New Britain herald., 1915-05-20
ICE AND FIRE DEPTS, MUNICIPAL ICE PROJECT, TROLLEY SERVICE AND REPRESENTATIVE E. C. GOODWIN
 RAPED BY MAYOR QUIGLEY IN HIS ANNUAL MESS

order to bring these department up to a proper standard of efficiency it would be necessary that the commis sioners devote more time to the solu- tion of the various problems confront ing this department than they could afford to devote any your honorable body at my request petitioned the legislature for change which would create a flre and a police commission.
 These two commissions, devoting all the time they could spare to sep arate departments, would make for greater efficiency. .,r ...
 Politics or Personal Feeling.
 Unfortunately politics or personal feeling actuated one of our represen- tatives in the present legislature in opposing this most needed change and in place of a police and a fire com mission, we will be compelled, on ac- count of this interference, to conduct the police and fire departments under one commission.
 The request for the placing of these two departments under separate commissions was not an act in cri- ticism of the work of the present safety board but was made with the idea, as l have before stated. of re- lieving them of some of their duties in order that they might devote what time they could spare to separate de- partments. -tr
 "The bane of the police and fire de- partments has been political inter- ference. Men have been appointd in these departments who would not have infN l,oI l., l litical pull.
 must be. driven from the police and fire departments if you are going to have efficient departments
 With that end in view, your hon. orable body, at my request, authori- zed me to appoint civil service com- mittee which would draft reules gov- erning the appointment of men to these departments under civil service rules. t,. -..+' ..'..
 "I have appointed such a committee. which is now organized, and will as soon as possible, submit for your ap- proval such rules and regulations as they deem best governing such ap- pointments under civil service rules.
 The present board is making careful study of police and fire matters and no doubt in a short time will make report of the result of their investigation and study to your hon. orable body.
 Another branch of the work of the board requiring special and inn mediate attention and study is the fire hazard problem in which, to g. large extent, is included in the hous- ing problem.
 Fire prevention is as important as fire fighting.
 Our able building inspector as- sisted by the chief of the fire depart ment is working upon this matter.
 Several ordinances drafted by the building inspector have been passed by your honorable body. The most important legislation passed by you was the ordinance prohibiting the con- struction of frame houses containing over four families.
 II have taken the liberty of quoting. in this message, from a speech delivered before the Commonwealth club on the Fire Hazard Problem
 Fire Hazard.
 The six tenement block is not an economic necessity. It has grow n up almost wholly through the efforts or the speculative builder who is more interested in building and dis posing of poorly constructed house and getting his money back on the land than he is in any real study of ! the housing problem, and wherever this problem has been worked out in a scientific manner, the wooden block has never received any consideration.
 Nor is the cost of the wooden six tenement block a determining factor in the discussion. Figures of cost which show that the excess of proper over the wood which Is now used so indiscriminately, less than seven per cent. on b building, costing $7,5O0. This slight excess sc more than counterbalanced by tile an- 1 nual saving in upkeep and by the in- |