Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-11-26
Nanrastcr fnteIGqenrer.
BEATEN BY A MINORITY.
THE FIRE ORDINANCE DEFEATED.

members Voting for 1t and Against It.
the December Meeling-A Proposition from
Councilman Cox.
A special meeting of select and common
councils was held last evening.
Select Council.
The following named members were
present Messrs. Barr, Ritner, Berger,
Doerr, Franklin, George W. Zecher, Philip
Zecher and Evans, president.
President Evans stated that the meeting
had been called at the request Of tho
special committee on the reorganization Of
the fire department., with a view Of further
considering an ordinance for the re-organ.
ization of the department., which had been
read first time at last meeting of coun-
Gil.
Mr.. G. w. Zecher, from the committee,
said the committee had requested the call
of special meeting, so that the ordinance
might be considered, and if any amend
mcnts to it should be proposed they could
be read and printed and put in shape for
final action at the December meeting. He
moved that council proceed to a second
reading Of the ordinance,
The motion was agreed to and the ordi-
nance was read second time. 1t was
next read a third time by sections, and
each section adopted by a unanimous vote.
1t was then read by title, and passed final
ly by the following vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Barr, Bitner. Berger,
Doerr, G. w. Zecher, Philip Zecher and
Evans, PRESIDENT.
Nays-NOnc.
Mr.. G. w. Zccher, for the information
of council, stated that the committee had
been in correspondence with the several
Al, kl>-4
than enough of them had expressed a
willingness to lease their apparatus and
premises to the city on more liberal terms
committee would be ready to report the
at tho December meeting.
There being no further business, coun
ell adjourned.
Common Council
The following named members were
present.
Messrs. Albert, Barnes, Boos, Brown. Cor
meny, Cox, Davis, Dilfenderffer, Fisher,
Hays, Huber, johnson, McMullen, Oster-
White and Lcversood-president.
DR.. Davis suggested rs means OF econ
Omizing time that common council engage
informally in the consideration of the mat
ter with regard to which they had been
assembled. pending communication from
the other branch, where action upon the
fire ordinance would have to originate. On
mosion council went into committee of the
whole CDR. Davis in the chair) for the
purpose Indicated
Mr.. Cox thcrcGpOI presented lengthy
paper, being Il proposition of his own for
the reorganization of the fire department.,
to take tho place of the plan proposed by
the spccia! committee and reported by
councils. Mr.. Cox proposes to retain the
seven fire engine companies at an annual
appropriation Of $1,000 each one hook
and ladder company at 5000; fire alarm
telegraph, s., 800, chief engineer 5000 per
annum q total yearly cost Of $11 700,
which Mr. Cox claims to be SIC, 900 less than
tho special committees system will entail.
He goes on to clucidate his idea Of
the department as follows "That the fire
department remain under the manage
ment and control of the different fire CON-
panies, whose head shall be q chief en-
gineer appointed or elected by the city.
The engineer to devote his whole time to
the department and matters pertaining to
the same ; to have entire control over the
department and his rulings to be final on
violating any Of the rules and regulations
of the department. Give him authority to
suspend any company disobeying his
orders. Require each company to run its
apparatus with horses, require each COM
pany 70 pay the following named men a
stipulated sum for the performance of fire
dutieS-one foreman, one assistant fore
man. one driver, four hOsemen, one en-
gineer, one assistant engineer, one fireman,
one assistant fireman and two pipemen-13
employees in all to each company. Require
each one Of these to be fully equipped
and his position designated by proper
badge, and impose upon him fine of one
dollar for each and every fire that he at
tends not fully equipped. After each fire
the foreman or assistant foreman of each
company shall call the roll, and any men,
ber failing to r.spon", fully equipped, to
be fined one dollar for each and every
failure to properly respond. A similar
fine to be inflicted for every failure to be
present at fire. Any member violating
the rules and regulations Of the fire de-
partment OF the city or OF the company to
which he belongs shall be reported to his
company, and at the next meeting of the
company shall b, fned or expelled, as the
company may determine, and any member
so fined who neslects to pay said fine
within ten days after being SO fined, shall
be removed from the position on the paid
list and another man appointed in his place.
Mr. Cox concludes that better man
aged department, with three more compa
nies and consequent increased efficiency,
can he maintained by this proposition, for
$40, 1000 year less than the committees
system will cost, and that the department
will bc kept out of politics, something
devoutly to be prayed for by the taxpay-
ers, for every one knows that if once the
politicians get their hooks in (no matter
what party may be in power) you will
have a depleted treasury to keep up fire
department, with no service rendered COR
responding with the immense outlay TO.
quired."
The discussion of Mr.. Cox's paper was
interrupted by the appearance of the clerk
of select council with the ordinance in.
troduced in that body at the last regular
meeting and printed in full in our columns
at the time. As reported in the proceed
ings of that body the ordinance was now
finally adopted in select council by a
unanimous vote.
The committee at once rose and without
paying further attention to the Cox com
munication proceeded to the consideration
of the ordinance. Tho clerk read through
the bulky document a first and second
times, and the counciimen listened in a
sleepy sort of way "Shall this bill he
read a third time ?" asked the president.
Some of the members voted no, but not
enough to defeat the question, and so