The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-22
THE FIRE CHIEF FIGHT.
An Insurance Mans side of the
Question.

SAVANNAH LA June Z0.-EdltOF AOrn-
ing News: The Morning News of last
Wednesday printed an account of a meet
ing held by the board of fire commits
sioners on the previous night. As sew
eral untruths about me and about friends
of mine were uttered at that meeting,
and as these falsehoods are unavoidably
shown in your account of the proceedings
l ask that you will, with your habituaI
fairness, accord me space for vindication.
The meeting in question is said to have
been called for the purpose of consider
ing communication from a committee
of insurance men, rejecting upon Chief
Maguire's ability as head of the fire de-
partment, and bringing pointedly to the
attention OF commission question
OF change in the head of the depart
ment." The communication referred to
was one written in Savannah on the 10th
instant and signed by Messrs. John c.
Whitner, Charles f. Dox and w. E. Cha
pin, "a committee representing fire in
surance companies doing business in Sa-
Vannah."
Chief Mcguire is quoted as saying about
this letter; 1T Is not a question of my
ability, but entirely question of politics."
In written statement which he read to
the fire commissioners he designates me,
by name. as 1.-THE father of the move
AASAN, anu AC AYERS LuOSL DOSlllNGlY ID6L
neither Maj. Whitner, Mr.. Dox nor Mr.
Chaplin officially represented the South
eastern Tariff Association when they
signed" their letter to the fire commits
sioners. Mr.. Mcguire is credited later
with similar assertions concerning me and
the local and political nature of the move
ment, and with an unequivocal and IN
qualified denial that the Southeastern Tar
if Association lis making the fight"
l would not consider the matter worthy
of my attention were 1t not for Mr.. Ma
CURES persistent attempts to show that
politics was the basis of the letter writ
ten by the visiting committee to the fire
commissioners. The reformation of the
Savannah fire department, and it's estab-
hshment on an efficient footing, would be
a public service justly emitting it's promo
ters to the lasting gratitude of the com
munity; and my only objection to being
held up as 1.-THE father" of the present
movement is that it gives me credit to
which / cannot properly lay claim. But
the effort to divert attention from the
meritorious movement for reform by To-
CALLING it, and by attributing it to poll
tics should and will be exposed. In his
statement read to the fire commissioners
on Tuesday night Mr.. Mcguire makes a
number of allegations, which / will seek
to answer as follows
I never heard of the petition he refers
to, nor have 1 met any local agent who
has heard of it. Nor is the Southeastern
Tariff Association any wiser on the sub
ject, for when / sent it the following tel
egram on the 18th instant:
Was any petition for Chief Maguire's
removal ever sent by Savannah under
writer's to tariff association for latter's
signature? And if so, did tariff associa-
ton object to signing it? Answer"
1 received the subjoined reply:
from Savannah agents asking signatures
to petition for chiefs removal. S. Y. Tup-
per, president"
And member of the executive commit
tee of the tariff association, writing to me
on the same subject after denying all
knowledge of the document which Mr..
Maguire's genius has begotten, adds: II
am convinced that the officials of the
association would have signed such a pc
tition promptly and gladly, had it been
presented to them for that purpose"
The best posted local agents, fearing
the immediate application of an increase
of rates ordered last August were careful
to say nothing to excite the tariff asso-
citation, preferring to use home influence
for the correction of existing evils.
Messrs. Whitner, Dox and Chaplin came
to Savannah week before last expressly
as representatives of the Southeastern
Tariff Association, to seek the institution
of reforms in our fire department. This
is proven by the following telegram, re-
ceived by me on the nth inst, from the
tariff association:
''Messrs. Whitner, Dox and Chaplin, who
| recently visited your city, were commit
tee from the association, and did not rep
| resent merely their individual companies
| S. Y. Upper, president"
They were appointed for that special
| purpose at the regular meeting of the ex-
| ecutive committee of the association, held
I this month, and I knew absolutely moth
| ing of the movement or of their appoint.
| ment, or of their coming, until the day be-
| fore their arrival, when 1 accidentally
| heard that they would be here. They were
accompanied to Savannah by MIR. C. c.
| Fleming, the veteran secretary of the
| Southeastern Tariff Association, who re-
| manned with them throughout their visit
| and co-operated In their work Mr.. Dox
as he was here for three days, incident
| ally did some work on a pending loss; but
know that neither he nor his two asso-
| ciates came to Savannah on that occa-
| sion to adjust losses 1 never requested
| these gentlemen to sign any petition OF
any other document of any sort, nor, sc
far as 1 know, did any other local agent
| prefer such request.
The rough draft of the letter which was
| sent by Messrs. Whitner, Dox and Chaplin
to the fire commissioners was brought by
one Of the committee to my office as a
| convenient meeting place, and was there
| discussed, amended and put In it's final
| shape. Besides the three committeeman
| there were present at that conference only
| Secretary Fleming and myself. Secretary
Fleming had framed a letter to the fire
commissioners, and 1t was considered, but
the draft offered by one of the commit
| tee was adopted as the more suitable. Nc
paper of any kind other than Secretary
| Jennings draft and the one which was
| adopted was mentioned IN the conference
| The five gentlemen present We're unani-
nous on every point cheerfully adopt
ing or withdrawing amendments as the
| advisability or individuality of the latter
was demonstrated. I refer TO Messrs
| Whitner, Dox, Chaplin and Fleming for
confederation on this point.
There Is no regular organization Of the
| fire insurance agents here, the old board
| of FIRE underwriters, although never for
mally disbanded, having held no meeting
since October 1857. There Is no local com
mittee OF Observation-Disclosures" large
| and influential" Special" or otherwise
on the subject OF the fire department
nor has there been since last autumn OF
winter, when such committee, having
facilitated the work Of the tariff asso-
| citation committee OF which Mr.. Milton