The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-09
1T SETS THEM THINKING
Alderman Begin 10 Wonder If Fire De-
par.m3nt LfiirS Are Just Right.
AS TO LAPP'S APPOINTMENT
Some OF the Volunteers Have Done
Good Bit of Kicking and Now
There May Be a Change
In the System.

| BUTTE, Feb. s.-The special meeting of
| the fire department which was called for
tonight by Tom Burke and one or two
others with a great flourish of impor nc ,
| Immediately after the council meeting on
| Wednesday evening, failed TO materialize.
| The reason for this lies in the fact tn at
section /, article 3, bylaws of the depart
ment, provides that special meetings can
only be called by tho president on tho
written request of five members. Tom
Burke and ono or two others, who we're
very much disgruntled over the appoint
m,nt and unanimous confirmation of
George Lapp as chief of the fire depart
ment, prepared n written request for a
speci Il meeting of the department to dis
cuss tho question OF disbanding the vol
unteers immediately after the council adj
journed on Wednesday night. but their
pioposition found SO little approval with
older and more conservative members of
the department that the scheme was
finally abandoned.
Although practically all the volunteers
who were present at the meeting on Tues
day evening supported the nomination of
officer Doc" Werner for tho office of
IRE chief, the great majority of the MEM
bers OF the department seemed satisfied
with Mayor Dugan's temporary appoint
ments. If there is any kicking gong on
among the volunteers it is not noticeable
To the naked eye, except of Tom Burke
and, possibly, two or three others.
MIR. Lapp's confirmation has given great
satisfaction TO property owners and citi-
zeus generally and 1t seems to be particu-
larry agreeable TO the insurance agents,
VINO are among the parties most deeply
Interested in the maintenance of an ell
Gent fire department. The mayor felt
satisfied when he made his temporary APP
pointments of chief and assistant, imme-
diately after the explosion, that he had
selected the best available men, and the
vote with which his selections were APP
proved by the council was "a forclble en-
dorscmcnt of his action.
Mayor Dugan states that before he ap-
pointed Messrs. Lapp and Flannery to the
POSITIONS of chief and assistant on the
night OF the explosion he consulted with
Thompson Campbell, the president of the
fire department, as he thought he should
have something TO say in the matter.
1t has always been the custom for tho
volunteers to select a chief and assistant
and these selections have Invariably been
confirmed by the council out of courtesy
to the department. For this reason sober
second thought has convinced most of
the volunteer firemen they would have
acted wisely in endorsing Mayor Dugan's
appointments and thus showing their ap-
of the council, and particularly SO as
these appointments will only hold until a
new council goes in next May.
The fuss which was raised over the
failure of the mayor and council to COM
ply with the wish of the volunteers as eX-
pressed at Tuesday nights meeting has
set good many people, and some of the
aldermen, TO wondering whether II would
not he good idea for the city to employ
three or four more paid men and do away
with the volunteers entirely. This men al
review of the situation has had the effect
OF renewing tho talk concerning the adj
Visibility of building a fire station in
South Butte to cover that part of the city,
and several aldermen have expressed
themselves in favor of such a plan.
There is also a growing feeling that
property owners and taxpayers should
have voice in the selection of a chief of
the fire department as well as the voun-
teers. When the choice of n fire marshal
must depend for his election on the votes
of the men who work for him there is
bound to be more or less politics and par
tisanship in it. A man depending on the
votes OF his employees for the Office he
holds must necessarily show n little favor
itism and do a little wire pulling when it
comes around time for the annual ap-
pointment, and several of the aldermen
are beginning to think that this is not the
best thing on earth for the department.