Norwich bulletin., 1918-04-20
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

l Your small fire loss is mainly due to one man, Chief Stanton, and I greatly N wish that Norwich people could un- derstand how narrowly they missed a big loss when the government tried to secure the services of an eminent en- gineer, a master mechanic, and a first E | class citizen in the person Of your chief of the fire department.
 i Perhaps, Mr Editor indeed there is F l no perhaps about it, your people don't E
 understand what it meant by fire con f l trol. another steady and unsteadying habit, and at the risk of being tedious, | | I want to outline what this fire con- | | trol means. It's basis is entirely upon |
 the fire department, upon whom rests l the responsibility of instruction to i citizens of the need for fire prevention, of the installation and maintenance of | 1 a proper system for communicating | l intelligence of fires to fire headquar iters. of the promptness of response | with efficient men and adequate ap paratus to the scene of the danger, of | a knowledge of how fire conditions af- l fleet fire insurance rates. and going tbeyond this, of how closely associated Iall these things are with the bank Iers' view of credits to be etended. Ra- ther a large field. isn't it? And one which involves a knowledge of many Ikinds of engineering, and of an in tense and sustained attention and en- lergy in each one of them.
 Really in it's broadest aspect MT.
 Editor the most important depart
 ment for municipal well-bcing is the
 fire department, and the therapeutics
 tof a competent fire department is be- yond valuation, in the moral as well as the physical health and wholesome ness of any city.
 l I can well recall my feeling of all
 most horror when I learned that Nor wich, Norwich of all places elects her 2 chief of fire department for a short | term. What d stultificatior, Do you know, does Norwich know. that in the ! reading of the record made by itself, any city which elects it's chief of fire department for any short term of
 years, is penalized 10 points under one sub heading by the National Board Of
 Fire Underwriters? Fancy a city like t Norwich submitting to such a chaS- : tisement. Deserving iti Inviting it! You know Mr. Editor, how open S Norwich is to the fire hazard, you n know how often and how imminent \ that peril has been. and you know too, :: that only the most consummate skill t Iof the chief of your fire department : has many times prevented confagra- t tion
 | OQ IOO. MT C1NilOI; GiIdL lttS c very primer of economics teaches that F you must1get the right man for the y joo, and then you must make the job il worth while for the man. Let me : urge you. not only as matter of good e citizenship, but as a matter of propor- $ tion in the economics Of decency. to d cut politics out of your fire depart y mcnt, to elect your chief for a term e defined by good behaviour and have l1i1 +o fOv
 the same term. to establish salaries
 which shall be in proportion to the cost of living. and out of the city's
 abundance to create at least basis
 for a pension fund for the fire service (which shall be in proportion to the needs of that service. and what is still
 more important in proportion to the
 high. spirit and self respect of the mu-
 inicipality.
 Have you heard the story of a re- 1T cent performance in a great electrica 0 lrlant-something went wrong with the e transmission; the plants own electri- Ie elan couldn't locate the trouble. AT n expert, a real expert. was called in, and e after straishtening the matter out ,r presented his bill.
 III "This is a queer account, said the l. treasurer of the plant. five hundret 10 dollars and twenty five cents: pray $ what is the 25c for?'
 n That is,'' said the expert, flor tho h work done, and at the regular rate. I $ took me less than two minutes" l. "Yes?" said the treasurer, "anC to what's the $500 for?' :
 That said the expert, Ifs fo
 knowing how"
 Ig Norwich has a chief who not onl! l. knows how. bat daily shows he does oe is Norwich less intelligent or less ap re }preciatiVe than a mercantile unit? $. Really. you know. MT Editor tn 1e annual election of a fire chief-pah a land the lack of even a basis for a pen nt sion fund is such a reproach to Nor Is wich that I hesitated to tell you hoy e, sharp a reproaeh it is. The fault lies oy partly with the city as a municipality
 partly with the chamber of commerce D. which hasn't looked at it with dis CT erimination and partly with you, Nil n. Editor for you are the Watchman an n- the mentor. and partly with Chie w Stanton himself. who finds his mai fe lrecompense in the satisfaction of wor " well done. and whose high worth. 1; he Ispite of his modesty. has just bee n- ST signally recognized by the feders ot government.
 up l am writing you these things. N g. Editor, thinking you perhaps woul eS like to know them or knowing ther be already. you would like comments 0 us them coming from some disinterested in ly interested source.
 Faithfully yours.
 GOODWIN LEE. s- Managing Editor The Fire Engineer 'm New York, April 16s 1918