Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-26
WORK OF THE COUNCIL.

Aldermen Take a Decided Stand on the
Fire Ordinance-An Effort to Increase
the Pay of the Firemen.
The regular meeting of the City Council
was held at the Exchange last night, with
Alderman Duncan, Acting Mayor, pre-
siding, and Aldermen Thomas, O'COnnor,
Mills, Myers, Wells, Hamilton, BOgart,
Nichols, Derst, Hamlet and Nell present.
Accounts amounting to $15,67l 70 were
passed for payment in accordance with
the report of the Committee on Accounts.
The Committee on Fire reported adj
versely on the petition of Mrs. Mccarthy,
who asked permission to repair wooden
building on York street, when
Alderman O'COnnOr discussed the report
of the committee, and expressed the hope
that Council would disagree to it. He
said the report had surprised him, as he
understood that the matter was to be left
to Council for its action. He cited a
number of instances in which parties had
received permission to make repairs, and
had virtually erected new houses instead,
and he could not understand why the
committee had made an adverse re-
port in the case Of Mrs. Mccarthy
and had allowed the improvements
made by other parties. Alderman Ham
let responded that the action of the last
Council allowing the improvements IN
the cases referred to by Mr.. OConnOr had
nothing to do with this Council, and that
he thought it was time that the authori-
ties should take stand and enforce the
ordinance relative to the erection of
wooden buildings within the fire limits.
Alderman Wells said he was opposed
to wInking at violations of the or
dinances as much as anybody, but
that he had visited the locality, and was
satisfied that the new structure was not
over two feet higher than the old building
was; that the extension had been made
through ignorance of the ordinance; that
the new structure had a metal roof, and
that he was willing in this case to make
an exception provided the action of Coun-
ell should not be regarded as establishing
a precedent.
The discussion was continued by Alder
men Hamilton and Thomas, and upon the
call for a vote the report of the committee
was disagreed to.
The Committee on Water Works report
ed adversely to the petition requesting
that water mains be laid on Williamson
street, and the report was adopted.
A number of petitions from owners OF
buildings requesting permission to make
certain repairs were referred to Fire Com
mittee.
A memorial of the stockholders of the
Vernon Shell Road Company, asking the
City Council to compensate them for that
portion of the White Bluff road which
was appropriated by the city when the
municipal limits were extended, was re-
ferred to the Committee on Streets and
Lanes.
The petition OF a number OF the City In
spectOrs of Naval Stores, requesting that
the ordinance which prohibits inspectors
from holding an official position under
any dealer in naval stores be enforced,
was referred to the Mayor with the re-
quest that the ordinance be enforced.
The ordinance introduced at preced-
ing meeting to provide for the readOption
of the ordinance adopted by the board in
November, 1858, relative to the furnish
ing of medical attention to the sick poor
OF the city, was put upon its second read
ing and adopted.
An ordinance to prohibit the breaking
up of RATS on the north side of the river,
unless permit shall have been first OBJ
tanned from the Mayor, and prescribing
penalty for violating the same, was also
adopted.
Alderman O'COnnOr, representing the
Committee on Fire, offered an ordinance
on its first reading to provide for an IN
crease of the pay of the call men OF the
Fire Department from $50 to 500 per an
mum was read and laid over until the
next meeting.
The Committee on Fire was authorized
to purchase 1000 feet OF new hose for the
use of the Fire Department.
Alderman Derst introduced resolu-
ton authorizing the Committee on the
Market to provide two additional en-
frances through the south and north walls
of the Market building, was after dis
cussion in which Aldermen Nell, Thomas,
Wells, Nichols and Myers participated,
unanimously adOpted.