Evening journal., 1892-06-28
AN OLD FIREMAN KICKS.
He Says The Paid Department
Scheme is a Selfish One.
WANT TO REALIZE FROM PROPERTY.

WANT TO REALIZE FROM PROPERTY. !
A Member OF the Washington Company
Accuses Ex-Councilman Blake and
Louis Buck of Fathering the scheme.
lie Says That They Want Places Under
the Fire Commissioners.
The Wilmington iremen are indignant
because certain persons are trying 90
raise a public clamor for paid Fire De
partment TO supplant the present very
efficient volunteer service They lay the
blame for what little agitation there is to
ex-Councilman William Blake and Louis
Buck
Is II Mercenary Motives
They claim that the aim is mercenary
one on the part of Blake and his friends
who want the property of the department
sold in order that they may profit by
division of the proceeds arising from
such a sale. They even 60 farther and
assert that some Of the paid department
champions are after political offices on the
force
A Grab for Doodle.
The way In which the movement is re-
garded is aptly set forth in the following
interview with a leading member of the
Washington Fire Department this morn
ing;
eyes. Bill Blake and Lou Buck are at
the back of the movement There are
some of the old members who would, no
doubt. like the fire companies TO sell out
because there are few dollars In il for
them. II would also probably be better
for the Insurance companies, because the
fires would be more disastrous. Volunteer
iiremen work with much better effect
than men who work simply for the money
there is In H. If one engine went TO a
/ fire and put on a stream, and found that
another stream was needed, by the time
there was n response TO the second alarm
the fire would have much headway.
Insurance Men Want More Loss.
"a few years ago there was talk Of
getting up an insurance patrol. The in
surance people were asked what would
they give. They said that they would not
give a cent; that there was too little loss
by fire, and that II there was no loss the
people would not insure at all.
"rhe man who put that piece in the
Sunday Star misrepresented the com
panies in many ways.
Here Is James Bradford of East Third
street, who has been In favor of a paid de-
partment for thirty years. His paint and
oil place got afre II was one of the
worst fires ever In the city. The volun-
teer service went there and put Il out
He was so well pleased at the way in
which Il was done that he made each
company present of $50 A short
time after that fire Mr. Bradford was il
Philadelphia A fire broke out in some
Of the public buildings He had time {,
watch the way in which the paid depart
ment handled the work When he caml
back he said he was Disguised, and tina
II It had been IN Wilmington IL woul'
have been extinguished before he Phila
delphia paid fireman got ready to pu
water on it. -
Does Not Meet with Favor.
Do you think a majority Of the firemei
would like TO see paid Fire Depart
ment2"
'No. they would not. If put TO
vote It would be killed by a vote Of . 20
= in every ten members The busi
a ness men do not want paid department
/ They feel amply protected and so the.
should
No Petition for Fifteen Years.
"There has not been a pet tion for
q paid Fire Department for fifteen years
The petition that has been errOncousl
p spoken of In this respect was for n dis
T, trict system by streets. The freme
/, were opposed TO IT, Buck and Blake
u however, went around and repre-
sented to the public that ia
iiremen wanted such a system inaugu
rated In this way many signatures wer
secured, not because the persons signin
= it had any peculiar interest In the ma
q ter, but because they believed that
n the fremen wanted IL they ought
I know what was best for the prosecutio
l. Of their humane work.
A Counter-Petition Circulated.
Gas soon as the fremen heard of thi
misrepresentation they got up
t counter petition. 10 was in the shaf
o of a letter from Mr. Belah. He signo
: the Blake-Buck petition, and in thi
q letter withdrew his signature on th
u ground of misrepresentation The 0nl
signers who did not withdraw their sig
natures were James Bradford and Jam'
Morrow
"Now the companies are districte
y by an arrangement of their own, thl
works perfectly
y He is Not the Only ObIector.
l. The Washington Company is not u
only obiector Several members of 9TH
'g companies, both old and young, col
r demned the agitation now brewing as
scheme for realizing money and securir
lg political positions under a board Of Fl
commissioners.
" A Political Issue.
it There is some talk that the friends
" the paid department will make 1t a polii
N cal issue at the next election, pledgil
themselves to vote for any candidat
" Democrat or Republican, who will,
iis turn favor paid department for tl
10 city.
CT The Fosters Trial Trip.