POLITICS IN THE FIRE SERVICE.

OUR contemporary, The London Fireman, devotes a considerable space to the consideration of the case of Assistant Chief McCabe, who was recently so summarily dismissed from the fire department of this city because of an alleged error of judgment in summoning more apparatus than was needed on the occasion of the fire in Harlem on July 5. Accepting the fact that the fire inflicted a damage equal to $200,000, our contemporary, like ourselves, concludes that while it was at its height, there was abundant reason to anticipate a serious conflagration, and that it was a move in the direction of safety for Chief McCabe to summon such apparatus as he deemed necessary to provide for any possible emergency that might arise. The event proved that the extra apparatus was not necessary, but had it been required he would clearly have been liable to a charge of neglect of duty if he had not summoned assistance in time. The result proves that at that time Chief McCabe was, to use a homely expression, “between the devil and the deep sea.” If he failed to have on hand all the apparatus required to combat any fire that might occur, he would certainly have been dismissed from the service ; and as he did take such precaution, he was dismissed for having done so.

But it was not because he did or did not summon the apparatus that his record of twenty years as a fireman—during which time he had been promoted from the ranks to one of the highest positions in the service, because of his fitness, capacity and experience—was to be ignored and his reputation smirched. The simple fact was that he was on the opposite side in politics to Commissioner Purroy, who is the supreme dictator in the Board of Fire Commissioners. It had been well understood for a year or more that Chief McCabe “had got to go.” He is a Republican in politics, and ar© there not scores upon scores of hungry, eager and open-mouthed Democrats, of the County Democracy stripe, followers and adherents of the supreme commissioner, who must have place, position and pay? Commissioner Purroy is the head and front of the County Democracy. The fire service is regarded as a part of the political machine, of which the commissioner is the great Poo-Bah personified. The places in the fire department, and the pension fund appertaining thereto, are wanted for the adherents of the / County Democracy. It is not surprising, therefore, that upon the charge of having done his full duty in the interests of the public safety, that Chief McCabe was dismissed, nor that various and sundry members of the department, after a long period of service and contributions to the relief fund have entitled them to consideration, have been summarily ousted from the service in order that they might not be a tax upon that fund, which may be made to serve political ends by being kept exclusively for the use of members of the department who belong to the dominant political party. Mr. Purroy was appointed to this position with the understanding among politicians that he would provide for members of the party, and as he, like most politicians, has few scruples when party ends are to be served, he has contrived to make a good many desirable places for his political friends.

It is exceedingly unfortunate for the propertyowners and taxpayers of New York that the fire department is now, or ever has been, a political machine. Possibly it is no worse under Commissioner Purroy’s administration than it has been under others; but however it may have been in the past, the fact remains that the announcement, virtually made by the authorities at the present time, that the department is being run in political interests, tends to demoralize the men and to decrease their efficiency as a protective organization. As evidence of this there is a lack of subordination in the department that it is sad to see. Certain men who have what is known as “ the pull ” politically can do about as they please, regardless of department orders and of the instructions of their superior officers. Within the past thirty days several cases have occurred where privates have committed assaults upon the captains or other officers of their companies, and, so far as we know, no punishment has been vouchsafed to them. Disobedience of orders and abuse of superiors is reported as having become an every day occurrence, while drunkenness and absence without leave are offenses that, we are informed, have never been so common as at the present time. What better can be expected when the old, experienced, veteran firemen in the service know that the men at the head of the department are not practical firemen, and know only so much about the business as they may have learned while holding their present positions ? There is not one of the three commissioners who is competent to command a company or to direct its operations at a fire. They are not there because of any superior qualifications for the position, but simply to run the department in the interests of politics. One of the commissioners is a Democrat of the County Democracy stripe; another belongs to the Tammany wing of that party; and the third, who was recommended by the insurance interest, is a Republican. ‘Each is put there to watch the others and see that his particular political faction gets its share of patronage and appointments. These men have the disbursement of upwards of $1,500,000 yearly for the maintenance of the fire service. The larger portion of this is paid out in salaries, making very nice little plums to be gathered by the adherents of the various political factions.

At the meeting of the National Association of Fire Engineers held at Providence last month, the following preamble and resolution were adopted:

Whereas, The fire departments of the United States are organized for the protection of the lives and property of its citizens, therefore for the successful and faithful performance of such duty a special training and experience are essentially requisite ; therefore

Resolved, That it is the sense of this National Association that appointments to the fire service and promotions therein should be made solely upon merit, capacity and education and experience, so that no political considerations whatever should be allowed to influence those in authority in their management and direction.

This expresses the sense of the practical firemen of the entire country upon this subject. These fire engineers are the men who are charged with the executive management of various departments. They know how injurious it is to have politics interfering in any manner with the personnel of the service. These chiefs feel the absolute necessity of having at their command a corps of men selected because of their-peculiar fitness to discharge the duties required of them. They want capable, energetic, practical men, having a special training in the line of their duty. It is immaterial to them what political party they belong to or what ticket they may vote at the various elections. What they require is ability, capacity and skill as firemen. But all these men have had their plan and the efficiency of their departments interfered with by the meddling of local politicians who insist upon having incompetent men appointed or promoted over the heads of experienced and competent men. They have seen their efficient men transferred from one company where they were of value to another where they could be of little service. They have seen contracts for apparatus and supplies given entirely for political consideration, and while they might protest against these acts of injustice and of interference, they have been powerless to prevent them. In their National Association, however, where eash, appreciating the full importance of the subject, can give full expression to his ideas, the above preamble and resolution were adopted without a dissenting voice. This expression of opinion on the part of these practical men should receive attention at the hands of propertyowners, who should insist that the fire departments should be entirely divorced from politics. Until this is done we are not likely to have that superior service of which we are so free to boast. It would be useless, of course, to appeal to the present heads of departments to rectify the evils we mention, but in the selection of their successors in the future it may be possible to secure non-partisan officers at the head of the various departments. When this is done the chiefs may expect to have that degree of support and hearty co-operation that is now denied them. But so long as politics control, it is useless to hope for improvement in the fire service.