'A letter on this important subject, from which the subjoined extracts are taken, appeared in the Hongkong Daily Press of the 30th December "Sir,—Your article of this morning cnncludes as follows:—"* We earnestly hope and trust that the last word has been bear the way of enjoining a parsimonious economy in the organization and management of the Eongkong Fire Brigade." Nov, sir, while I agree with you that we must' not sacrifice ¢Hiiciency for a fsise economy, I maintain, although it may seem a paradox, that the heavy expenditure "n the Brigade is the cause of ts failure. I think I can shew this, but regret that my way of doing so may not be pleasing to crony of your readers; for there is Bothing which aunajs a Hongkongite ao much as comparing bia "governed" Colony with the Model S The statement that they manage these things better at Shanghai fs gute, however trite, to get his "back up," although by an effort of politeness he may keep form than a curl of the lip. On referring to ire from displaying itself in any stronger the Estimates for 1879, find that our Fire Brigade is put down for $13,666. In the Shangh Municipal Budget propriated for the Fire Departm tual expenditure in 187 was $2,200, or one-sixth of what it costs us here. Were it the other way it would not ing, for Hongkong has many facili Fae here a more plentiful supply of jutting out fires which Shan, not. water; we hare a alice numbering between five and six hundred, whi the force for both settlements at Shanghai nly 220; we have here over a thousand mi ry, there none 5 while the number of men: hour nearly always far exceed What, ther, is the cause of the enormous difference in cost, w have far lasa efficiency 2 It i this: Hongkong is a Crown Colony. In the Fire Brigade just have a paid superintendent, a p: assistant superintendent, and another pai assistant superintendent, besides engineer, clerk, foremen, ete., ete. All of these, with the exception of the engineer, are official holding ove or two other posts. In Shanghai not a single man but the engineer paid, and what do we see? There Gros are of much more frequent occurrence, yet no one is ever allowed to work a fourth of the destruction which took place here on Thursday morning, and which bax happened once or twice before. They have had there for three or four years the very system of telok graphic alarnis which Mr. Granville Sharp bias so persistently and, as we all now regret, lectually advocated for some time, we want here local self-government—a Manicipal Council, which shall take under its control Public Works, Police, Fire Departation, and in fact everything bu' of Law. We could then with three-fourth of the officials, and reduce the taxes by more than a half. Again I say, look to Shanghai, and you wil find that my statement are very far from being exaggerated.
T should be sorry to say that the fre officials did not work to the best of their ability; but had they been all volunteers we should have had the right men in the right place; they would have been of the people and not of the Government, which in Crown Colonies docs not represent the people; they would have been men ho had a special liking for the work, with experience gained at home, and would have had their department organised on the hest system, The following words in your leader are so apposite that it will be well to reprint them:—For dealing with 3 Fire Brigade alone should be reeponsibl {or the time being and for all purposes in any way connected with the Gre and the work of its extivetion, and the providing for the safety of property in ite neighbourhood, the chief of the Brigade should be clothed with supreme authority." Of course there would be division and_subdivition, and the organization and discipline would be as near perfection a3 that of the best modern army. And, aa I have shown, this desirable eud is to be attained for a fraction of the sum which we now pay. Your obedient servant, Hongkong, 28th December, 1878.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.