
to belittle the work of those inspect
ors. The fire commissioners welcome
sIlDOaafIona ~ hive 80 ,,oI,,.
that has not occurred to them is
shown the commissioners will lose no
time in attempting to develop the
idea. Everything for the depart
ment's good and for the city's well
fare.
IF the report did not seek to con-
vey an impression that Newark's
commissioners we're asleep all these
years, and that improvements were
due to the al1-supervising eye of these
strangers TO the city, there would be
no criticism of it. We would let Ii
stand for all 1t is worth. inconsisten-
ciee and discrepancies included.
Perhaps. though, the report may
help us out in the way of larger ap-
propriations. The commissioners re-
ceive annually sums with which to
maintain and develop the depart
ment. We must cut according to the
cloth, you know While adding to
efficiency we must practise economy,
for after all 1t ia the property own
ers of Newark who pay the freight.
Now, II the insurance people would
forward certified check in q suffi-
Client amount to work miracles at
one fell swoop. l will guarantee that
the fire commissioners will get right
on the job.
Criticisms as to high pressure and
low pressure will no doubt be taken
care OF by the Board of Works.
That body has all to do with the
water supply. and the report lauds
Engineer Morris r. Sherrerd as O.
man of wide experience. When the