Evening journal., 1901-02-15
THE EvENING JoURNAI. FRIDAY. FEBROARY Is. IaOl

tween man and man which must, in some
degree, be gratihed before those who feel
wronged become, in q measure, content
SO it Is with the 623 hremen comprising
the membership Of the four "anti-com-
oine companies to-day. What may seem
to the public and the General Assembly
like petty quarrel among hremen, looms
up as a momentous question in the minds
of these men, much of whose thoughts
and actions are daily occupied in fire
company matters. 1t is the principle in
volved for which we are struggling, and
in seeking TO right our wrongs we are ap-
lpealing 10 the only body which seems 10
have power to effectualiy annul and make
void the vicious effects of the combine, +"
and thus make the combine" companies
I do justice to their fellow tiremen without
subjecting themselves to the dishonorable
charge of "havine broken their seals"
Again, the combine" companies say
that the present law was passed largely
at the instance OF some of the present
"ant-combine" companies, hence the
companies should reap what they had
sown." But even the Combine" com
panies admit by this argument that some
of the "anti-combine" companies are en-
tirely innocent OF having offended them
but are simply in the position Of not being
wanted in the combine" because the lat
ter has a majority of companies without
them. Previous TO ten years ago there
was no legislative enactment relative to
the regulation Of the election of fire de-
partment officers. The fact mat such d
law was passed by the General Assem-
bly, in 1891 is sufficient answer 10 this
argument that the Legislature deemed
such an act necessary because OF the con-
ditiOns that then prevailed. Under this
act the present combine" has controlled
such elections absolutely as before men
toned. II, in the application Of that law.
the present combine" has violated its
spirit il not its letter. from the date OF its
enactment. can the Legislature require
more proof or reason that the law should
be changed, il by such change n wrong
would be righted? Once recognize the
injustice of the principle ON which the
present combine acts, and IL becomes
not only the right but the duty of the
Legislature to remedy it. In this connec-
tion. we respectfully represent that the
officers Of the fire department of VIII
mington are semi-public officers. draw
ing salaries from the city treasury, while
each fire company receives from the city
of Wilmington appropriations ranging
from $3.50 Oto $1,000 annually, and aggre-
eating, with the officers salaries and
keep Of the chief engineers horse, to-
gether with the recent appropriation of
$i,5O0 authorized by the Legislature to be
paid to the Phoenix Company for its am
bulance service, the total Of $4,000 an
nually.
The proposed act seeks to apply to all
Of the fire companies the same method
Of distributing the offices by an equitable
rotation as the five combine" compan-
les, by their secret compact, now confine
to themselves, and such a law would ef-
fectually prevent the formation Of similar
combines in the future.
The proposed law would also stimulate
interest among the individual fremen,
from the fact that although the candidate
for some particular Office must be taken
from particular company. the whole de-
partment by a popular vote shall deter
mine which one OF those candidates (hav-
ing received the requisite vote of his own
company shall be elected as chief en-
gineer of the whole department. On the
other hand, in the event, OF close con
test between several candidates in any
one company, such company would be re-
lieved of the factiOnalism resulting there
from and the responsibility for the cleo
ton would be cast upon the whole de-
lpartment.
The proposed measure would promote
harmony, allay discomfort, stop friction
create a healthy rivalry among the vari-
GUS companies, and bring about feeling
Of unity. the increasing lack of which
now seriously threatens to impair the
efficiency Of the department
In the discussion of this entire subject
the fact should never be lost sight of, that
as fremen we are volunteers, performing
an arduous duty without any particular
reward or hope of reward. and whether
members of combine" or "anti-combine'
companies, we all gratuitously volunteer
our personal services in protecting tn,
property and lives of our fellow citizen,
while jeopardizing our own. We ar,
simply fighting for the principle Of equa
rights and opportunities, which we ar,
now denied. We want a fair fight and q
free field and not trust combine
which fetters mems opinions and closes
their mouths ten years before thei
thoughts are formed or their words ut.
tered.
If the combine companies have am
fairer law to propose which shall rec0g.
nize the principle for which we are con.
tending. we are willing to accept In,
same. II they will offer any reasonabl,
| cOmprOmisp which will recognize ON