Evening star., 1897-01-05
.FIREMEN CRITICISED
Meeting of the Mount Pleasant Git
izens' Association.
ENGINE COMPANIES EQUIPMENT
The Proposed Railroad Extension
Discussed at Length.
SOME OTHER MATTERS
SOME OTHER MATTERS

There was regular monthly meeting of
the Mt. Pleasant Citizens Association last
| evening, presided over by President ]. w
Somerville, at which alleged inefficiency of
| the fire department, or one company there
| of, and street railroad facilities were the
| principal matters discussed and passed up
| on Extra charges by express companies
| and the extension Of the city limits and the
police patrol were also considered.
After Mr.. Campbell, from the committee
on streets and sidewalks. had informed the
association that he had laid before the
House appropriation committee the associa-
ton's request for the extension of Kenesaw
avenue and Lowell street to the Zoo Park.
and that the committee seemed very favor
ably disposed, the committee on schools
was Instructed to ask the House appropria-
| ton committee to provide the sum of 8, 5n
1or equlppng the village school house with
steam neat and sewer connections
Mr. tickets next called attention to the
| Isct mat the police do not patrol the streets
| OF MI Pleasant north of Park street He
| ana other members thought that the whole
| village should be patrolled by dismountcd
p,;,tea men en- ana at his suggestion the COM
| i..ee on ponce and fire departments was
Instructed 10 request the District Commits
| sicners to SO order.
The Fire COmpany
An account of recent fire in the vicinity
preclp1tated general discussion of the
eHciency of Chemical Engine Company No.
= stationed on 14th street near KENYON.
Mr.. Campbell remarked that when the
| company was established Chief Paris had
assured the people of Mt Pleasant that the
men IN the company were veteran firemen
| capable and intelligent. Yet ii seemed that
| thelr work at the recent fire had shown
them to be both incompetent and ignorant
as TO their duties. Then, too, it appeared
| that while there is 6 steam engine in the
house, No. IL, there are no horses to null
| II, and no hose to &C with it, although he
understood money had been appropriated
several months ago.
Mr. l.. 5. Emery, who said he was I'm
early attendance at the fire I'm question,
| said that while the chemical company
| promptly responded and succeeded in
somewhat checking the fire until the ar
rival or steam engine company No. 9. by
| which latter company the fire was quickly
| extinguished, the first named company
| acted in rather inefficient manner. The
chemicals We're soon exhausted, and it ap-
peared as if the company had gone to the
| fire with but a single charge of chemicals.
Then, too, the company showed lack of
discipline.
Mr.. A. L. Leonard spoke in a similar
strain, and accused the authorities of ne
| glecting the village and vicinity in the
matter of safety against fire. He offered
| the following resolution: That the commit
! tee ascertain from the Commissioners why
| the steam engine and reel appropriated for
| Mount Pleasant had not been located there
| instead Of secondhand engine, and to ask
| that this engine and equipment be placed in
Mount Pleasant.
About Promotion.
President Somerville remarked that Chief
Paris had done all in his power to secure
| a larger and better equipped fire depart
ment, but Secretary Exley called attention
| to the chiefs recent utterance in The Star
| of his future intentions in the matter
| of promotions Of inen to be foremen Of
| companies. Chief Paris had, said Mr.
| Exley, boldly explained that he will not
| hereafter confine himself to assistant fore
men in selecting foremen of companies,
but will take men from the ranks. Such
| course, thought Mr.. Exley, would be
not only unjust and unfair to assistant
| foremen il the department, but would re-
suit in great injury to the discipline of
| the force. If, he said, the assistant fore
men are not worthy of promotion, then
| they are not competent or fit to be what
| they are. Every sixth day, and two or
more hours every day, he explained, as
sistant foremen are in sole command of
| their respective companies and if Chief
| Paris honestly believes that they are not
worthy of promotion then he is committing
a great wrong on the community eve.y
day in continuing the present assistant
foremen in their positions. If they are
competent, then they are worthy of and
entitled to promotion. When Mt. Pleasant
| receives its new company its people will
expect to see q tried man made its fore
man. They will! demand that he shall be
one accustomed to command, one compe-
tent to command and not a man suddenly
jumped from privacy over the heads of
his superiors in rank Mr.. EXley, there
fore, moved that the committee inquire
into the matter, and the motion prevailed.
Railroad Extension.
President somerville explained that while
T.
pert to make, he desired to say that the
people of Mt. Pleasant had been duped by
the Metropolitan Railroad Company. He
explained how, about two weeks ago. he
and others had accompanied President Har
ries and the directors Of the company over
the company's road up to and around Mt.
Pleasant, and how day or two later the
House Of Representatives had passed a bill
providing for the extension of the road
only to 18th street and Columbia road Mr..
Somerville said he desired to say, however,
that the bill passed was not that OF Presi-
dent Harries, but was one introduced about
year ago at the request of President Phil
lips. 1t was the earnest desire of President
Harries, stated Mr.. Somerville, that the
road should be SO extended that 1t would
make a loop around Mt. Pleasant. He
knew. therefore, that President Harries
was as much disappointed as were the peo-
pie of Mt. Pleasant when the House only
authorized the extension to 18th street and
Columbia road. and he had every reason to
believe that Mr.. Harries would do every
thing In his power to extend the road in
the near future up to and around Mt.
Pleasant
President Somerville's remarks gave rise
to very general discussion of the matter,
during which 1t was stated that the reason
why the directors had overruled President
Harries was their belief that there was not
population enough to warrant the building
of the road to the extent urged by him. 1t
was also stated that the people could not
expect any relief in the matter from the
Capital Traction Company, as that COM
pany appeared to be perfectly satisfied with
the present situation. 1t was decided that
the association and people Of Mt Pleasant
should do everything in their power to de-
feat the House bill and secure the extension
of the Metropolitan road to Mt. Pleasant
The matter was finally disposed OF by the
adoption Of a resolution directing the COM
mittee on street railroads and such other
members of the association as could con-
veniently attend, to present the matter to
the Senate committee next Friday morning
ND nd anendnanf 90