New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-15

REGULAR MEETING.


REGULAR MEETING.
ClrY HAIL. New ORLEANS,
Tuesday, November II. 1871
The Council met in regular session q
noon. Present: Mayor Benz. F. Flanders
presiding; Administrators John Cockren
Improvements), Alfred Shaw (Accounts)
L. T. Delassize (Waterworks and Publ
Buildings), f. C. Remick, (Commerce]
James Lewis (Police), John s. Walton
(Finance) aud H. Bonzano (Assessments).
The Fire Department.
The Mayor laid before the Council, from
his excellency, the Governor, inclosing
statistical compilation of the Flremen'
Charitable Association.
Mr.. Remick suggested that as the docu
ments in question had already been fully
published in the press, there was no neces
sity for their republication.
The Mayor expressed an opinion that, in
courtesy, the Governors letter at leas,
should be printed in the proceedings.
1t was so ordered
The Governors letter was as follows:
SrArx OF LOUISIANA, }
Executive Department, )
New Orleans, November IL, 1871.
To the City Council Of New Orleans:
The within communication is respectfully
referred to his Honor the Mayor and the
Board of Administrators of the CITY of New
Orleans, and in so doing will take the
liberty to state that regard the inclOsed
statistics as successfully vindicating the
opinion which l have expressed personally
to several Of the Administrators Of the city
government, that the ends of economy will
be best served by renewal Of the contract
with the Firemen's Charitable Association.
The two great propositions to lie consid-
cred are: First, the most prompt and ef-
fective system tor protecting the property
of the city from destruction by lire: and
secondly, the accomplishment Of this end
with the least possible expense
1t is a fact which all are forced to admit,
that this organization constitutes the most
active, spirited and efficient fire department
in the country.
While St. Louis, Cincinnati, Chicago and
New York, all very much better built cities
than New Orleans, frequently have whole
blocks and squares destroyed by fire, we
have not, within my recollection, had single
block destroyed at any one time. In 1866,
when the business Of the city was SO COM
pletely Frustrated, and the merchants be-
came discouraged and disheartened, many
interruptions men set fire to their own prop
erty hoping that with what they might
realize from insurance they might be saved
from bankruptcy and ruin. During that
trying time rs many as five fires occurred in
one night; yet all these fires were subdued
with the greatest alertness and with the
destruction Of no considerable amount of
property.
These facts considered in connection with
the limited supply OF water afforded by the
Waterworks arrangement of the city, speak
well for the efficiency of the department.
In my opinion $4,000 is a very reason
able demand for the services proposed to
be rendered. Indeed, so moderate did l re-
gard it that in an interview with COM
mittee of the association l expressed the
opinion that it would find it more to its in
terest to obtain the contract for short
term rather than for the long one of ten
years, as proposed by them.
There is another point in this matter that
calls for consideration. and that is that the
young men who now constitute the active
tiremen OF our city are Of a class which can
not be employed in paid department.
They are men Of business. some of them
men OF fortune, who take great pride in the
esprit de corps. a devotion to the charitable
purposes OF the association, and laudable
ambition to actively contribute to prevent
the .nisfortunes of their neighbors and fel-
lOw-citizens. On the other hand, the class
OF men who would be employed under a
pay system would be of inferior skill and
actuated by no higher than mercenary mo-
tives. and the department would be con-
stantly changing them for others, selected
by the force Of circumstances aud, IN many
instances, from regard OF personal friend
ship, or political or social considerations.
H. c. WARMOTH.
The Mayor also laid before the Council
the following communication from the Fire
mems Charitable Association:
OFFICE FrRENHN's CHARITABLE AssocIArIoSl
New Orleans, November 3D. 1871.
To the H0norables B. F. Flanders, Remick and
Walton of the City Council
GENTLEMEN-At a meeting Of the Board
of Delegates of this association, held on
Saturday evening, the eleventh instant, the
following resolution was unanimously
adopted:
Rcsolred, That the proposition made by
Messrs Benz. F. Flanders, +. e. Remick
and John S. Walton, a committee appointed
by the Board of Administrators to take
measures for the organization of paid fire
department, be respectfully received and
laid on the table subject to call; and that !
the president of this association is hereby |
to advise the Board Of Admins
traitors Of this action, and to respectfully |
request the said board to reconsider their |
action Of Tuesday, November 8, 1871, upon
this subject, for the purpose of reopenlng
negotiations for fire contract between the |
,ity of New Orleans and the Firemens
Charitable Association.
N. MARKS, President.
Received and ordered printed.
The Mayor further laid before the Coun-
Ill the following communication from the
Citizens Association, which was also or
Tered printed:
OFFICE CITIZENS AssocIAT1oS OF LOUISIANA,
New Orleans November H. 1871.
o the City Council Of New Orleans:
The Citizens Association begs leave to
protest against the contamination of the
'roject to organize a paid fire depart
nent for the city Of New Orleans. This
respectfully does on the following
!. Because the already excessive burdens
esting upon personal and real property
our action The rates of insurance, now
,ept down by the confidence everywhere
cit IN the present fire department, will be
increased on the Introduction of
new and untried system, one which we
ave grave cause to distrust, the destruc-
ion OF Chicago being attributed in great
Measure to its ineticiency. The contem-
dated action OF your body therefore has
universal scope touching all citizens,
whether interested in goods, in buildings.
II only in their household furniture.
.. Because the people of New Orleans
ave the most implicit confidence in the
resent volunteer organization, as has been
estlfied in every possible way-a confidence
Ounded upon long years OF trial and ex-