Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-17
TURBULENT FIREMEN.


Meeting Of theshiHier Fire Co.-A ,ois. .erou
Meettns-The City Committee Insuited
Resolutions Passed.
The Shiffier fire company met in spcc;a
session last eveeing to con ,ider the propo
sition made by the city councils commit
tee to lease to the city tho apparatus ant
engine house of the company.
President For.lney tried to call the
meeting to order, but there was very
large attendance of the more noisy ele:
ment present, who for a time, created
a good deal OF disorder.
Mr.. John Fritz offered the following
resolutions:
"Resolced, That the trustees of this com
pany are hereby authorized and instructed
to enter into Al agreement with the city
of Lancaster Or its representatives with a
view of using our apparatus in the call
fire department upon the following terms
"That the city shall have the use of the
engine and all the tools, ETC., thereto be-
longing, shall h ave the use of the engine
or lower rooms Of the house and the priv.
ilege of erecting stable or the premises.
And shall have the use Of the engine, etc.
and room for the term of eighteen mouths
and shall enter into an agreement 70 pur-
chase the said engine for the sum OF
$1,000 at the expiration of eighteen months
from the date Of the agreement"
Mr.. =. S. Goodman, argued that no ac-
ton on this subject could DO takeG, as
the company At former meeting had ad-
journed to the 21st Of March.
The president decided against Mr..
Goodman, which raised a stormy discus.
sioD, but no appeal from his decision was
taken.
Mir. Fritz statc,! that the special fire
committee was ia the lower room and
suggested that they DO invited upstairs.
There were loud cries Of no, no." but
the president paid TO attention to the
interruption, and appointed Messrs. Henry
Smeych and Thos. Anderson to invite
them upstairs, which they did. As the
visitors entered the room they were met
with storm of Kisses and cries of put
them out" and Mr.. Goodman protested
against giving them hearing.
After a scene Of great confusion and
amid Interruptions, Mr.. J. L. Steinmetz,
city solicitor, made a speech, in which ho
urged the company to accept the fire COM
mittce's proposition to enter the reorgan-
lied fire department, on the same terms as
other companies had entered it to run the
apparatus with men Of their own selection,
and to give the call system fair trial, and
if it proves to be failure we can then re-
turn to the volunteer system. In reply to
a question, Mr.. Steinmetz said he
could not promise that at the
end OF eighteen months the city
would buy the company's engine, as
the present councils cannot bind their Sue
cessors. In answer to another question,
Mr.. Stciumetz said he had never given it as
his opinion that the city owns the property
and can take it from the firemen, but he
had said that IT, vol Inteer system is o
charity and the Fl, men are the trustees of
this charity for tho public use.
p. S. Goodman read the following com
municatiOn
Mr.. Jacob Goodman, ustee, Shirler Co.
DEAR SIR You submit to me the ques.
tion, "What effect would the leasing of
the company's real estate and fire appar-
atus have upon the chartered right OF the
company and its members ?''
In my opinion tho leasing of the rea
estates and apparatus would be the vir-
tual suspension of the company as a fire
organization, under the provisions of the
charter ard the first step to its dissolution
as company for the purpose fo- which it
was organized.
AS long as five members are willing to
keep up its present status, according to
the constitution and bylaws, it's real es-
tate and apparatus cannot be placed in the
control of any other corporation of the
municipality.
Respectfully yours.
A. G. RElN4HL.
Mr.. Goodman said that in view of this
opinion an injunction would be applied
for If any attempt was made to lease to
the city the conpany's property.
Mr.. Steimetz at some length combatted
the views Of Maj. ReinGhl, adding that
the company may dissolve but the charity
remains-the house engine and appurt-
enances remain and represent that charity
Mr.. SteimetZ, and the committee-con-
sisting of Messrs. G.. w. Zecher, John II.
Barnes, George w. Berger and J. Fl.
OStermyer-retired.
The question was then taken Oh Mr..
Fritz's resolutions, and they were laid on
the table.
p. S. Goodman offered the following
resolutions:
"Resolced, That the trustees of the
company be and are hereby authorized
and empowered to contract with the
proper authorities of the city for the lease
and sale of the company's property to the
city upon the following terms:
First. The use of the engine room, the
use Of the tower bell, engine and all fire
apparatus that they may require.
Second. To grant the city the privilege
Of erecting stable on the property, and
to make such alterations in the house as
may be required for the proper equipment
of their station.
Third. For such use and privilege the
city shall pay the company rental at the
rate of $3.50 per annum, payable quarterly
in advance.
Fourth. At the expiration of eighteen
months the city to purchase the real estate
and such apparatus as may be required,
for the sum of 5000 cash.
Fifth. The city Of Lancaster to agree in
the same contract to waive all claims to
such property as is now or may be pos
sessed by the said company.
Sixth. And the city agree not to inter
= fere with or restrain the company from
dividing or disbursirg its moneys or effects
in such manner as it shall decide.
Seventh. If the city at any time desires
to GO back to the volunteer department,
the company release it from the contract
Eighth, That the contract as drawn NJ
be read before the company for approval
A motion to lay them on the table was
defeated by vote of 46 yeas to Al nays
and a motion that they be adopted was
carried.
The question as to who were the legal
trustees of the company was now asked
and Secretary Zecher offered the following
resolution which was adopted:
Res0lced, That Charles Franciscus
Henry Smeych and G. w. Nagle were
IL. Al