The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-03-15
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 so that they will be
selected from the several companies in
rotation.
The matter was brought up by Mr..
Mousley, chairman of the fire committee,
who on behalf of committee from the
anti-combine fire companies presented
the following communication:
To the president and the members of
the Council: We the undersigned, COM
mittee from the Reliance, Delaware,
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 accompanying ordinance
regulating the election of II 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
mgtOn, 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 contine the selection of fire
department officers to those fire companies
and to ignore and exclude the four mi
nority companies from all real participa-
ton therein.
This new compact for ten years fol-
lows one for 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 in the
thoughts and opinions of the indivldu-
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 etfectually
excluded from having officers Of the fire
department as if they lived in China.
The law under which the fire department
elects its officers did not contemplate
such II vicious system and we simply ask
you to supplement that law but not to
change il, 50 that ii justly ANA cqnitahly
cntorcrS the scpirit and real intention Of
those who framed and enacted the law.
when il is sought to continue this un-
just compact Tor another ten years or
for perhaps indefinitely. from purely sell
fish motives, We think that our patience
ceases to be Il virtue and since tn"
combine will not voluntarily grant us
our rights "" petition your honorable
body to do 50. Present conditions have
and M" producing friction among com
hnr and anti combine companies and until
our wrongs are righlcd this tendency to
friction and decentralization of the fire de-
partmcnt will increase, resulting ultl-
matnly in the impairment Of its ctiiCiCnsy.
We say thlt il WAS tacitly understood
ten years ago. When til" lust combine
was formed that 1T the expiration of the
period Of ten years the C!", ton of fire
department officers would again lie
thrown open TO n fair field ana II free
fight. This promise has not been kept.
"" simply ask your honorable body by
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
i've combine companies as is now the
ease. This will citcctually prevent the
formation Of any unjust combine in the
future and by removing the present
source of dissatisfaction and discord, will
restore harmony and result in the rr-
nrw"d lease Of life for our present ry-
c"llcnt volunteer fire department.
The communication was accepted. Mr..
Mnuscy then Introduced the ordinance
accompanying the communication. It
WAS read twice and referred to the law
committee.
The ordnance directs that the chief
engineer and assistant engineers shall be
selected from the several fire companies
in rotation. beginning with the chief
from company No. /: Isl assistant from
company No. 4 and 81 assistant from
company No. 7. Companies failing to
carry ont the provisions of the ordinance
shall forfeit onr-tifth of their appropria-
ton.