The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-28
HARMONY HIS INTENSI0N.
ALDERMAN KROUsKOFF DISCUSSES
CHIEF MAGUIRE's REPLY.

Regrets That the Chief Could Not See
the Matter ms He Did and Accept
the Proposition in the Interest OF
the COmmunity--TOO Much WrRng-
ling Is InJurinE the City, the Al
derman Says-Nny Make Further
Effort 10 Bring About a COmprO-
mise.
Fire Chief Magulre's declinatiOn to ac-
cept the proposition made him by Alder
man Krouskoff at the instance of himself
and other members Of the City Council
that he resign his present position TO ac-
cept that of fire marshal was generally
discussed yesterday.
The action Of the fire chief did not create
any great surprise. He had been generally
advised by his personal friends and even
those opposed to him hardly expected,
that he would take advantage of the prop
osition. Tt could not have appeared other
wise, his friends said than an admis-
sion upon his part of his inability to prop
erly conduct the fire department, and on
the other hand there was the natural dis
| taste to what would generally be consld-
an incompetent official.
Whether Council would have agreed TO
the proposition or not, there would certain
| ly have been much adverse comment.
Even had the chief accepted the propo-
| siton, there is no assurance that Council
| would have done so. A majority of tie
| Council had not committed themselves to
1t, and Alderman KrouslIoff, in making
sTara L.
| ed it would receive the support of a ma
jority of the board on account of the re-
| suits which 1t was hoped to bring about.
Alderman Krouskoff has been the prin-
| cipal mover in the matter. and it is gem
| orally recognized that his object was TO
| bring about a better state of feeling le-
tween Council and the Fire Commission
and to secure a removal of the increased
1 fire rate.
A Morning News reporter saw Alderman
Krouskoff at his residence yesterday, He
| expressed his disappointment at the I'M
| successful result of his efforts, but was
not disheartened. Whether he would make
any further effort to achieve the
objects he sought he was not ready to say.
My main purpose" he said was to
| restore harmony to the city government
and the community. We have had wrang
ling enough and ii is time we should come
together and work for the best interests
| of the city. / was elected on platform
| of opposition to commissions and l am still
| opposed to them. But with the commits
| sions constituted as they are at present
| Council is without authority to remedy
| any evil which it may believe to exist in
| any OF these departments, no matter what
! the effects are. 1t can only appropriate
The amount of money which the commits
| sioners shall spend. With some amend
| ments which would give Council a voice
| in the control of the commissions they
| might prove very satisfactory branches of
the government. 1t is essential that all
! parts of the government should work TO-
| gether in harmony to accomplish the best
results. There is no reason why this
should not be brought about.
| In fact with the exception of
the Fire Commission, there has been
little If any friction between Council and
the commissions and the departments I'M
der the commissions have been well man
aged so far as l can observe. If an end
can be put to the wrangling over the
| fire department and the fire commission
brought in touch with Council we shall
| all be al peace. This was what l had
| hoped to accomplish. There is no disguis-
| ing the fact that the fire chief is the bone
| of contention. We all recognize that. AS
to his ability as a fireman l am not
| in position to judge, but that there is
/ /.
| That he has been unsuccessful in recent
| fires and that this unsuccess has result
| ed in an increased insurance rate we
| know. The plan which | proposed would
| have provided honorably for the fire chief
and would have given him a position in
which he would have been able to do the
city great service. A new chief could
have been selected who would have been
satisfactory to both Council and
the Fire Commission and /
had the assurance of prominent insurance
men that in this case the increased rate
would be removed"
Alderman Krouskoff was asked if he
| thought Council would have made the ex-
| ira appropriation necessary to pay Chief
Maguire's salary as fire marshal.
Il think it would he said. when the
matter had been fairly presented to it. 1t
was simply a business proposition. If
by appropriating $1,000 a year for the
salary of a fire marshal the people of our
city could be saved $4,000 to $40, COO year,
it. would be wise and just appropria-
ton. The people who pay the insurance
are the ones who also pay the taxes. The
81 coo would have come out of their pock-
cts and would have been for their bene-
fit"
Alderman Krouskof said he believed if
the matter could have been kept entirely
secret until the negotiations were conclud-
ed there might have been a different re-
suit As soon as the matter was made pub >
lie, he said, political influences were
brought to bear prejudical to the end
sought by him.
"Will you make any further effort to
harmonic existing differences" he was
asked.
Il cannot say what will be DONE" he re-
Piled
Mr.. Krouskoff seemed to think, however
that something might still be accomplish
ed, though he did not say whether he
would renew his proposition to Chief Ma
guire or what steps he would take. In the
meantime the situation is just where il
was before, with the insurance rates 10 per
cent higher than formerly and apparently
with no prospect of compromise.
HUSBAND AND JEWELS GONE.