The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-15
THE FIRE !:
DEPARTM ENT.

In relation 10 the proposed aCt
n which will ue submitted to the Gen
81 eraI Assembly, changing the meth
N cd OF electIng a chief engineer and
two assistants OF the fire depart
mcut of the city of Wilmington, we
desire to submit to the public in
general, and to the Members OF the
q General Assembly in particular,
q our reasons for asking for this
change now. Our whole case rests
on the necessity to curb the vicious
and unrighteous priniplbe involved
10 the r .ssent combine" among a
1 majority OF the fire companies aud
Y the fairness VITA which The propos-
G ed act intends to solve the difficulty.
If our reasons do not appeal to
! the public as warrautins IA change.
we are content. II, Gu the other
hand, We prove the Justice of our
7 cause, we earnestly ask the press
{ and general public TO support us.
by word and deed. in Fighting what
i we conceive to be wrong.
i Five of the nine fire companies
embraced IN the Wilmington Fire
Department comprise what is known
AZ the coordination, namely, the
Friendship, Phoenix, Washington.
Weccacoe and Liberty companies.
These FIVE companies entered into
this combine or compact over 10
years ago, about tho time the pres
ent law relating to the election OF
officers OF the hre department was
passed, This compact, enteredinto
10 years ago, has just been renew
cd tcr i second term of 10 years.
In this compact. which is supposed
10 be .cret, the several companies
have cutlle1 into an agreement IN
writing, 81 ,ued by their proper OF
ticers, and solemnlv sealed with
their corporate seals, bywEich they
mutually agree 10 select from the
4 meml ers OF such combine conf
lpanies exclusively, the department
officers for the term OF 10 len years
designating the respective officers
to be allotted to each company dur
ing that time.
1t will thus be seen, that each
company in turn, received each one
OF the three offices in the course 81
the ten wears.
Under this compact, these five
companies ale bound TO ignore the
rights of the remaining companies.
40 this the combine companies
reply that it is simply the rule OF
the majority. We challenge that
statement as mlsle aiding and uu-
true.
Under the present law, if five
companies should caucus at each
election to select one officer, and
these same companies should, by
some tacit understanding, continue
thus to caucus. IRON election to
election, probably little would be
sad by the other companies, even
though the elemen: Of fairness
would be lacIiIug in such an cleo.
ton. Bat when these live compan-
les enter into solemn agreement
under seal to-day, by which the
opinions AID the votes oil their Ecm-
bers are pledged Tor the next ~
years in advance, then we say and
charge that they violate every prln-
cipIe OF popular and representative
government, as il exists and Is
known in our broad land. 1t is
nothing but the bald and vicious
trust or monopoly Prlnc!pie, winch
the very members OF the "comb'ne
Compa nleed cry and denOuuCe wher
applied to them in their everyday
affairs, but winch they do not he,l
tate to hasten on their fellow mem-
bcrs OF the file department, IN the
distribution OF the very few prizes
aor which the volunteer tircmrn may
aspire, Their compact not only
binds their III III Jers to-day, whel
their opinions may probably be II
accordance Herewith, but thei'
Company is DO, nd thereby two, four
six, eight or ten years hence. whcl
the opiuIcns Ct majority Of tht
members Of ore or more companies
might lie in entire dlscordanc
Herewith. as some member sol th
"comblnc' companies have irankl,
stated to us, that although they ap
preclate and recognize the entlr
justice OF our position, they wou.'
he bound TO stand by the combine
a against thelr inoiN'ou"' oPlnlon
because Oh 'he'r agreement u"ue
seal hese eonu,t'ons e'i'h'' I'd
MI question OK eohlesl te'se''"'s
Inc result IS !oresohc eohc'"s'o'
and the biennial e!ceuoNS arc nov
4 a a.
simply farce ana 90 MOI eNtles
the VIII ana desire OF u'"jof''y
the bremen. 49,,
Bes'oes' II ~ a poor rue ""II'
VIII not WORK DOM ways, IL III
"comoine says tnaI 1nG ivy Son
PanIes comprise ma Iofity OF nine
we reply That the 40 aelt't hienle