The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-25


Firemen to Quit on May 81 if 1t
Passes-Test of Water Pressure.
chief r. W. Ii2lemgnn. of the Ire
department.. does not approN" OF the
Chittcndcn ordinance. providing Tor
rnorganiZation of the fire department,
which WAS voted down in common
council week ago last ThulSddy
night, but which is To he rcconsidered
at the next meeting. In speaking
about the ordinance yesterday l"
Tribune man. he said:
II am in favor of Il paid fire de-
pprtment just as soon as We can
have one. but | cant Sc" now the
efficiency of our present department lS
going to be improved upon To any
great extent by II reorganization Such
as IS provided i'm Mr.. Chittendens or
dinance. The great fault with the or
dinance is that 1t doesn't provide Tor
enough men. No provision whatever
Is made for the immediate employment
of a single permanent man moro th&h
we have at present.
"'rhe ordinance. 10 b sure. lines Il
certain number of regular permanent
men for each company considerably
i'm excess of the present number. but
these are to be added as soon as the
finances of the city warrant. There
Is no assurance that they are to he
employed at once. yet the ordinance
provides for the immediate disband'
mont of the entire volunteer force.
The places of the volunteers, where
not filled bv permanent men, are to
be taken by bunk and call men, who
arc to be paid at the rate of rftY ana
forty cents per hour respectively.
81 hold that under this arrange
ment We will neither have as many
men nor as capable or efficient "A IRE
lighting force at fire as we have un-
der the present system. Nher" IS
the man that's going TO respond I"
every alarm for Il paltry forty cents
an hour. and where 9rc the men Wdo
arc going to stay i'm tn" engin" house
| from o'clock every night until work
| ing hours i'm the morning to set i
| chance to make fifty cents an hout
| now and then?
"'rhev'rc few and far between, l
| tell YOU, and if the ordinance passes
and is signed by the mayor we're GO
| ing to have a mighty hard job get
ting bold of them. | believe that with
| this proposed new system in operation
we'd have a great deal of difficulty In
getting anything like a sufficient num-
| hcr Of men at fire in the daytime.
| Ii VIC can't put the department ON an
| entire paid basis. at least let us draw
up Il plan for an entire paid depart
mcnt. and then go half way.
! MY idea of a paid department In
this city would be tn have six men
I I
| five men for every engine company,
| including stoker and engineer and six
| men for the hook and ladder company.
| If we are going to entirely disband
the volunteer department, we should
at least have half as many permanent
men as | have above mentioned. We
| should have three for each engine and
| hose company and three for each
chemical company to start with. in
my opinion"
| The majority of the volunteer fire.
men. of course don't like to have the
various companies, with all their de-
liShtful old histories. disbandcd. and
| they're planning a little surprise for
councils. At Wednesday nights meet
ing of the Firemon's Relief associa =
tion, it is understood that Joseph
Hail, of the 'Franllins. will introduce
n resolution, declaring it 10 be the
| sense of the volunteer firemcn Of the
city that if the Chittondcn ordinance
is passed, they will give the city only
until May 81 to reorganiZc the de-
partment, and will then disband
themselves.
| 1t i expected that this resolution
will be passed unanimously. as the
general sentiment of the men seems Ia
favor il. 1t Is believed that the dele
gates from the Century, William Con-
nell. Excelsior ana Cumberland IIos'
companies will Not" Tor this rcSolu-
| ZION. These companies have at pres.
ont but one permanent man cach and
he Chittcndcn ordiuanc" provides
hat they shall not be disbandcd 70,
thc present. If th" resolution &
passed it will mean that the men o
these companies will take the law
into their own hands, in case the
Chittendcn measure becomes a law.
#
Chief /izlemann and Select Council
mon &. l.. Chittenden and r. g. Mel
vim, to settle the dispute as to tn,
water pressure at the various ny
drants along LackaMannl avenue
near the vicinity of the recent biz
five, took the water guaCe from tn,
Nay Aug engine a few days ago an,
made few tests. The hydrlnts a
the corners Of Washington, Wyomin!
and Penn avenues We're tested and
according to the chief, ii was fount
that the average water pressure wa
iifty-eight pounds. This. the chic
says is entirely insufficient for capabl
ire service, and he believes that couu
cils should cndcavor To have the com
pany furnish, If possible, highe
pressure. up to eighty-hve or ninet
pounds at least, ard more If nossihl.