People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-06-13

council new fire ordinance was pass
ed, which cut the pay of flremen to
sl.OO per fire and required che roll TO
be called at the place Of the fire.
To this ordinance the members OF
the tre department make very serious
objections and have held two meet
lngS to consider the subject. The
last meeting was held last evening.
They have reached final conclusion.
They recognize the right of the coun-
Gil to regulate this whole subject mat
ter and do not propose to raise any
howl If the present ordinance is al
lowed to stand. But, by a unanimous
vote, the present members OF the de-
partment resolved to resign, their res
lgnations to take effect next Tuesday
evening at ten o'clock, if no change
be made by the council. In the mean
time they have requested the city at
torney to prepare an ordinance to be
presented to the council at its regu-
lar meeting Monday night. This or
dinance provides for three companies
OF ten men each, a chief and an as
slstant chief engineer, the pay to be
restored TO 500 per fire. This cuts
down the number of members eleven.
The fire Of last night was a strong
argument in favor Of the fire boys
side of this difference. No man
would expect any man to perform the
labor, run the risks, suffer the expos
ures and replace the damages to cloth
ing occasioned by last nights fire for
sl.OO or $500. Let US give a few in
stances. Assistant Chief A. A. Raglan
was on the livery barn roof with a
hose. Fire broke out all around him.
One foot broke through the rotten
roof and his shoe got fastened so that
he could not extricate himself. To
save his life he had to cut the shoe
from his foot. 1t would take several
months for him to earn a new pair of
shoes at Sl.OO per fire. John Jackson
was on the same roof with a hose.
The fire whipped around and COM
pletely surrounded him. He took the
only chance left, He threw himself
down lengthwiSe on the roof and roll
ed off and fell from the caves to the
ground at the risk of life and limb.
Tim King aud Sam Davis likewise be-
came surrounded by flames between
two buildings and were in imminent
danger of periShing for several NOM
entS. Sterling Atkins was badly cutand
wounded by broken glass. Nearly
every member of the company was
drenched from head to foot for hours.
Each of them performed from two to
four hours Of the Severest, most ex-
hausting labor.
This caseiS one extreme; the Snyder
fire, is the other. The proper solu.
tion OF existing differences and diff
culties is difficult problem that calls
for moderation of speech, calm con-
sideration, and cool, deliberate judg-
ment from both sides. We fear that
there have been hasty, inconsiderate
and unwise talk on both sides, all of
which has been very natural. but
prompted nevertheless by the passions
and not the reasoning faculties of the
mind. We believe this tendency is
passing away and that the sober sec
ond thought is controlling both sides
today.
We know that the city council has
only one desire and Gthat is to deal
fairly with the fire department and to
do justice to the public. The men,
bers of the council, like all our citi-
zens, recognize the meritOrious SER
vices OF the fire boys in the past and
appreciate them. But they know
that this service has been costing the
city more money than we can afford
to pay. With the light before them,
they have honestly used their best
Judgment. Their action was unani-
nous. On the other hand the fireman
appreciate the difficulties, the dangers
and individual losses incident to their
positions better than any one else.
But when the terms Of their employ
ment no longer suit them they have
a perfect right 10 quit, although we
think they have fixed too early date
for their disbanding. They should
have given the city reasonable time
time to organize a new fire depart
ment. This can not be done in day
or two.
We sincerely hope tdat some agree
ment can be reached by which the
present members of the fire dep art
ment will remain in the service of
the city and that at the same time,
the expense to the city of maintain
ing the department will be very ma