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(4_
follow the starting of a fire,
and one minutes delay will
often entail loss many times larger
in amount than the difference
in cost of a fully paid system
and one that contains the
amount of uncertainty
to be found in a reliance
on a force of call men.
Your committee has prepared
an estimate of the annual cost
of such a department as in its
opinion, would be desirable for
us to have at this time, and
presents the same herewith. There
need be no undue haste or ill-
considered expenditure in the
adoption of this sytem, as the
period which must necessarily
elapse between this present
time and the completion of houses
for the department (which must
in any event be provided before
winter) could be well utilized