The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-08

lvised so as to provide for each men,
bnr being allowed one day off, In Ave;
That sufficient funds be provided as
iprou1ptly as possible for the erection
| of a fire station at the corner of Ken
lsington avenue and Cleveland street.
and that this company be furnished
with a. motor driven combination
chemical and hose wagon;
What council request the co-opera-
ton Of the street car companies in the
installation OF signal sesvice which
will provide fer bells and red signal
lights along the lines of the trolley
system at points near fire stations;
That the board of commissioners d..
rect the chief and his two assistants
to make rs proIoptly as possible a
complete Examination of the distri-
button of the apparatus with a view
to bringing into active service such
lying territories:
That every effort be made to effect
a comrlete motorization of the appa-
as possible;
tested annually ana redisJriputed In
accordance with it's condition:
That as rapidly as the finances of
the city Will permit, additional Are
alarm boxes be installed so that there
will be a fire alarm box within 500
feet of every bull ling in the mer-
camille and manufacturing section. and
within 500 feet Of every valuable group
of buildings:
That all fire alarm boxes be equip
ped with red light to be used dur
ing the night so as to indicate the To-
cation of the box:
G~z La
and Immediately outside the FIRE
houses be removed and placed at
points in need of boxes;
That provision be made for having
two alarm opei ators on duty during
tho night:
That the practice OF allowing alarm
operators discretion in a matter OF
dispatching apparatus In response To
silent or still alarm be discontinued
and that all alarms be treated In pre-
cisely the same manner as box alarms
That the running card be rearrang-
ed so as to provide for the automatic
filling IN" OF companies IN the event
of two or more slarns,
That the use of the tower bells he
discontinued at once as 1t only tends
to draw a crowd to fire which hand
leaps the work OF the fremen:
That there be reserved one trunk
line at each of the telephone exchanges
over which fire alarms may be dis
patched;
That private telephones be removed
from the FIRE houses;
That 'tappers" be removed from the
fremen's homes. since the schedules
should be so arranged that q fireman
on regular leave should not he called
out on every alarm, and the ''tappers'
only make much extra work for the
signal men:
That the superintendent Of the sig
nal service cause to be installed In
connection with the police switchboard !,
at headquarters exchanges from trunk
lines so that the police department will
have one telephone number. all calls
being received at the swttch board and
transmitted to the person for whom
they are intended
That an ordinance be adopted re-
curing the owners OF theaters TO pay
for the services OF firemen detailed to
The theaters during performances
That firemen detailed TO theaters Be
equipped with electric torches;
That the practice OF detailing thu
same flremcn continuously to thester
duty be discontinued. and that all the
firemen be given equal opportunity I'm
| inspecting and observing sheater con-
| ditions:
| That there re Installed as promptly
az possible an improved reporting sys~
tenn for reporting fire prevention in
spection.
/ That each captain be required to
carry with him upon the apparatus a
cary record OF the structural condi-
tions of the buildings within his dis
trict, such record 10 he cs1rnpiled from
the information contained In the fire
prevention inspection report;
+ fnaI fiTsre ne TnstAi4eEi as Y3sSsnp pits
as possible the system OF records ard
reports described in this report.
| Police Benefit Association.
! An examination OF many pension
and relief associations In this coun-
try which has been made by the Blu
reau OF Municipal Research bias shown
that neglect OF actuarial principles In
the establishment and operation of
these systems is widespread. with the
result that costly reorganization Is re-
quired or complete bankruptcy is i'm
minent or has occurred. The twenty
men who compose the trustees OF the
Richmond fund have not the infor-
nation which would be required by the
board of directors OF regular ingur-
ance company. and yet they are ac-
tualiy conducting an insurance bust
ness. While the reports OF this fund
show that 70 reach of the five years
ending November 2. 1915, the fund
had received more than II has disburs-
I ed for benefits ard expenses no state
ment has been prepared showing the
pt ospeetive benefits which tho fund
/ will ultimately be called upon to pay
ard the prospective assets
1t is recommended that the board
of trustees of the fund have an ac-
tuariai investigation made to deter
mine whether the revenues are suf-
neient TO meet the anticipated bene-
mas, whether they ar excessive or
whether they are insufficient, and that
the board then devise means To meet