Evening star., 1916-01-09

have said, it is practically without
ventilation. There can be no circula-
ton of air for the reason I have stated,
that there are no rear or side open
ings. The engine that is in front of the
men and the horses, and between them
and the only entrance for fresh air.
must he kept heated and ready to go
out at all hours.
Just imagine. if you can. what hot
weather such as we have in Wash
iington means to men who nave TO i've
in a stable with row OF SIX horses
in front of them and heated engine in
front of the horses and no ventilation
from the rear The conditions under
which fremen are compelled to live in
many of the engine houses OF the cap
ital of the nation are positively inhu-
man. They must live under these
fearful conditions day and night. win
ter and summer. unprotected either
from heat or cold. In addition to what
| have said of the arrangement, heatin G
and ventilating of the houses, the
buildings themselves are old. out of re-
pair and dilapidated.
Il have perhaps said enough about the
buildings, ! might say much more
about them. Now word, about the
equipment The fire department is we'll
equipped with a fine class of horses
As l have said the men. as I saw them,
seem to me to be high-clas men. The
chief of the department has served for
thirty-seven years and has come up
from the bottom. He is highly intel
hgent and capable man. But these men
are handicapped by an altogether out
of-date and inadequate equipment. The
day of the horse as moving power in
a fire department has passed. A fire
department without motor propelled
apparatus is far behind the times and
inadequate and inefficient. Besides the
replacing of the horses with motor
power would render the engine houses
more habitable. They would not, at
least, be stables with the men living
with the horses. The engine and truck
houses should be equipped with motor
apparatus without delay. Besides the
increase of efficiency and betterment of
candition it would. as has been
estimated. insure a saving to the gov
ernment, as between the horses and
motor power, of over $4,000 year
Need of Heating Plants.
IN a letter to me from the chief en-
gineer of the department.. after describ-
ing some of the conditions of the build
ings. he says:
"'Some of the greatest needs in our
houses are the installation of proper
heating plants to replace stoves, cleo
trio lighting as substitute for gas
and shower baths
''Out of the large number of engine
houses in the city only four or five are
properly built and equipped. After see
ing a number of Objectionable ones. I
visited one of those lately built. The.
contrast was most gratifying. 1t was
made with back and front entrances,
lighted and ventilated from all sides,
steam heated, with hot and cold water
comfortable quarters up
and down stairs for the men, away from
the horses. with mOtOr-nOwe
paratus, and in every way sanitary,
for the men and up-to-
date
You may ask why the houses are not
put in sanitary condition and properly
equipped. Just because Congress will
not. under the half-and-half. irrespon-
sible system that exists, provide the
money necessary even to make ordinary
and necessary repairs. much less build
sanitary engine houses, prop
erly equipped.
Il do not know whether members of
the District appropriations committee
have visited and examined these houses
as ! have. I cannot believe that if they
had these necessary and humane ap-
preparations would not have been made
long since. 1t should be made the duty
of that committee and the committees
Columbia to make personal inspection
of all public buildings at least once a
year, SO that they might know their
needs from their own personal knowI-
edge.
THE men of the police and fire de-
and property of the people of the Dis
trict. They should be supplied with
all that is necessary to make them COM
Portable, and with adequate facilities
and equipment for efficient and faithful
service"