Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-12-14
WITu CLOSED DOORS

The Fire Commissioners Go Into Se-
 cret Session and Adopt the s'Call''
 System.
 The board of fire commissioners, at their adjourned meeting last evening, voted to introduce the "call' system, to take effect February 1. All the mem bers of the board were present and Com missiones Roberts presided.
 Chairman Connolly of the committee on recognizing the department and in troducing the ''calr' system, reported progress and moved that the board go into a committee of the whole to consl- der the matter. Commissioner Roberts was appointed chairman and at once | ordered the room to be cleared. Those present besides members of the board were: Alderman Rametti, City Sheriff Mcdonald and three reporters.
 Mir Rametti declared the proceedings irregular and declined to go. City Sheriff Mcdonald said he would not leave the room; that he was ap- pointed by the common council to attend all board meetings and he was only attending to his duty.
 Commissioner Roberts, with the dig nifty of presiding officer of the United States senate, made little speech in which he declared that it was the meet | ing of committee and not of the fire board, and if the gentlemen did not re- tire the committee would move to another room. Messrs Mcdonald and Rametti and the members of the press then retired.
 The secret session lasted one hour, the time being given up to discussing the means of bringing about the new sys- tenn.
 When the board came to order the fol- lowing report on salaries per year under the new system was read and adopted |: Three captains at 'S6O each twenty seven hose and ladder men at $50 each :; four drivers and tillermen at $7O0 each :; one engineer in active service, S2o0 as- sistant in active service, $50; one re- serve engineer, $2OO; one reserve assist ant, $10O. The salaries of the four | drivers and tillermen is increased under the new rule from $66O to S7OO per year. This makes the total expenditure S5.O2O. Part of this increase the commission CTS claim they can save by using the $25O yearly allowance granted each vol unteer company, leaving the net ln- crease of expenses about S1SOO a year.
 Commissioner Connolly moved that system go into effect in three companies namely: Phonix Fire Co.,. Citizens Steamer Co.,, and Mutual Hook and Lad der Co.,, on February 1, 1S9O
 Commissioner Mahaney seconded the
 motion and the resolution was adopted.
 The rules adopted follow those of the
 Bridgeport department.
 They require that officers and mem bers of the company shall be over 2l
 years of age, of good moral character,
 residing in Waterbury, with a knowl- edge of reading and writing. The cap
 tain of each company is required to visit
 the station of his company once in every , twenty-four hours. No ''calI' men will } be allowed to be absent from the city , for more than twenty-four hours with } out the permission of a fire commission
 CT. No member or prominent officer will Ee allowed to take part i'll any cau-
 GUS or political convention, to distribute ballots or take part in any political mat
 ter, except to vote.
 The farce of ballotiug for chief was
 the last business of the meeting. There
 was no choice made, the voting result
 ing as follows: First-T. c. O'Brien 1
 $. c. Snagg }, T. D. Bassett 1; second
 s. c. Snagg 1, T. D. Bassett 1, J. H. Byrnes }: third $. c. Snagg 1, T. D.
 Bassett 1, J. H. Byrnes ?; fourth-S. c.
 Snagg }, J. w. Mcdonald }: tifth-S. c. Snagg 1, T. D. Bassett 1, H. F. Cunning ham ,.
 The board then adjourned until next | Thursday evening,