To the Editor of the "Norm Cursa Darcy News Sim.—As I have never been " fireman, a few words of criticism on Satarday's competition will be taken in it is made, T have watched this competition with interest for quite a number of years and in view of the close times made by most of the teams, it has attack me forcibly that although la events 1-5, thanks to "/the present arrangement, the timekeepers are able to give absolute accurate times in the *reel-ap," under the present system, when the foremen of the various teams give "time," it is impossible for them to tell to the fraction of " second when " team has finished the event.
In fatare years an arrangement as follows might be adopted. As each company has its own idea as to the most suitable position for the track in the event, I should *nggest that after the track has beea placed to the satisfaction of the competing team, the timekeepers take ap a position about fifteen yards from the track, towards the hydrant aod as the event nears completion, a tape be placed soroes the path, time to be take the last man in the team crosses the. The track. will then be open to inspection by the judges, Thie will give a team no opportunity of replacing handles, goosenecks, ote., and screwing up the brake alter the foreman of the team in his excitement has given " time."
Penalties. As this competition was arranged to promote a friendly rivalry between the various companies, and to prove which company is able to perform 1 eet piece of work in the fastest time, I really fail to are why pressible bad eeling is fostered by penalizing the ions teame, The idea at a fire is to ju the shortest time count in the slightest, 'A team could be inspected by the judges before competing and soy irregularities in dress, etc., be remedied before the team is allowed to commence, Tam, ete., Shanghai, October 31.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.