[Concluded.]
It must be apparent to every reflecting mind that the great extent of our city already, imposes a burden on the present firemen so great, that we have no right to expect that it will be borne a great while longer by a voluntary Fire Department.
It is evident that something should be done at once to furnish the Fire Department, the relief that they have a right to expect from the excessive labor that is unavoidable in drawing their engines to and from, and the hazzard and fatigue of working them at the numerous fires that take place.
In the opinion of your subscriber, the plan of placing light carts with hose at convenient distances in every street, to be at the service of a body of police, all interested to use this hose for the extinguishment of fires with the greatest possible energy and effect, is the best that can be adopted. By this arrangement it is safe to calculate that the present Fire Department will be relieved from something like three quarters of the duties they are now called upon to perform. As an equivalent for this relief, I propose that the Fire Department shall become the guard of honor for our city, to be called out as firemen or soldiers whenever their services are required by the proper authorities of our city. This arrangement proposes to continue the present Fire Department with every privilege they now enjoy, and relieve them from more than half the labors they are now required to perform.
It is believed by your subscriber, that the plan proposed will make the Fire Department and also the present active Police Department, the most useful and honorable bodies of men in our city. The hearty co-operation of the members of the Fire Department, and also the members of the Police to secure for our city the blessings which must naturally result from this arrangement, will entitle them not only to the pecuniary advantages that must result to themselves and their families, but to the lasting gratitude and respect of every worthy inhabitant of our city.
It is worthy of remark that the insurance companies of this city have now in their employ eighty (80) men, at an expense of thirty (30) thousand dollars a year, to watch against fires. I am informed that they intend greatly to increase this force; in addition, your subscriber, with a great number of merchants and private families, have for years constantly employed private watchmen, to guard our stores and watch our dwellings from robbery and fires. All that these cost, and more, would be gladly contributed to a body of police who would, by a faithful performance of duty, secure the necessary relief for our Fire department, by lessening annually the number of fires, and also by reducing the amount of property stolen below the average agreed upon.
I have taken the liberty to invite the attention of your honorable body to an ARRANGEMENT AND PRINCIPLE by which a large majority of all the officers in the employ of the city will become pecuniarily and otherwise interested in a faithful performance of their duty. Such performance will not only secure to them the large fund provided by the Corporation, and in addition the fund to be recovered from the insurance companies, as a reward for reducing the loss by fire below the average agreed upon, but they would, in addition, find the faithful performance of duty the surest relief from excessive labor, by diminishing the number of fires and the amount of crime that now form so great and so unpleasant a part of their present labor.
The principal idea in the foregoing communication, was presented by your subscriber to a previous Common Council, some twelve years since, under a full sense of the great advantages that would result by saving millions of property annually from destruction, and what is of more value, it would save the health and morals of thousands of the best and most enthusiastic young men of our city from being broken down and destroyed by their loss of time and the excessive labor occasioned by the numerous fires that take place, and which would mainly be prevented by adopting the arrangement proposed.
All of which is most respectfully submitted.
Yours, with great respect,