National Republican., 1878-07-26
The FIRE DEPARTMENT.
A Hitch in the Expenditure Of Ap-
preparations.
The Result OF Another Clerical Error in q
Biil-The District Commissioners Think
that Only Two New Companies are
Provided FORA Member
Of the Board to Take
Trip to Europe.

A special meeting Of the Board Of Fire Com
missioncrs was held last evening for the pur.
pose Of considering the report Of the commit
tee on building sites for the new engine
houses.
The committee submitted q report in which
they stated that they had examined several
lots, but, owing to the prices asked had not
concluded bargain. The owners Of the prop
crty will have another interview with the COM
miiteo tomorrow morning, and satisfactory at
rangemcnts will doubtless be made.
A communication was read from the District
Commissioners stating that advertisements
could be made for the lots, but the law only
contemplated that two companies should be
established and the estimates included the
support Of but two additional companies. The
president (Mr. Collins stated that he had pre-.
pared a reply to the communication, and asked
the sanction OF the board before forwarding Il
to the Commissioners. lie then read the fol-
lowing:
Respectfully returned to the honorable Commits.
sinnefs Of ihr District Of Columbia The clause IN
the act making approp:iatons i9r the .Hnlry civiI
ing June 30 lS7a approved June 20, ISIS, which
makes the appropriations. l. IN the following words :
Shall purchase, at II cost not excccd,ns $50 O.
two additional fire engines and one hDOk.Gndad.
der truck. including land. buildings, and equip
mems ClmnlCtv for two C0mpanies, a. recommend
cd by the BJnrd Of Fire Commissioners OF said Dis
tr!ct."
That the word two In this clause is q clerical
or biographical error is In our opinion, evident
The purchase Of two engines and one hook.Gnd
ladder truck Is clc- 1y authorized and this con.
templates Of Coune, the organization Of three com.
panieS That the wOrl Two" should have prop
CFly been printed three is also shown clearly by
the succeeding words. namely: As recommended
by the Board Of Fire Commissioner. &c.
This boGrl recommended three additional com
pAnies, and II i our unanimous opinion that. with
strict economy. the sum Of sIS0W Appropriated is
amply sufficient for the equipment OF three com.
pan!cs, Us evidently intended bytnngrcss and set
forth by our building committee In their accom-.
panyiHg report, real estute, building material,
lab0r &C., Oil leimg depressed IN value.
Tie paper was unanimously concurrcd in by
.he board, and will be forwarded to the Dis
trict Commissioners.
The following applications for positions in
| the department were read and placed on file :
j. c. Beckett, llilani Maddox, +. NJ. Parsons,
Patrick Noonan, John Carol, James Anderson,
Richard Cox, Lewis Syphax, Andrew J. Ca.
wocd. Samuel Hands, G. L. Robinson. J. II.
Johnston, y. Bell, L. Amber, J. A. Murphy,
J. l.. Bailey. James Carroll, c. II. Neal, John
sherman, b. +. Henry, John F. Minor, and
John Beatty.
A letter was read from the agents Of l..
| Button X Co, asking to he allowed TO give u
trial of their engines before a committee OF
experts to be appointed by the board. The
letter was placed on file.
Mr.. TAFT said that Commissioner W. B. Reed
was about TO visit Europe, and 1t would be
proper that credentials should be given him
| by the board which wOuld insure him fitting
reception II, the hands Of the fire departments
of the cities he would visit.
Commissioners Bacon. Hume. and Collins
paid high coinpitinG Ut to the departing Con.
missioner 10 neat sVceches, after which Nr.
| Tait'S motion VA. agreed tp.
Mr. Rcd replied ty thanking the board for
the confidence rcposcd in him. lie woltd take
all the different hrr companies IN, but he WIS
sure he would not lud any that would excel
thOsc IN the District.
After selecting W. o. Drew, assistant chief
engineer OF the department. to serve rs secr1
tary to the board during Mr.. Reeds abseucc, q
motion to aljuurh prevailed.