St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-06
SEC. FRANKLIN RESIGNS.
FIRE BOARD ACCEPTS AND ELECTS
r. s. WARE SECRETARY
SALARY sHADED TO $1,000.

SALARY SHARED TO $1,000.
Franklin's Letter-He Expects to
| Prove His Innocence-Propos
ton TO Enforce the Bell Char
ter-Oficials No Longer TO Be
Allowed to Furnish the De-
partment Supplies.
Secretary Franklin, of the fire board,
rendered his resignation at the meeting
! of the board last evening. 1t was &C
cepted, and the same trio who placed
the Sixth ward politician in the office
named Il. B. Ware as his successor and
elected their candidate. Commissioner
| Freeman nominated Charles ii. Will
Jams, for years prominently identified
with the volunteer department. for the
| position, and Commissioner Mitsch
| seconded the nomination. The slate,
however. had been made up, and VIII
| Jams was turned down. The resigna-
| ton of Secretary Franklin was ten
dered III the following epiStle:
Il herewith respectfully tender my
resignation as secretary of your honora-
bic body. l am prompted to do So by
| the fact that have been charged Dv the
| grand jury with malfeasanee in Office,
while a member of the board of alder
men. and believe it the duty of any
! public officer to resign his position
pending the trial const quent upon the
action of the grand jury. desire to
thank the members of your board for
the kindly disposition shown toward
me during the past month, and for
the courteous treatment have received
at your hands. | realize the seriousness
of the accusations made against me, but
feel confident that l will be able to
prove myself innocent of the charges
| preferred"
Commissioner Martin moved the re-
| signation be accepted. He was very
sorry, as MIR. Franklin, in the month he
had served, haG shown himself capable
and very efficient. Commissioner Clark
seconded the motion, and 1t was carried,
Commissioner Freeman stating that he
had not voted for Mr. Franklin. owing
10 the caucus having been held without
his knowledge.
Commissioner Clark stated that as it
would be necessary to select new sec
rotary, he would move that the salary
paid the secretary be only $1,000 per
year. Mr.. Clark said that if Mr. Frank
lin had remained he would not have
brought the matter up.
Commissioner Mitsch thought the
secretary should be req uired to do more
work, and the salary should not be cut.
Chief Jackson explained that it took
the time of one assistant chief to keep
the records of the department as to
fires. losses, insurance and the other
minor matters, to say nothing of the
correspondence. The motion to reduce
the salary from 81 800 to LOCO was car
rield, all the members voting for such
reduction.
Commissioner Freeman then placed
in nomination Charles H. Williams,
who, he said. was a well-known citizen.
an old member of the volunteer fire
department, and for years chief of the
department. His reputation was with
out blemlsh, he was not a politician,
AND his appointment as secretary would
be we'll received by all classes of citi-
ZenS. Commissioner Mitsch seconded
the nomination.
Commissioner Clark nominated r. B.
Ware, and in response to a question of
Commissioner Freeman as to who the
nominee was, MIR. Clark SAID Ware had
been in the grocery business for the
past ten years on st. Anthony hill, and
was really better fitted for the position
than Mr.. Williams, in that he was
younger man and an expert accountant.
The vote gave three for Ware and two
for Williams, Messrs. Clark, Martin and
Stllwell voting for Ware, and Freeman
and Mitsch for Williams. President
Stilwell declared Ware elected as sec
rotary for the year ending Jan. l, 1895.
Commissioner Clark offered resolu-
ton to the effect that the Bell charter be
carried into effect in reference to the
purchasing of supplies for the depart
ment. Mr.. Clark, in speaking of the
motion, said that he had seen by a per-
sonal investigation that certain commits
sioners had tor the past ten years been
furnishing supplies to the board in large
amounts. This, he thought, while
against the law, was also wrong, for the
reason that no commissioner ought to be
Commissioner Martin said that he
conceded with the views OF Mr.. Clark.
Work and supplies amounting to over
$500 should be let or purchased only
after bids had been advertised for.
Business men had complained that
work was done for the department and
bids never asked for, but the work
awarded to commissioner. The mo-
ton was seconded by Commissioner
Mitsch and passed.
The secretary reported the eXpend-
tureS of the board for January amount
ed to S16,69S 81, or S4l902 more than for
January, 1898. The February pay roll
and bills up to date amounted to S15,-
6l1.66, or So, 1906 less than for the
same month last year, This, according
to the secretary's figures made the eX-
penSes this year S2,9l5.74 less than last
year for the same time.
The superintendent of fire alarm tele-
graph was directed to purchase two fire
alarm boxes and 100 keys. The board
also authorized the offering of a reward
of $50 for the arrest of the person who
broke the fire alarm box at the corner of
Third and Commercial streets and
turned in a false alarm Sunday night.
The Wood Harvester Works company
sent check for s25 for the relief fund
for the prompt service rendered by the
department in responding to an alarm
at their plant.
Aid. Montgomery sent communica-
ton to the board urging haste in the
erection of an engine house at st. An
thony Park. for which purpose $4,000
had been placed in the tax estimate.