Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-09-23
But the Joint Committees Took
No Action Last Night.
MR.. DAOU0HERTY WAS HEARD
Enjoyable Musicale Given at the New Au-
RuGta Hotel by hfr. John Clay,
the Popular BonIface.
Other Matters.

The joint committee from the Town
Council and the Hampton Fire Depart
ment. recently appointed to inquire into
the advfsablity of securing a new en-
gineer and hose cart driver, met last
night in the council chamber but With
the exception of 4 considerable amount
Of talking. in trying to find out where
they We're at, transacted very little
business.
When Chairman j. F. Rowe called
the meeting to order at o'clock there
We're present from the council Messrs
S. S. Cunningham and Mayor Hope
while those from the Fire Department.
We're Chief W. j. Weymouth. Foreman
w. W. WoGd and Fireman George w.
Booker and Z. ]. Montgomery.
Chief Weymouth submitted I, long list
OF rules governing the engineer and
hose cart driver that had been drawn
up at recent meeting Of the depart
ment, wlich were accepted by the COM
mittee and referred TO the Ordinance
committee OF the council for sanction
before Being ratified by the council as
a whole. ...' '."
When the matter was disposed Of Mr.
Booker offered a motion that Mr.. Pat
Daougherty. the present driver. Who
was present at the meeting. be allowed
the privilege of addressing the commit
tee for the purpose of stating whether
he would accept the place as engineer
under the new laws. Here a question
arose as to whether member of the
committee from the Fire Department
had the right to offer a motion, wli:n
elected considerable debate Mayr
Hope thought as the two committees
were appointed to look into the matter
that It was proper for any one on either
committee to make any suggestion
that would tend to bring the trouble
10 an end. Mr. Wood was of the opin-
ion that it was entirely in the hands CT
the council committee and that the only-
thing his committee had to do was to
prepare the rules governing the enyi-
neer. After talking over the question
for some time Mr.. sBooker withdrew his
motion. but stated that something
should be done at once in order to let
Mr.. naougherty know what he was to
Go. If they intend to retain his services
Mr.. Booker said the committee should
say SO and if they thought best 20 dis
pense with the services OF Mr.. DaouSn-
erty he should know SO as to give him
chance to secure another position.
Mayor Hope then offered substitute
motion that the committee defer action
until Monday night when Mr.. j. NJ.
Cumming, a member of the council
committee, could be present, that gan
tleman being unavoidably detained
from being present last night. Before
vote could be taken Mr.. Daougherty
asked that he be allowed an opportu-
nifty to say q few words, which WAS
granted him. |0
He said he had been offered another
position and he was very DESTROYS CT
having the committee give him some
definite answer as to his chances for
retaining the place. The matter had
been hanging fire for some time said
Mr.. Daougherty, and he had been toli
that the position had been offered to
another man. which looked to him like
they We're simply using him until they
could get someone else to take the po-
sition. He had a family to support ana
while he did not like to leave the de-
partment without anyone to fill his po-
sition. he would be compelled to look
out for his own interests.
Mayor Hope. in answering Mr.
Daougherty. said he appreciated what
that gentleman had said, but as Mr..
Cumming was kept from attending the
meeting through no fault Of his own,
he considered that it would not be treat
Ing Mr.. Cumming with the proper
courtesy for the committee to take any
final action in his absence. He again
made a nation that the matter be de-
ferred until Monday evening at 100
o'clock "A vote was called for and the
motion carried.
The meeting then adjourned