The sun., 1901-03-15
APPEAL OF
ANTI-C0MBINE
Asked City Council to Pass an
Ordinance.
ROTATION In FIRE CHIEFS
Ordinance Was Read Twice and Re-
ferred to the Law Committee
Communication Setting Forth
Their Grievance is Read.
ROTATION In FIRE CHIEFS

City Council at its meeting last night
was formally asked to pass an ordin-
ance regulating the election system Of
chief and assistants 50 that they will be
selected from the several companies i'll
rotation.
The matter was brought up by Mr..
Mousley, chairman Of the fire committee,
who on behalf OF Il committee from the
anti-combine fire companies presented
the following communication:
| 10 the president and the members of
the Council: We the undersigned, Il com
Inittee from the Reliance, Delaware,
Water Witch and Fame Fire Companies,
with the full power and authority of our
respective companies, i'll that behalf, do
respectfully request your honorable body
10 pass the accompanying ordinance
regulating the election Of IL chief engineer
and assistants Of the Fire Department of
the city of Wilmington.
Five Of the fire companies of this city
to wit: the Friendship, Phoenix, Wash
ington, Weccacoe and Liberty, have
entered into compact or combine under
the seals of those respective companies,
by which they seek for the next ensuing
ten years to coniinc the selection of fire
department officers to those fire companies
and to ignore and exclude the four mi
nority companies from all real participa-
rion therein.
This new compact for ten years fol-
lows one for IL similar period Of time
which has just elapsed. BY these meth
DDS these majority companies bind the
votes of their companies and the opin-
ions of their members absolutely for ten
years in advance, Notwithstanding any
change which might take place i'll the
thoughts and opinions of the indiyidu-
ais composing the said companies and
they thus eliminate all semblance of Il
contest at the biennial election for the
officers of the department. The four
minority companies are as effectually
excluded from having officers of the fire
department AS il they lived in China.
The law under which the fire department
elects its officers did not contemplate
such IL vicious system and we simply ask
you to supplement that law but not to
change it, SO that it justly and equitably
cnforces the scpirit and real intention OF
those who framed and enacted the law
When it is sought to continue this un
~
for perhaps indefinitely, from ptls,sl. sci
fish motives, we think that our patienc,
ceases TO be virtue and since tn,
combine will not voluntarily grant lls
our rights we petition your honorable
body to do so. Present conditions have
and are producing friction among com
bne and anti-combine companies and until
our wrongs are righted this tendency to
| fritt i'm n MI unInprn inn nf hn tirn In.
partmcnt will increase, resulting ulti-
mately in the impairment of its efiiciensy
We say that it wa; tacitly understood
ten years ago. Wle!l the last combine
was formed that at lie expiration Of the
period of ten years the election of fire
department officers would again b,
thrown open to Il fair field and IL fire.,
fight. This promise has not been kept
We simply ask your honorable body 10y
this ordinance to make compulsory the
selection of the fire department officers
from all of the companies in rotation in
stead of the selfish rotation among the
five combine companies as is now til,
case. This will effectually prevent the
formation of any unjust combine in tn,
; future and by removing the present
source of dissatisfaction and discOrd, vii
!, restore harmony and result in the re
!, newed lease of life for our present ex
cellent volunteer fire department"
The communication was accepted. Mr.
Mousley then introduced the ordilianc,
accompanying the communication.
was read twice and referred to the law
committee.
The ordinance directs that the chic
; engineer and assistant engineers shall b.
selected from the several fire companie
in rotation, beginning with the chic
from company No. /: LIST assistant iron
!, company No. 4 and I'd assistarA fron
! company No. 7. Companies failing t
!, carry out the provisions of the ordinanc
! shall forfeit one-fifth of their appropria
ton.