The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-06
CONTROL OF FIRE AND WATER.
THE COMMISSION BILLS FOR THESE
DEPARTMENTS NOW READY.

Terms of All the Present Officers
To Terminate on the First Monday
in January, When the Commits
sions VIII Take Charge and Elect
such Officers as They see Fit-The
Mayor an Ex-OmcIO Member of All
the Commissions. but without the
Power to VOte-The Commissioners
! 10 Make Full Reports of Their Do
fngs TO the Council.
! The bills providing for fire and water
! commissions were sent up to Atlanta yes
terday, and Will probably be introduced
/ to-day. They were drawn by Col. VIII
! liam Garrard and City Attorney Adams.
! They are complete and go fully into de-
! tails. Some changes may be made by the
! representatives in the legislature. but if
| any, they viii be slight.
| The fire commission bill is probably OF
| more general interest. but the bill for
| the water commission is equally import
| ant. The first sections of the two bills
are the same with me exception that one
| provides for a board of fire commission
ers and the other for a board Of water
| commissioners.
They provide for the two commissions
after Jan. ] next, TO consist Of three
members, each to be appointed by the
! mayor and confirmed by the council at
any regular meeting in December. II
for any reason the appointments should
not be confirmed in December. the ap-
/ pointees. whenever confirmed. will hold
1 SaIicS5,, rom the hrst Monday in January
Inc terms for which the commission
| efs VIII pc appointed are as follows: one
| LOT the term of two years. one for the
! term OF four years, and one for the term
| or SIX years, from the first Monday i'm
yddiuaIy' ieso' respectively. At any reg
| ular meeting In December, 1897. and,
/ thereafter, Diennially, an appointment
! VIII be.sent in by the mayor TO the conn
0li, OF a commissioner TO succeed one,
/ Hnose term VIII expire on the first Mon
| cay IN January next succeeding. Should
/ q vacancy occur in the board, at any
! Tune, from death, resignation or front
/ any other cause than the eXpira ton of a
! regular term, it will be the duty of the
| mayor TO appoint an incumbent within
/ tnlrty days after the occurrence Of va
fancy, 10 MI the uneXpired term, the
| appointment to be acted upon by the
| council, and TO become effective when
| cOunIiheu. Inc incumbent Will then hold
| Office until the unexpired term has ex-
| pred, and until his successor has been
| appointed, confirmed, and qualified. The
/ regular term of the first appointees will
| begin on the first Monday in January,
! 1880, and close at the end of the term
Tor which they have been appointed, re-
| spectiEely and until a successor is APP
| pointed, confirmed and qualified, and
| each regular appOintee thereafter will
! mold office six years from the first Mon
| day in January, 1898 1880, and so on. and
! until his successor is appointed, con-
! hrmed and qualified.
No person will be eligible for appoint
ment unless he be q citizen Of the United
States and has been a resident of Sa-
Vannah continuously for, at least one
year prior to mis- appointment. The mayor
VIII have power, If any appointment
made by him shall not be confirmed by
the council, to continue appointing. until
4 3 Cl oil Na Hfafat aNa.ua4H ~
council He will also have the power to
withdraw the name of any appointee and
substitute another at any time, before
action is had by the council, and this
! power of appointment will continue so
! as to enable him to exercise il in De-
| cember of any year, when an appoint
/ ment is required to be made, and there
| after, at any regular meeting, until one
! satisfactory to the council has been made.
| The second section of the bills gives
/ the oath to be taken by the commission
| ers. There is no difference in the two
sections, except as to the name of the
! department. Section two of the fire COM
| mission bill is as follows:
| Each member of the board, before en-
| tering on the duties of his office, shall
/ take and subscribe the following oath of
Office, before some officer authorized to
| administer il. 4 swear that 1 Will faith
| fully and impartially demean myself as
/ lire commissioner, during my cOntin-
| uance in office. and will well and truly
! perform all the duties of said office; that
| l viii not be concerned or interested, pc
/
| the purchase of property or supplies for
| the use of said department. l will not,
| knowingly permit my vote, in the election
| or appointment of any person to position
! in the fire department, to be influenced by
! fear, favor, or affection, reward or the
! hope thereof, but in all things pertaining
to my said office, / will be governed BY
! my conviction of public good" The oath
| shall be entered on the minutes of the
| proceedings of the board, and the original
shall be hled in the office of the clerk of
| said council"
Section of the fire commission bill gives
the commissioners exclusive control OF the
! department. 1t is made their duty to
| elect an executive officer to be known as
nre chief. The appointment of other Of
ncers IS optional The board will keep
| record of its proceedings and will APP
point a member of the fire department
to act as clerk. II viii organize by the
| election OF chairman and vice chair
man, each of whom Will vote when pres
ent upon all matters acted upon. Two
| affirmative votes are required to effect the
| passage of any measure
The commission will hold a stated meet
ing once month at the fire headquarters
and such other meetings as IL may des-
| ignate, or as may be called by the chair
man or vice chairman or the mayor.
The remainder Of the section will be read
with especial interest by the members
of the fire department and their friends
as well as citizens generally, as il relates
TO elections, salaries, suspensions and re-
moVal and other matters of government
of the department. 1t is as follows:
The commission shall exercise full di-
|
| of all the officers. firemen and members
of the fire department, and shall have gen
! eral Management of the fire department
of said city, and OF all property, real and
| personal Herewith connected, and shall
make all rules and regulations which it
may deem needful for the government
thereof and may prescribe suitable pen
aities, including suspension, fine or re-
moval from office or position, for the in
fringement of its rules, and may enforce
the same as said board may prescribe.
All vacancies in said fire department. in
Guiding those in the office of fire chief
and in such other Offices as may be de-
termined upon and designated by said
board, shall be filed by said board
All officers, hremen and members of
said department. except the fire chief
whether heretofore or hereafter appointed.
shall hold their offices or positions until
| removed by the action of said board the
removal of the fire chief TO be effected as
hereinafter prescribed. No person shall
be eligible 10 election as fire chief. or to
appointment in the department unless he
be at least p years of age, and a citizen
of the United States, and shall have been
d citizen and resident of the city of Sa-
Vannah, continuously, for at least one
year prior TO his said election or appoint
ment, of good character and good habits.
and shall have paid all taxes required of