Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-10-14
WILMINGTON. DEL. TUESDAY OCTOBER Ii, 1873.
LETTERS FROM the PEOPLE.
THE PROPOSED PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT-vMws
OF A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN.
Tn he E1liLnr of Me Hnrn1le.ninL.

THE PROPOSED PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT-vMws
OF VOLUNTEER FIREMAN.
To Ate Editor of The Commercial:
Will you be kind enough to allow me, through
the columns OF your paper to reply to an editorial
in saturdays Gdzette in reference to the petition
from the Delaware Fire Co., asking for a paid
department.? The writer Of that article is speak
ing of something he knows nothing about, and
had better get some information before criticis-
ing the action OF any other company. He says
there were very few names signed to the petition.
There we're no names to it at all as it was sent in
the name and by authority of the Delaware Fire
Co. The petition was presented at the stated
meeting of the company and out Of thirty odd good
active members who were present not one voted
in the Eegative. and the majority of active mem-
bers who were not present at the time give it
their sanction. He also says that it would have
sounded much better to have asked for larger
appropriations.
That has been tried, for not long since Com
mttees from the different companies met the
Fire committee of Council and asked for more
money. The committee acknowledged that the
companies could not keep horses and pay driv-
ers on one thousand dollars per year and prom
lied to do what is right. So far they have done
nothing, although there was appropriated thir-
teen Thousand dollars to run the department for
the present year. All Of which (but about four
hundred dollars) has been expended, for what
purpose do not know. We as q company do
not acknowledge any inability to discharge the
duties we voluntarily assumed to perform, nor did
we send the petition to Council with the expec-
tation of any of our members getting fat job
as the writer of the article has stated. We are
satisfied that part of the apparatus was purchaa-
ed by contributions from the citizens Of this city
but the company have expended out OF their
private funds to keep the same in repair as
much as has been donated them and 1 would
like to ask the proprietor of the Gazette how
much money (outside of his taxee) he has con-
tributed during the past twenty years towards
the support of the department He has donated
to the Delaware Fire Co. during that time, five
dollars. With such liberality as his the depart
ment would have gotten along finely, and would
not have had to ask for a paid system. We
await the action of Council before stating what
course we should pursue should they conclude
the petition requires no action, But as citizens
and tax payers of this city, we ask and shall ex-
pect our petition to be treated with as much
courtesy as il it was from the editor Of the Ga
zette.
The argument advanced by the Democratic
portion of Council two year ago was, il the fire.
men want paid department let them say so. We
do want one and mean business, and as we have
started the ball we hope to see the active mem
bers Of other companies who favor paid sys-
tenn, send iE their petitions, and then keep the
ball rolling. AS far as finances are concerned the
city has just much money to start the depart
ment now as it had two years ago, for Council at
that time distinctly said they would have to bor-
row the money, and there are to-day plenty OF
men who have money that would take city bonds
for that purpose. So far as the thanks which a
volunteer hremen of this or any other depart
ment receives for his time, labor and money, it
is 80 trihing that it makes q decent man blush,
and hope the day is not far distant when the
volunteer fireman will be thing Of the past.
VOLUNTEER,