大会的软管问题。
在提交给《国家公约》供审议的议题中，有一个问题是“哪一根软管是最好的?”这个议题被指派给一个五人委员会报告。当然，他们不能同意，多数报告和少数报告都在《华尔街日报》的其他专栏上发表。这两个人都没有把这些问题看作是聪明人的问题。寻求获得和传达一项司法意见时，应予以考虑。多数报告支持皮管，谴责纤维管;少数派报告承认皮管的优越性，但对普遍谴责纤维管提出了反对意见。在消防系统中广泛使用的橡胶软管，完全被忽视了，对各种织物软管也没有任何区别，无论是亚麻、衬里或无衬里、棉铆、缝或编织无缝软管。所有这些，好的、坏的和无关紧要的，都被集中在一个普通的纤维软管头上。这一事实本身就会剥夺这些报道的任何价值; while their total ignoring of rubber hose is an indication that they were*the outcroppings simply of individual preferences, based, undoubtedly, upon the experience of their writers, and wholly lacking in that research and investigation which alone could give weight to them. The Convention evidently felt that the Committee had not done justice either to themselves or the Convention, and promptly and without debate, laid both reports upon the table, whence they were not removed.
我们觉得非常肯定的是，在呈现的表格中，这一话题应该永远不会在“公约”之前，它呼吁积极认可某种特殊的软管，而且，我们没有想象，它是国家协会省去做。即使它应该假设这样做，它也只能通过一小部分，一种方式来完成，而少数群体在面对他们的经验和定罪方面不会被说服，仅仅是两次或三张选票。如果不是努力解决烦恼的问题，请把这种形式放在这么积极的形式，即“哪个是最好的软管？”对软管的要求，它的建筑和保存最好的手段有一文，许多信息无疑是对所有消防员的价值获得的价值，并且可能是一些建议，一些制造商会很高兴的建议利用自己。这是关于想要的软管的积极信息，而不是个人偏见的记录。虽然在灭火问题中的个人经历的记录是价值的，但在软管的问题中，这些都是如此多样化，如果每个人都处理软管的消防员是表达自己的个人偏好，我们仍然从一个正确的答案中仍然遥远。委员会的难题已经取决于它。简单的事实是皮革软管有良好和坏的; there is good and bad rubber or “ gum ” hose of various combinations ; there is good and bad linen hose ; and good and bad cotton hose in a variety of forms. Bad hose, of any manufacture, is irredeemably bad; but because there is poor hose in both the leather, linen, cotton and rubber varieties, it does not follow that either species should be irrevocably condemned. Circumstances and conditions enter largely into a satisfactory solution of the problem that is presented to purchasers of hose. What is good for one place under certain conditions and circumstances, will not do for another where the conditions are entirely dissimilar. It is the height of folly, therefore, for any man, or any body of men, to attempt to set up their dictum as to “which is the best hose.” We are very' glad that the New York State Convention did not attempt any such ridiculous performance. Let us have fair, honest, exhaustive discussions of the subject, to the end that purchasers may have a fair means of judging of what is best calculated to fulfill its mission under given circumstances and conditions, but do not try to crowd any particular kind of hose down the throats of men who do not want that special dose.
