The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-01
FIRE LOSS FOR YEAR
is CUT $2,46O,79S
Adamson's Report Shows Also
Reduction i'm Cost Of Main
tanning Department.
MUCH NEW APPARATUS

Fire Commissioner Robert Adamson's
annual report to Mayor Mitchell shows
tho lowest tiro loss in the history OF the
department and tho first reduced budget
since consolidation eighteen years ago.
Another record 70 which the Cominls-
e,oncr makes reference IS tho fact that
during 1915 aud the year before there
wers turned back to the city twenty
nine buildings and s,tcs valued ut
StIs,o0o aud eleven buildings which
wers leased at sos u year.
1.-The fire loss" says the report. was
lower 10y ~ ccutS per capita ana ga"
u fire than in any previous year ana
tho total loss lower by S2.i6o.' H3 Than
In 1914. We had i,Oi0 fewer 'irea and
an aggregate loss of ouly Sj,1j1.Ols.
MS against sS.2i7,Sl1 the preceding year.
The per capita loss WAS only S1o6.
The lowest previous loss was Sl.3S. The
loss per fire was SEAL. The lowest
previous loss. that of 1914, was s56?.69.
"Sincc consolidation the average loss
has been per year sS,2l5.2Gi per capita.
s2.Oi; per fire. s7O9Ia Last years
record therefore reduced this average
by sa.45O,sO0 in the annual loss by aS
cents in the per capita and by $3.50
in the loss per fire.
"1n only two other years since con-
solidation. u period Of eighteen years
Of rapidly growing population, has IN"
total loss hccn below 81 .0on zoe. I'm only
one year. that the first year OF consoli-
dation, has II actually been lower in
tho aggregate than last year, namely,
in 1898. when II was 81 lS6,>?". In
short. witt eight times the population.
the loss WAS actually nearly 81 900, 600
1ava ty,an e, tina frat Ne1r After the
creation of the paid fire department
fifty years ago.
Total OF I3,A18 Fires.
'F,res during the year numbered
1916. or these 1851 were trivial
bia yes, ext'nguished without the aid
oven of a fire engine. ono stream OK
tinguished $500. From any single fire
the heaviest loss was $3.50. 900"
Commissioner Adamsou says that for n
period Of sixteen years. NJ TO 1915, the
budget for the Fire Department in
creased at an annual rate of S3l3.6i?.
amounting TO nearly Sl,O00,0oo every
three years. Al the time he took Of
Ace f~rehousos for twenty companies
were under construction. no money hav-
ing been provided either for men or
equipment. Companies have been placed
In each of these houses and three other
companies have been organized. For
these companies the annual payroll and
maintenance charges are about $4,000
a year and the payroll OF employees
added to civilian bureaus is s14.ile a
year. ln spite Of these additional
charges. says tho Commissioner the de-
crease In the budget for 1918 was $50.
10 and in that OF 1915 it amounts &c
Sl73,O0O.
The means nv which this was &C,
conplished chiefly" says the report,
"are these: Cost of supplies reduced
$"e4,SAT; vacant positions abolished
$1,000 details of sixteen officers ant
siXty-three tirstncn rcvoked fifteen fir,
companies. rendered obsolete 10y motors
cation and other causes, discontinue,
and seven captains. twenty li~sutenantS
twenty engineers. l51 iiremen and -four
pilots thereby released for duty IN new
companies repair shops, fuel depOts
stables and ~storchouscs consolidated
forty buildings and sites given up ant
cost OF maintenance saved.