TOPICS OF THE DAY.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

LAST Sunday was anything but a day of rest to the New York firemen. Between six o’clock Saturday night and six o’clock Monday morning, no less than twenty-four distinct alarms of fire were sent in. Two of these were caused by smoking chimneys, two by burning brushwood, far uptown, and one was a false alarm given by some knave or fool, who could not be caught. In three cases, however, the flames did considerable damage.

LAST week the fire committee of the Philadelphia councils considered the ordinance to make an appropriation to the fire department for next year. Among other things, $3000, an increase of $500, was asked for the salary of the chief engineer, and approved; as were also $1500, an increase of $300, salary of each of the five assistant engineers; $1500, an increase of $300, salary of Joseph T. Hammond, an assistant engineer, not on full duty, who lost a leg in the service of the department; $1400, an increase of $200, salary of the secretary ; $900, an increase of $100, salary of each of the 345 hose and laddermen and 34 firemen; $1200, an increase of $200, salary of each foreman, and $1500, an increase of $150, salary of the superintendent of the repair shop. This increase in the salaries of the Philadelphia firemen is timely and well deserved. The force has never been adequately compensated, and at the same time contains some of the best and most practical firemen in the country. Even now the salaries do not compare to those paid in some other cities, but Philadelphia is a less expensive city to live in, so that matters are more nearly equalized.