The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-16
WANT A NEW FIRE CHIEF.
INSURANCE MEN DECLARE MA
CURE INCOMPETENT.

point His Successor a Man W 18th
Experience, Judgment and Disci-
pIine-The Insurance COmmittee's
Letter Discussed-Chief Maguire's
Statement Before the Commission.
His Attack on tire Insurance Men.
The Commission Declines to Con-
slider General Charges.
The fire commission held a meeting last
night for the purpose of considering
communication from a committee Of in
surance men, rejecting upon Fire Chief
Maguire's ability as head Of the fire de-
partment, and bringing pointedly to the
attention of the commission the question
of a change in the head of the department.
Chairman Grayson received the commu-
nication yesterday morning. and decided
to call a meeting of the commission at
once TO consider it. The meeting was held
in the office OF the commissioners at the
new fire headquarters in No. engine house
at West Broad and Indian streets.
Chairman Grayson opened the meeting
with the statement that he had received
communication which he thought 1t well
to bring to the attention of the board at
once. As ii was a subject in which the
public was directly interested, he said he
had thought it well that the meeting
should be public and had invited repre-
sentative of the Morning News to be pres
ent.
The communication was read as follows
Savannah, Ga, June 10, 1S97.-Mr. VII
liam L. Grayson, Chairman; Mr.. r. S.
Nell Mr. George ". Parish, Fire Com
missioners. Savannah: Conference.-The
undersigned, being a committee represent
ing fire insurance companies doing bust
ness in Savannah, have been requested to
communicate with you for the purpose of
bringing about much needed improvement
in your fire department.
IN view Of the disastrous results of past
fires we have come to the conclusion that
the trouble lies principally with the head
of your department, or fire chief. He has
not the experience and judgment neces-
sary to successfully cope with fires, IL
being acknowledged that your apparatus,
as far as it goes, is of high order. A
city of the size and importance of Savan-
nah should have for its fire chief a man
of demonstrated fitness-that is, expert
enced a good disciplinarian, and having
some knowledge Of mechanics. We refer
to the head of your fire department SIM
ply in his official capacity, and judge Of
MS competency ny the result OF MS WOfk.
Our conclusion from this standpoint is that
he is not a successful chief of the fire
department, and the interests of all par
ties demand your careful consideration, to
the end that chief combining the quail
fications specified shall be speedily pro-
Vided.
We respectfully request that you con-
slider the ACCESSIBILITY of employing some
man from one Of the larger cities Of this
country, say New York or Chicago, he
lieving that the man with the requisite
ability cannot be obtained from the small
er cities.
Our interests in this matter being NUT
ual, we tender you any assistance that 1t
may be in our power to render. Yours
truly, John c. Whitner, Chairman;
Charles e. Dox, w. E. Chaplin, Commit
tee.
After the communication had been read
1t was commented upon by the commits
sioners. IF they can demonstrate TO me. -
said Chairman Grayson. that the chief
is not competent, and that we should get
another chief, then as much as l like
Mr.. Mcguire, will be willing to make the
change. They must demonstrate his I'M
fitness first, however, and this cannot be
done by simply making general statements
of opinion"
'As to bringing a chief here from some
other city" said Commissioner Nell, 1.-The
city went to the expense several years ago
of bringing Chief Hale of Kansas City
here, to teach Chief Puder how to run a
fire department. Immediately after Chief
Hale's return to Kansas City his town
suffered a very disastrous fire. You are
bound to have such fires sometimes, no
matter how competent the chief may be-
The Savannah fire department has held
the fires within the walls of the buildings
an which the fires originated, and under
the circumstances, 1 do not think the in
surance people have anything to complain
of.
THE last two important fires were well
managed" said Commissioner Parish
1t looks like a dead set to remove the
chief" remarked Chairman Grayson.
Il have something to say as to the
origin Of these charges" said chief Ma
gulre 1T is not a question of my abil-
ity, but entirely question OF politics"
BY resolution Of the board, Chief Ma
guire was given permission to read a
written statement which he had prepared
IN answer 10 the charges in the COM
munication just read Chief Maguire's
reply is a hot article for which he as
sumes entire responsibility. 1t is as
follows:
Conference.-The have received no in
formation from the board that these
charges would be presented al this meet
ing was expecting them, and after read
,ng the Press this afternoon I thought
should be prepared to reply TO them to-
night
on June 4 | received information from
what | consider a reliable source that the
local insurance companies of this city
were discussing the ACCESSIBILITY OF prepar-
ing a petition asking for my removal
which they propose sending to Atlanta. to
the office Of the Southeastern Tariff Asso-
citation requesting the officials Of that or
ganizauon 10 sign, and return il to Sa-
Nannah. Subsequently / learned that this
setter had been prepared, and that IL had
been forwarded 10 Atlanta. There appears
10 have been some objections raised by
the Southeastern Tariff Association or the
officials representing IL. and after some
further correspondence IL was decided that
II were best not 10 insist further upon the
signatures of the officials Of the associa-
ton.
Information comes 20 me that the origi-
nal plan was 10 have the Southeastern
Tarih Association. or IT'S officers. interest
themselves IN accomplishing my removal.
then 20 refer the application to city coun-
ell, and request their cooperation, ana re-
commentator Of a petition 70 the board