El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-12-31
NO PAID DEPARTMENT.
The City Council Killed the Move This
Morning.

The ao journed meeting of the city
council was called together this morn
ing at 10 o'clock to consider the move
towards Ell PasO adopting a paid fire
department. Insurance agents and q
numbe OF tax payers were present to
discuss the matter with the council
and for an hour and half the question
was thoroughly discussed.
Judge Ed ards was there as presi-
dent of the volunteer fire department
and as member of large humber
of tax payers. He challenged the re-
port of the citizens committee regard
ing tt real costs of the volunteer fire
department and showed that in re atty
the department as now constituted ONLY
cost the city $1,000 a year. He re-
ferred to figures on ell points at issue
snd especially laid stress on the article
in yesterdays HERALD about what
would really be the costs of paid fire
department. He asked the council to
appoint an auditing committee from
among the newly elected fire directors
SO that all the bills of the fire depart
ment for the past year could be gone
over aud the council could see just how
much had been saved the city by the
retiring board of directors by their
careful work in auditing al. &C cunts
that came through their department
The Judge recommended that the
city purchase and equip chemical
engine and that if the CT y so desi' ed
it could gradually go into paid fire
department, but that to adopt such q
radical change at the present time
would denoralize the fire fighting
service of the city that would be de-
trimental to property owners interest.
The judges arguments were con-
vincing and his speech carried great
weight with the council.
Messrs. II. r. Wood, A. M. Loomis,
A. p. Coles and II. B. Stevens. all fire
insurance agents, then addressed the
council on what would be saved the
city by the adoption of q paid fire de-
mittee, aud the most any of them said
would be saved to the city was about
So, 700, and the necessary equipment
would cost the city anywhere from
So 500 to s., 900 to even get that rebate
There was rome of them that believed
that with paid Gepar tment of ten
men the insurance rates would he de-
ere ased at all, and all were OF the
opinion that ten men could not possibly
form an efficient fire department
They showed that q second class city
vas rated at q basis of 81. 10 on the 800
while q first class rate was from basis
of 81. Ell Paso enjoyed rate between
the two classes and was rated on a
basis of 81. 10 on business property an
at ST on dwelling property. None of
the insurance agents would agree to
guarantee any reduction whatever if
the report of the citizens committee
were adopted. The insurance agents
talk left the council with no argumen
in favor of accepting the paid system,
because they were cOrpered on one side
l. 81 I<n Ncfc f0 hn nj ry
and on the other with no certainty of
getting any reduction in insurance
rates.
Chief Connors said he had asked Mr..
Wood 10 write to Mr.. Jalonick and
fnd out just what wss consider ed full
paid department accordir g to liz
suranoe ratings and the l. tier received
stated that with the addition of
chemical engine. an electric fire alarm
system az ten paid men that that
would come up to. all requirements.
Mr.. Connors then said he had been
wrongfully accused of f-voring full
paid fire department as he had report
ed to the committee in faveref-retsin-
ing the present volunteer fire depart
ment. He recommended that the
volunteer fire department. elect chief
who should be confirmed by the city
council and should receive q salary of
s75 per month and whose duty it was
to rem ain in the department all the
time the same as other paid fireman.
Mr.. Connors thought that this would
make more effici mt department.
Judge Edwards again spoke in
favor of economy ard sa'd that the city
in its present fipaocial condit on could
not afford to go from l2,0C0 to SIG, 900
into further expenses than it now b ad.
Judge Edwards said that a chem Cal
engine should be added to the deDart-
nent as it would save fires sn5 would
gradually lead up to the point the city