Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-03-21

Money for the School Board.
The effort on the part of the "anti-
combine" fire companies to secure
recognition in the matter of electing
officers Of the Fire Department, which
was begun in the General Assembly,
has been transferred to City Council.
At Thursdays meeting of that body,
at the request of Attorney William F.
Kurtz, representing the "anti -ccm-
bine'' companies, an ordinance WAS in
troduoed by Mr.. Mousley, chairman of
the committee on fire companies, and
read twice and referred to the law and
fire committees, providing for rotation
among all OF the companies in the cleo
tion of officers hereafter
1t stipulates that on the second Tues.
day in May OF next year the chief engi-
neer shall be elected from company No.
/, and biennially thereafter the chief
shall be elected from the next com.
pany in numerical rotation, and so on.
The same rule lie to operate as to the
first assistant, who is to be first chosen
from company No. 4, and the second
assistant, who is to be first chosen from
company No. Z.
A refusal to comply with the pro-
visions of the ordinance ON the part OF
any company is TO work q forfeiture of
sne-fifth of that oompany's appropria-
zion for the year in which such viola
tion OCCURS.
The ordinance was preceded by pre-
amble and accompanied by letter
from the 'anti-combine' committee,
both of which recited the committee s.
reasons for desiring the ordinance
passed. The letter was as follows:
"To the President and the Members
of the Council: We the undersigned,
committee from the Reliance, Della
ware, Water Witch and Fame Fire
companies with the full power and
authority Of our respective companies.
In that behalf, do respectfully request
your honorable body to pass the accom-
papying ordinance regulating the cleo
tion of chief engineer and assistants
Of the Fire Department of the city of
Wilmington.
Five OF the companies Of this city,
to wit, the Friendship, Phoenix, WASH
ington, Weccacoe and Liberty COM
panies, have entered into a compact or
combine under the seals OF those re-
spective companies by which they seek
for the next ensuing 10 years to confine
the selection Of Fire Department officers
to those fire companies and to ignore
and exclude the four minority COM
psnies from all real participation
therein.
"This new compact for 10 years
follows one for q similar period Of
time, which has Just elapsed. By these
methods these majority companies bind
the votes OF their companies and the
opinions of their members absolutely
for 10 years Ia advance, notwithstand-
ing any change which might take place
in the thoughts and opinions Of the
individuals composing the said com.
panies, and they thus eliminate all
semblance of contest at the biennial
election for the officers OF the depart.
mont. The four minority companies
are rs effectually excluded from having
offices OF the Fire Department as II
they lived In China. The law under
which the Fire Department elects Its
officers did not contemplate such q
vicious system and we simply ask you
to supplement that law, but not tc
change 1t. 80 that it Justly and equit.
ably enforces the spirit and real in,
tention OF those who framed and enacted
the law.
when It is sought to continue thil
unjust compact for another ten year,
or for perhaps indefinitely from purely
selfish motives we think that oul
patience ceases to be virtue, and since
the combine will not voluntarily gran
US our rights we petition your honorabl,
body to do 30. Present conditions have
and are produoing friction among com
bine and anti-combine companies ant
until our wrongs are righted this ten
dency to friction and Decentralization o
the Fire Department will increase, re
sulting ultimately In the impairment o
its efficiency. We say that it wa
taoitly understood ten years ago, wher
the last combine was formed that a
the expiration Of the period Of ten year
the election of Fire Department officer
would again be thrown open to fai
field and free fight. This promise ha
not been kept. We simply ask you
honorable body by this ordinance &
make compulsory the selection Of th
Fire Department officers from all of th
companies IN rotation instead Of tn
selfish rotation among the five combin
companies as 10 now the case. This vii
o1ectually prevent the formation of an
.ASaot Soinpihc IL tuo tutuf6 and o.
removing the present source of dis
satisfaction and discord will restor
harmony and result in tha renew
lease OF life for our present exceIlep
volunteer Fire Department.
Most Of the members of the "anti
combine" committee, and Mr.. Kurt
their attorney, were interested spects
tors at the meeting. There were ais
some combine fireinen present an
after the meeting some of them cor
ferred with members OF CounciI rela
tive to the ordinance. The fate Of th
measure cannot be foretold, but muc
will depend upon the report Of the CON
mittees which, it is expected, will /
Forthcoming in q week or two. On
member of Council told the "antI
combine men that he would not 70,
for the ordinance. while most Of I'd
members were not inclined to pass sna
judgment. Several intimated that the
would give the measure favorable cor
sideration. s
The .anti-combine'' people clai,
that Council has full jurisdiction in ID
matter, while some of the Combine
men take the opposite view. The GU,
come is awaited with interest.