Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-21
FIRE COMPANY MAY GET BACK
Commercial Club Committee Meets with the
City Council,
RE.ESTABLSHNG ENGINE HOUSE URGED
Method for Financing the Matter is
Discussed with Indications that
the Plan May Succeed Ere
Many weeks.

NthhS "'tR
The Harvey street fire engine company,
which was abandoned by the Board Of Fire
and Police Commissioners on March 1 be-
cause Of a lack of money in the fire fund.
will be occupied again in a short time II
the funds necessary for it's maintenance can
be legally raised by the method which the
I city council has decided upon. This was
the important result of a visit that was
made by a committee from the Commercial
club to the city fathers while the latter
were in committee of the whole Monday
afternoon.
After discussing the situation for more
than an hour, the council decided to APP
prCpriate the $1,000 for the maintenance of
the company during the year out OF the
money that the Burlington and the Union
Pacific Railroad companies will pay some
time this year in settlement of the city via
duct claims. Mayor Moores agreed that if
the city attorney gives it as his opinion
that the money can be so used he Will APP
prove the scheme. If this opinion is fav-
orable the house will be occupied and the
company that was there will be put in serv-
ice in a comparatively few days.
A very large committee of Commercial
club members was present to insist that
I Ine engine company ne Itldlutu anu luGS
we're very much in earnest. The visitors
comprised President Martin, Major X. b.
Wilcox, C. S. Hayward. w. H. Thompson,
e. NJ. ANDERSEN, w. w. Umsted, II. o..
Beatty, A. Hcspe, John Hussie and c. H.
Pickens. President Martin presented the
proposition, but nearly all of the members
of the committee had something to say on
the matter.
Points Raised by Martin.
President Martin said that only a short
time ago the business men secured relief
from excessive insurance rates by entering
into a compact with the insurance COM
panies according to which the fire depart
ment was to be maintained on its existing
basis. BY Withdrawing the Harley street
company from service, which company he
said was the most important to the jobbing
interests of the city on account of equip
ment and location, there was no doubt that
insurance rates would rise. Inasmuch as
the company could be maintained for only
$1,000 a year, he stated that he and the
other business men present believed that
the necessary money should be in some way
provided in order not to cripple the depart
ment and not to risk a raise in insurance
rates that would amount in the aggregate
to many times more than $1,000.
Major Wilcox declared that Minneapolis
maintained twenty-five fire engines. He be-
lieved that a city of Omaha's size could
afford to maintain at least four.
H. o. Beatty, one of the business men in
strumental in forming the insurance ccm-
pact, asserted that the insurance companies
would raise rates as soon as they learned
that a company was cut off from the depart
ment. He estimated that the increase in
insurance rates would mean $50, 900 to the
city merchants in the course Of a year.
Some of those present thought that if any
cut was made in the department it would
be more advisable to make it in the out
skirts OF the city, but this idea was dis
Outraged by Mr.. Martin and others, who
insisted that the workingman has as much
right to protection from fire as the big es
Establishments in the center of the city.
c. H. Pickens said that instead of re-
duced protection the business interests OF
Omaha located in the down town district
should have and were entitled to more pro-
lection. For example, he said, a hose COM
pany should be located near Eleventh and
Jones streets.
Talks for the Council.
In behalf of the council, President Bling
ham explained that the council could not
legally transfer money from another fund
to replenish the fire fund. He admitted that
'AN iAAN a'4'ANA ~ - wv aAiiNAA " II
the fire department and said that he had
favored that the full charter limit be levied
when the levy was considered. But he de-
clared that the pressure for a low levy was
so great from taxpayers that it was re-
duCed below the amount known to be
needed. He mildly criticized the committee
Of business men for not appearing when the
levy was under consideration.
THE jobbers and retailers pay more
money to maintain the city government than
any other class, but they are diffident when
it comes to kicking against taxation re-
piled Mr.. Martin to this criticism. when
the levy is made, the other fellow is the
taxpayer. We did not know that any cur
tailment in the fire department was being
considered
Mayor Moores was called in to assist in
solving the dilemma. lie said that full
publicity had been given to the fact that the
levy proposed for this year was too small
When the levy ordinance passed, he vetoed
it and in his veto measure stated that if
it was passed over his veto the result would
be that the fire, as we'll as the other de-
partments of the city government would be
very seriously crippled. Yet the council did
pass the ordinance over the veto and now
he proposes to see that no deficits occurred
in the departments. Consequently this re
quired that expenses should be cut down
and in the fire department it was necessary
that two engines companies be withdrawn
from the service, one of them being from
the Harvey street house.
at is an outrage, of course" continued
the mayor. 81 understand that some peo-
pie want us to cut out some of the fire com
panies in the outskirts of the city, but in
the outskirts lives the poor man, who has
his all in his home, and he should certainly
have the fire protection that he has now.
downtown there are three other companies.
besides the one We have cut out. That is
the situation
Seeking a Way Out.
After talking over every possible means of
raising the necessary money that would be
needed to keep the engine company in the
service, the council finally decided upon
taking it from the amount that is to be
paid in by the railroads in settlement of
the viaduct claims.
Some of the councilmen who had supported
the levy of this year squirmed at the in
direct charges made that they were respon-
sible for the condition of affairs. Council
man Mount attempted to show that more
money was provided for the fire fund this
year than for the last five years, but failed.
For example, II was shown that in 1895,