Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-11
ASK FOR MORE TINE
Members of the Fire Depart
ment Want
foRTy-EIGHT HOURS OFF DUTY
The Board Requests Superintendent East
man TO Use Stree, Cars in Making
His Inspection Trirs.

President Leitelt xas the only mem.
Der OF the board OF police and fire CON-
miasloners not present at the meeting
yesterday afternoon. He was detained
by illness. Commissioner Loettgert
was called 70 the chair in his absence.
The nre marshal made al informal
report on routine matters connected
with nis department. He suggested
that new drlyeways would soon be a
necessary improvement at ali the engine
houses.
Superintendent Eastman did not ap-
pear before the board to make his
weekly report.
Superintendent Eastman recon.
nlended the purchase of = team of
horses TO relieve the present ones work
lns the new wagon, one saddle horse
Tor the sergeants, buggy or Light cart
Tor the Use or the superintendent and
other officers, and provision for At least
fifteen additional patrolmen.
The committee on finance submitted
the following report: Amount expended
for eight months, S40.679. i3; average
expenditure per month, S5,0S4.s3;
amount needed to complete year, SOL.
ol9.l5, total appropriation with
amounts passed 10 credit of funds
during current year, S0.67S.72; prob
able BALANCE on hand September 10,
$40 $500; deduct water rates, $40;
extra time allowance for men, $SlS.ll,
net balance on hand September Is,
SIS. 1856. Adopted ard placed on
hle.
Accounts were allowed in the sum of
$ll ,400.S4, Of which the police depart
meat accounts were $5,s7l.6l and the
ire department SIS ,52S.s3.
Ask for More Time.
The committee on finance submitted
a report recommending that the
members of the tire department be
allowed 45 hours Oft duty each month
instead of - az now. Every member
of the department desires this change
and the request has the hearty endorse
ment of the ire marshal and in his
opinion will operate for the good OF
the department. The committee found
from correspondence with the heads of
the departments in other larger cities
of the country that much more Oft
duty time is allowed. Springfield, O.,
| allows 2 days each months, Auburn,
n. Y, same, Denver, 70 hours every
Sth day, Syracuse, SO hours . month
and 10 days annual vacation with full
pay, Milwaukee, 81 hours mounth and
days annual vacation with full pay.
Columbus, o., so hours each month;
Detroit, 72 hours month; Toledo,
came; Atlanta, same. and the larger
cities like New York and Chicago are
much more liberal. The fire marshal
asks that four men be added to the de-
partment, to be known ~ relief men.
| II this request be concurred in it would
give nearly continuous service OF tho
number of men now in the department..
The report was approved and the COM
mittee on rules was directed to formu-
late rules in accordance with the re-.
port.
Superintendent Eastman was then
summoned before the board to give in
formation relative to his recommends
ton for extra patrolmen. The super
intendent recommended the addition
of fifteen patrolmen, but the board
considered the addition of ten men
ample, though this was deemed ex-
| orbltant. The matter wss held open
for another week.
Increased Their Salaries.
The committee on men and disci.
pline recommended that the salary of
the FIRE marshal be fixed at 81 $50, an
| increase Of $3.50. The committee also
| recommended that theesaiary of Sup
erintendent Bettlnghous of the fire
alarm system be fixed at 81 ,450, an IN
crease OF 500. The superintendent of
police was closely cross-examiued as
to his request for horse and carriage
| for his own and the captains use. He
| sad that he needed it for making IN
spectious. He WAS asked what was the
matter with the street car service. The
board decided that it was all right,
and the superintendent will not get .
! horse and carriage. The budget for
the police department, which the
board Is still working on, shows the
following figures: For salaries, $685.
o.. go, tor horses $500, Tor
belts aud badges $50, for feed
$1,000, for washing $3.50, for telephone
rent $500, for gas and lighting 5000, for
repairing patrol wagon and harness
500, for water $500, for special detec-
uves $50, tor general supplies and
maintaining headquarters 81, 800, for
expense of secretary's Office $50, for
extension of patrol system $500, for hay
aud grain $500, horseshoeing S325, one
half secrstary's salary 5000, incdentals
Si25, maintenance of ambulance $40;
total, S74,792.60. The budget for the
coming year is about 800 less than
that of last year. The police depart
mont fund owes the fire department
fund about 81 900 for maintaining the
signal service. This will leave an un-
expended balance of about SIT. 726 46
TO De added 10 the s74,792.o0. and will
give the police department fund of