The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-25

Select Councilman G. e. Chittenden,
of the Ninth ward, went on record last
night as being in favor of thorough
reorganization OF the fire department
and succeeded finally IN having the
matter referred to a special committee
for thorough consideration. Mr.. Chit
tenden kept up persistent hammer
ing at the department all night.
Early in the evening the fire COM
mittee OF select reported favorably a
number Of ordinances, and as each one
of these was reported Mr.. Chittenden
moved that action on 1t be indefinitely
postponed. The first one OF these was
the ordinance creating the Office of fire
marshal. Action on this was post
poned by a vote of fourteen to five.
A motion to postpone on the ordi-
nance providing for a permanent man
for the Franklins was lost, and then
another motion to indefinitely post
pone on the ordinance ror two perma-
nent men for the Liberty and Niagara
companies was carried. This latter
action greatly incensed Mr.. Finn, who
said:
This is an outrage. Anything they
want for the central city companies
llity get, Dul we Ndll lOT our
North Scranton companies is ignored"
"Those two companies ought to be
separated" said Mr.. Chittenden, "but
we've never had a mayor or a chief
who dared tackle the question and keep
them apart"
MAN FOR COLUMBIAS.
The next ordinance reported favor
q hn N fpr
| the appointment of an additional man
| for the Columbias. Mr.. Chittenden
moved to indefinitely postpone, but Mr.
| oliver Indignantly protested. Mr.. Chit.
| tenden then asked him how many men
! the company now has, and he replied
| three.
This will make four men, I'll ad'
nit" said Mr.. oliver, but we need
that number. There are two pieces OF
/ apparatus in that house, and every
piece of apparatus should have two men
| In the central city they have three anC
four men in a house. but when we
want them in West Scranton, we don't
| get them"
When the ordinance came UP later
| on second reading Mr.. Chittender
moved that the volunteer fire depart
ment be disbanded and that four paid
men be allotted to- each company.
THE gentleman is getting facetious,'
! said Mr.. Oliver, ''if we're going to dc
this we should allow seven men to each
company. But the idea is absurd. He's
getting wild
I'm not wild" retorted Mr.. Chitten.
den, neither am I facetious. It's the
way the councils are running wild thai
| prompts me to offer this motion. We
are expending over 100000 a year OF
the department now and what are we
getting. I am heartily in favor of dis
banding these companies and putting
the members back on the tax book.
| where they belong.
MY plan is to have four men in eacf
company and to have one of those
chosen captain. This will rid us o.
this useless expenditure and politica
wire-pulling. We all know that tn,
department at present is absolutely
destitute of discipline"
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE.
1t was finally decided to refer the
| whole matter to a special committe;
and Chairman Wagner appointed
Messrs. Chittenden, Oliver and Waugh
an as members OF such committee.
Action on the ordinance providing TO
the permanent men for the two Nortl
| Scranton companies was finally recon
sidered and the measure passed tw,
| readings.