East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-02-24
CURRENT THINKING
AMERICAN FIRENEN AND AMER
ICAN POLICE.
(By George A. Detrick in Fire and
Water Engineering.)


(By George A. Detrick in Fire and
Water Engineering)
My work today is 70 compare these
two departments. put them in the
spotlight or candlelight and then
weigh them in the balances. Is there
any difference in the work and the
hours they put in and the pay they
receive? 1 say, yes. The firemen
are on duty "a hours a day, some
have IL hours off week. There are
few cities which have a few pla-
toons, which 1 do not approve of.
The police work eight, ten and ~
hours a day. Take the small towns;
they have a volunteer fire depart
ment, and a paid police department.
There is no difference as 1 can see
why lot Of boys should get, togeth-
er and form a volunteer fire depart
ment, pay dues out of their own
pockets; then when they want a
hose cart and money to furnish
their rooms. they have to get up a
dance or run a bazaar to get the
money. Then when there is a fire
and there usually is, they go to it.
just as they are. dress suits, patent
feathers and all. get the whole out
fit ruined. pay 20 to 40 dollars for
a new suit, and what thanks do they
get none at all; only some crank
finds fault because they threw too
much water. They are criticised by
all and praised by none, Oftentimes
cur firemen get hurt, get wet and
Geld on a freezing winter day or
night and never get over it; he loses
his time at the shop or store. pays
his own doctor bills, pays his own
funeral expenses when he dies; and
the party whose property he saved
and probaly the lives of his dear
ones, never says much obliged"
probably never asks his wife how he
is getting along: and II he does. prob
ably not even sends a bunch OF flow
e-s to the funeral. In some states
the firemen have gotten laws passed
TO get the two per cent of the for
eigr insurance written in their
town, for the fire department, to buy
apparatus or give pension, funds and
to help firemen that get hurt; some
get 1t and some do not. The city
collects II. puts 1t in the city treas
ury, from which they pay the policei
fix the streets, or anything they see
fit to do with IT, still the firemen
keep up the departments at their own
expense. out OF 81 towns of Illinois,
that answered the blanks l sent out,
there are 12 towns that do not give
a cent to the fire department. They
have POI firemen and they do not
ray cent for their work. and do not
even buy the apparatus for them;
anc some OF these towns take the
two per cent The boys got the laws
passed for their own use, and even
pay their dues in the association to
get a few dollars to help them run
the department, and the city lads
will not let them have that; they put
Il in the city treasury and use 1t for !
other purposes. These twelve towns
have IS policemen whom they pay
$1,000. DO the police build their
lookup! No. They do not even buy
the star they wear. Do they get up
entertainments to help pay the rum
ming expenses OF their department..
No. II they get up anything to raise
money they take II for their pension
fund When there is fire in a
small town, some one rings the fire.
bell or blows the whistle; then the
fife boys get the hosecart and hook
anc ladder truck to the fire the best
way they can, and do their best to
fight the fire with the apparatus they
have to work with. In a good many
cities they buy the apparatus they
what they get the boys.
When there is a holdup or store
broken into, or anything goes wrong
and the policeman Is wanted. the,
party that knows about II gets word
10 the police the best way he can
bu. oh, where can you find a police
man. No one can tell. know OF
times when II has been half hour
AM even longer before he is found.
BY that time the thief is gone--no'