The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-15
WHAT A DIFFERENCE
The Fire Department Now and That a
Year Ago This Morning.
WHERE THE TROUBLE LIES
II Is a Matter That VIII In All Prob
ability Be Discussed I'm the
Council-Much to Be
Considered.

II il Nkeay that the effort TO restore
,,,o Rutfe FIRE department to It's old
sin,e efficiency will become the sup1ect
Of considerable comment In the councai
meeting tonight. The Importance On
the matter cannot be overeStalnateo' An
efficient fire department Is more neces-
sary chan am efficient police force, more or
Smportant than any other prancn OF uiie
municipal service. The underwriters
have been discussing the matter VI
raising insurance rates In Buute, anu
this alone should be sufficient TO arouse
all hands to the Importance OF getuhs
the department. up to Its old-tirne STAN
dard.
chief Werner returned yesterday
from Gregson's springs and stated 70
the members of the fire committee tnat
me will be in shape to work again IN
few days. Mr.. Werner has been Ill tor
nearly four months. He has been on
duty part of that time. but has not been
in condition 10 give the city the best
service of which he is capable. Some OF
nhe aldermen are in favor OF giving
Werner another trial before placing Mr..
Themes I'm charge. The matter OF trans
ferring Captain Kinney to the quartz
street station, to which Mr.. Kinney so
strenuously objects, will also be agtat-
ed, probably IN the meeting tonight.
The members of the fire committee
claim THAT If they have any authority
or jurisdiction at all, they have the
power to make such changes in the de-
partment as they deem advisable, even
TO such an extent as dispensing with
the services of any member. Captain
Kinney claims that he cam only be fired
after charges have been preferred
against him and proved. Chief Werner
has prepared a communication which
will be presented TO the council Tonight
and viii add to the interest of the oc-
CASTOR.
II Is likely that the administration
will eventually come to the conclusion
that TO have an efficient fire department
the department must not be part o.
any religious machine. 1t must be alb
Bolutely divorced from both politics anC
religion. The firemen must understand
that they can hold their jobs solely by
being good firemen, that a pull Will
do them no good, no matter what or
ganization, or church, or party they
belong TO, and that If they are good
flremen they will hold their jobs in spite
of all changes of administration and
party. That is the only way Butte can
have a first -class fire department. The
Standard has always maintained that
both, the fire and police departments
shall be divorced from all party and
political influences
People refer nowadays Ito the SPLEEN
did fire department Butte had a year
ago-the one that was practically ami
Inflated a year ago tonight. Good as
that department was II as doubtful If
a single member of 1t would be i'm the
fire service to-day. had they all sur
vived the explosion. 1t Is very doubt
fun II they would have long survived
the change in administration. There
were no better ffremen killed in the ex-
plosion than Dave Magee and Jack
Flannery, who survived III. Yet these
two men could not long survive the
change of administration, good firemen
as they certainly were. and probably
the rest of the department would have
left with Flannery and Magee had they
not been killed. That is the harm of the
present system of running fire and po-
dice departments. A good fireman
should have a life job. whether he be-
Rongs to an organization or whether he
belongs ITO nothing; whether he Is
republican, democrat. or populist. or
nothing ait all. Butte viii have to come
10 that plan some time, and the sooner
tt comes to Vt the sooner will 1t have a
good fire service.
Frank Murray states that no one was
authorized to use his name In connec-
tion with the candidacy for fire chief
die Is engaged In mining and ds not a
candidate under any consideration and
authorized no one Ito use his name.