Evening journal., 1914-03-20
FIRE PROTECTION AM rOuCE PROTECTION.

VAy n hnd m the current number OF the New York
" Firemans Herald figures the cost of hre
and police protection which ol nationwide inter-
est That the figures are official and taken from the
financial statistics OF municipalities compiled by
the Census Bureau makes them an the more yalua-
be for public consideration. They cover lo5 Ameri-
can cities that have population Of more than ao-
600 that spent total OF Silas55id their hre de-
partments n 1919 it is shown that as against the
IRE department expense OF S4IaS55i6 the same cities
spent for police protection during 1912 total of S5a
46d2a, on about 20 per cent more than for hro pro-
teoton, the average capita cost being se0A for
police and Si02 for ire ln this connection it is
curious 10 note that the cities with population
greater than 100000, Of which there but s spent
for police than for FIRE protection, whereas in
tho lll places with populations ranging from 10000
20 100000 tho opposite true but the police cost
Was SO much higher In the larger cities that d much
more than offset the higher relative hre department
expense IN the smaller places
IN the group OF cities having over 100000 inhahi-
lants the total hre department expense Ia 1919 was
I9eis4ss; police. s346529 99l The group with popu-
aiions OF between 300 900 and 100000 shows a gross
hre department outlay Of s6el5s5s with police cos,
Of n3iatsz The three other groups tell different
story the hre department expense In each OF them
being greater than in the sister service follows.
cities having from 100000 to 100000 iuhabitants-
ire, $ioll7fo3 nnoe, sa,2ssOSli $4,000 TO lOO-
BOO nhahltants--hre, s60S26fl police S5l3S3S7.
10000 20 $4,000 inhahitants-hre sta5Oi5Si police
l33is6e5 The erand total for both services la an
he cities IL, therefore SiO716216S
More than ono-louilh- sl2lOAl6O-oi thc entire
amount spent ON hre departments by the l95 cities
was laid out by New York and Chicago. while New
port k}- enjoyed whatever distinction there may
BE- IN having smaller total are department cost and
lover cost per capita than any other city Of the
same size In the country That oity 1912 spent Tor
protection against the flames the astonishing low hc-
ure, for city of 10000 inhabitants OF Si3-
ss2 per capita expense Of only 45 cents the average
for an the cities being sio2 But the Kentucky city
Is not alone 10 starving its hre department Phladel-
phia spent only 81 cents per head OF population for
hre protection 10 1912. i is interesting TO remark
that although only 2e Of the 1876 cities spent less than
81 per capita on their hre departments Pennsylvania
had such places. Harrisburg. The capital city OF
that State, second 10 Newport tied with York
Pa ia low per capita Ore department ouilay-5.
cents Aew Jersey had clties 81 this class; lows
had 2, and The following states boasied ~ ! each.
Connecticut Delaware. Illinois Iowa. Kentucky sis
seln, Kew jerry. New York, Ohio. Ciab. vlrsi1is
Wast Virginia.
IAe record sloss tlai tblee ctes spent aole thai
= per capita ther Ore department.. o,psis ,p.a
res san flarc.to $500 aad Arantc tty. st1l
IN as cfsc VI oua4a re Department s4pluse nf