The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-23
BAKING PnWnsR.
POWER ENOUGH NOW.
The Mayor Opposed to Putting Chief
Pudsr in Absolute Control.

| Pudsr In Absolute Control.
That portion of Chief Hales report
recommending that entire control of the
fire department be placed in the hands Of
the chief is not likely to be put in force if
the majority Of the council take the same
view of the matter as Mayor McDonough,
! Mayor McDonough's attention was
called yesterday, to the advisability Of
adopting at once, that part of Chief
| Hales report which recommends that the
| department be freed from all political in
| huence and the chief be given entire
charge of the department, should be put
in force at once, in order that Chief Pu-
| der might have seven months of entire
control of the department in which to
show whether the charges Of incompe-
tency made against him by the South
eastern Tariff Association have any real
| foundation.
1.-THE chief is already clothed with
sufficient authority" he said. 81 do not
believe it would be advisable to give him
full control of the appointment aud dis
missal of men from the force. l do not
believe that such would tend to the i'm
provement of the morale or the effec-
| tiveness Of the department. While such
might seem to be the case at first thought
1 think little consideration will show
| otherwise. The intent is of course to in
crease the effectiveness of the depart
ment by removing it entirely from
! political influence, but L do not
see that the placing of the entire power
of appointment or dismissal in the hands
of the chief would have this effect. The
| chief fireman is an elective officer and
would naturally be subject to influence
| by those who had favored him or from
whom he had expected favors. Under
the present system political influence has
| SLIGHT
lions upon the department or retaining
| them there.
THE chief has more power in the
| selection of men for the department than
the mayor has" said Mayor McDonough.
No man can be appointedut place in
| the department without his approval.
! The men to fill vacancies are selected
! from a list of applicants by the mem
| bers of the fire committee jointly with
the chief An objection to any appli-
| cant by the chief is sufficient to prevent
! his appointment. When an agreement is
| reached upon particular applicant he is
| appointed on probation, subject to diSmiS-
sal at any time by the chief When the
| chief becomes fully satisfied of the APP
| pointee's competency and ability, he re-
| commends him to the mayor to be sworn
| in as full fledged member of the depart
ment, and not until then is he sworn in as
| such After being sworn in, the fireman
!
mayor upon the recommendation of the
chief. The chief may suspend him pend
| ing investigation, but he cannot discharge
| him. In not single instance has Chief
! Puder presented man to me for gross VIC
| lation of the rules of the department dur
| ing my two terms of mayor that l have not
| inflicted the full penalty which he recon-
mended and in some instances l have dis
charged men whom the chief was willing
| to retain. In no instance has political in
| huence been allowed to prevent the dis
missal of men, though it has been exerted
for this purpose in several cases. | see
no reason why the chief should be given
| fuller power in this respect"
docs not Chief Hale make some recon-
mendation to the effect that the
chief should be given full police powers
| at fires in order that he may not be
hampered by the interference of out
sidersl" the mayor was asked.
at is impossible for the chief to be
given any more power in this respect
than he already enjoys was the reply.
1.-THE chief fireman has greater police
power during a fire than the mayor the
| chief of police, and the whole police de-
| partment combined. He may arrest any
one who interiors; with him in the
least, should he see fit TO do
so. He can arrest the mayor, the
| chief OF police, the judges of the
superior and city courts, in fact anyone,
no matter what his position. There is no
| official anywhere with such complete
authority l know that there have been
complaints that the fremen have been in
terfered with in their work on various
occasions by city officials and outsiders,
and think there is some foundation for
the complaints. Nevertheless it is true
that the chief has this authority, and if
he does not choose to exercise it, it is his
own fault.
81 think it perfectly proper" said the
mayor, for the chief to ask tile advice of
the mayor or any alderman or other
| citizens at fire If he should desire to do
so, but no one has the right to dictate to
the chief what he shall do, or even to
urge his advice upon him. l think
the interference of the aldermen
with the work of the fremen at fires
has been carried to excess. For my
part, l intend TO stand aside here
after, and not to volunteer my advice
unless it is called for 1t has been the
custom in Savannah for years for the
aldermen to turn out to large fires and to
render such assistance to the chief as
they can by their advice. The custom is
not altogether bad one, as two heads are
better than one, and a cool observer can
| often render much assistance at such
times by pointing out opportunities for
good work which may have been over
| looked by the chief, who cannot
give all his attention to one point.
but who must circulate from
point to point. 1t is only custom, how
ever, and not supported by the statutes
The full responsibility upon such occa-
sions rests with the chief, and it is his
duty to assume all the authority requisite
to the proper handling of the department,
according to his Judgment"
Alderman O'Brien said that he saw no
reason why the chief should not be given
at once full power in the appointment
and dismissal of men from the depart