The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-25
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The Mahoney Bill Passes the Senate
Committee,

SACRAMENTO, Jan. 24-The Senate Com
mittee on City. City and County and Town
Governments held a meeting this afternoon
for the purpose of discussing the two fire
department bills that are before them.
Supervisors James, Denman and Forman,
of San Francisco, who were appointed by
the board to be present in the interests of
the bills. appeared before the committee.
Senator Fay's bill, which cOntemplates
the complete reorganization of the San
Francisco Fire Department, was first dis
cussed, but il was soon disposed of by rea-
son of the fact that Attorney General Hart
has declared that it is unconstitutional.
That officer says that the charter of San
Francisco cannot be amended except by
vote of the people
Senator Fay was present, and when asked
il he desired TO withdraw the bill In order to
amend 1t. he replied that he did not. He
would letit 60 as it was.
Nahoney's bill was then taken up and
considered. This measure reads as follows ::
Section /. Whenever the public interest,
safety or convenience may require or 1t be
deemed e&pvdient, the city council OF any
municipality authorize ID by law 10 maintain
paid fire department may, by ordinance, make
and enforce such rules aud regulations within
said municipality as may be necessary or proper
for increasing the efficiency Of said paid fire de-
parlment, and TO that end among other things,
may provide for and authorize the appointment
aud continued employment OF such assistant
engineers, members, hremen, employees aud
other help IN and for said fire department In
addition to those whose employment Is now
authorized by law. as the needs Of said depart
ment may require. and may fix their sala-
Ties and compensation, ana may increase
and ANNA 4 ton Of
officers, members, employees and other
help now authorized by law, whose salaries and
compensation. as now fixed, may be deemed IN
adequate. and may IN like manner provide for
The purchase and repair. and authorize to be
purchased and kept In repair, in addition TO
those for the purchase and repair Of which pro-
vision IS now made by law, all additional en-
gineS, horses hook and ladder wagons and all
such other engines, machinery, implements. ex-
tiOguishers and other apparatus that NAV be
necessary, advantageous or auxiliary To ex-
tIngulsh or afford adequate protection against
1le; and in on der to provide the necessary funds
with which TO accomplish the foregoing ends,
may MAJ e all necessary aud supplementary ap-
pr0prlaliOns allowances and payments in addi-
lion TO those now authorized by law.
sec. .. The engineers, members, Aremen. EN-.
ployes and other help TO be appointed pro-
yded in the first section Of this act shall be APP
pointed. governed and controlled In the same
manner and by The same laws as their fellow
engineers, members. hremen, employees aud
other help, whose appointment is now author
lied by law. are appointed, governed aud con-
trOied. The engines, wagons machinery, I'M
pements extingnishsrs and other apparatus,
purchase and repairs Of which are authorized by
section l OF this act. shall be purchased and re-
paired in like manner and under The same regu-
laiiOns as like articles. tile purchase and E-pair
OF which Is now authorized BY law are now
purchased and repaired.
Senator Earl said that The bill would ap-
ply to Oakland. To Obyiate this danger it
was decided to amend the bill so that it
would apply only to cities Of more than
1000 inhabitants.
Supervisor Denman said shat 1t would be
necessary for the Supervisors to increase
the tax levy considerably in order to cover
the extra expense.
Senator Mahoney was In favor of the tax
levy being raised sufficiently to provide for
ful-paid department
Senator Fay then remarked that his
reason for waning the Fire Department re-
organized was that 1t now was made up of
"dope hends" and thieves who had been
doing rotten politics for fifteen years.
Mahoney wanted the Senator to name
some of these bad people. lie was sur
prsed to hear the statement made that the
Fire Department was made up of such
people.
The committee finally decided to report
the Mahoney bill back as amended with the
recommendation that it pass.