Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-08-11
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Mr.. Berger Explains-NO Legal Right
to DiSband-A Board of Control
Facts for Property
Owners.

Mr.. W. M. Berger, of the fire depart
ment, disclaims any intention of casting
reflections on Fire Chief Ashdown or any
other member of the department in his
talk before the city council the other
evening, when protesting against the ac-
tion OF the firemen in voting to disband
the two companies. He said he thought
the members who acted upon that prope-
sition had taken said action
UNADvIsEDLY AND ILLEGALLY,
not from any maliee-but hastily and un-
der misapprehensio of their rights and
duties from the fact that the two COM
panies were organized under govern
ment called the fire commissioners of the
city of Santa Fe, composed of the chief
and the assistant engineers, foreman of
| each company and regular elected dele
gates from the hose and hook and ladder
companies to whom all such questions, in
fact, all business interests of the depart
ment was delegated. The meeting in
question was a meeting called by 5he fire
chief, which he had right to do, to con-
slider any questions affecting the working
operations of the department or its disci-
pline, but nothing further, and at which
meeting, the action of dlsbandment of
the two companies was brought up and
passed without due consideration, some
of the members claiming that owing to
so much adverse criticism they desired
to be relieved of all duties as firemen, etc.
Mr.. Berger claimed then and does now
hat haL 4 ,nl,t t1f Ia
ity to call meeting of the department to
consider any business as between the de-
partment and the city council. That busi
ness
BELONGS TO THE FIRE COMMISSIONERS,
of which he, Mr.. Berger, is member and
helped, with the delegates from his COM
pany the hose company, to make. Mr..
Berger holds that the department as a
body has no right or authority to disband
the individual companies composing it or
to cancel any membership. If such an
action can be taken it could only be taken
at a regular meeting of each company,
and ma ajority of the members voted
therefore; that each individual member
has certain vested rights which can not be
taken from him by such an ill-advised
and illegal action as was taken by the
meeting at which the resolution to dis
band was passed. Further Mr.. Berger
states for himself and a number of mem
bers of his company, the hook and ladder
company, and also the hose company, and
also as president of the fire commission
ers, that the fire department as body is
loyal and pledges fealty to the board of
aldermen and citizens of Santa Fe to pre-
serve their original organizations and
that they are willing to submit to all
FAIR AND REASONABLE RULES
and regulations which may be adopted by
the city council, and that they are willing
to turn over to the city all property now
held by them in trust for the citizens of
Santa Fe, to the city council as was
agreed upon by and between the repre-
sentatves of the department and the
council several weeks ago. Now Mr..
Berger says that if any individual men,
bers of the department feel aggrieved their
recourse is to resign and retire. but not
to carry out the ruinous policy of dis
banding the department, thus making the
task of reorganization much harder than
to continue the companies, elect new
members of the right stamp and charac-
ter and by such infusion build up an eff
cient organization of which they and the
citizens of Santa Fe may be proud. His
advice to the department and each indi
vidual member thereof is to remain true
and loyal, accept all such rules and regu-
lations as shall be made by the city coun-
Gil for the guidance of the department and
if they have any grievances stand together
and present them manfully to the consti-
tuted authorities and they may be sure of
fair and honorable hearing and just
consideration of their claims.