The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-13

Il pie pokeo Iun at Tie rurai 'ainP',
the same being volunteer fremen, as every
body knows. Nutley, N. j., was accounted
fair game and the season was always
open. In these very pages it has been
opprobriously told how the Nutley vamps
had improved their system and thence
forth fire alarms were to be sent in by
special delivery letter instead Of by mere
post card as they had been sent.
Mark how the merry go round of time
squares up raw deals like that. To-day
New York has vamps of its own, 5000
strong already and growing stronger. It's
Nutley's turn to laugh, but not at our
vamps themselves, for they are There.
They correspond, as fremen, to the
Police Reserves. The idea dates from
last spring. Its father was Commissioner
brennan or Chief Kenlon or Mayor Hy-
Ian or somebody, and its mother was ne
cessity in the shape of depletion of the
regular Fire Department through the
draft by some 400 members. (The num-
Der drafted is now 475.) The civil ser
vice age limit for fremen went up from
81 to IS, and at the moment bade fair to
meet the difficulty. Then the draft age
limit went up to As, leaving the city's
prospects of fire protection shot to hump
worse than before.
Prefer the Name of ''Vollies."
Then the vamps were organized; "Vol-
lies" is the pet name they prefer. Their
full style is Auxiliary Volunteer Corps,
F. d. N. Y. Their age limits are Is to So
and the requirements are good moral char
acter and residence within the city limits;
also, of course, physical soundness. They
have a complete organization, with dis
trict chiefs, borough chiefs over the dis
trict heads and special Deputy Fire Com
missioner at the head Of all.
This is Eli Joseph, prominent in the
steel business during his hours off fire
duty. Mr.. Joseph is too modest to say
much about the fact, but he is the man
who, financially, has put the corps across.
Its uniforms, rubber stuff and other gear
with which it is equipped on the same
footing with the regular department have
all come out Of his pocket and will con-
tinue to do so even though the corps
should increase its enrolment to 10000,
which is being considered. Mr.. Joseph
and men associated with him are also
stimulating the Liberty Loan canvass
made by members Of the corps with prizes
in bonds for big totals of subscriptions.
Fifteen hundred of the members are to
march with their equipment in the Liberty
Loan parade.
The corps has its own headquarters and
its own stations in every borough. Its
Manhattan headquarters is the old 40 En-
CINE House in West Sixty-eighth street,
all slicked up outside and with interior
renovstions. There Deputy Chief George
]. Kuss, detailed by the Commissioner as
Mr.. Joseph's aid, is very much on the
lob between the hours of II and II, or
pretty nearly. He is the live wire doing
the organizing, eoordinating and general
arranging and administering, and he Is as
busy a wire as you are likely to be
plugged into in these days Of war time
telephone service.
Used Former Vamp Companies.
Where possible Chief Kuss has awaited
himself of former local vamp companies
that still keep up their organization for
old times sake in the suburban districts.
He canvassed the north shore Of Queens
and brought into line the sometime volun-
teer fremen Of Flushing, Woodhayen,
College Point, Whitestone and Jamaica
and those Of Richmond Hill.
When he explained that the idea was to
piece out the local regular fire fighting
forces with auxiliaries and thus release
most Of their regulars for the protection
of the central high risk areas, he met at
first with vehement opposition from local
civic bodies. Flushing, Woodhaven, &C.,
citizens didn't want volunteer protection.
They wanted the real thing. 1t was ex-