Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-14
FIRE SERVICE IS IN DANGER
IhOrtsgs Of Funds likely to Cripple the
Department Temporarily.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS NECESSARY
Buard 81 Fire end Police commission
ers Addresses Communication TO
Mayor and Council. Appeal
ing for Assistance.

o. ~ eAaAN| u III III VI
the FIRE department and close six or seven
Of the engine houses for the remainder Of
the year or wili the city council make an
additional appropriation Of S15. 900 to aug
ment the nearly exhausted fire fund.-
Such is the question which the first
named body submits to the latter in a
communication approved at its meeting of
last evening. For some time past the fact
has been recognized that the FIRE depart
ment fund would not be sufhcient to en-
dure TO the end Of the year at the estab-
lished rate Of expenditure, and early in
It's administration the present board. upon
application to the city attorney, received
an opinion to the effect that the members
would in law be personally liable for any
Indebtedness incurred In excess of the
amount available in the fund of the de-
partment.
The condition OF the fund was also
brought to the notice Of the city council
through the financial statement OF the
comptroller, and at a recent meeting a
number Of expense bills which must have
come out Of the FIRE department fund were
disallowed in the passage of the appro-
priation ordinance. At that meeting also
the council adopted a resolution calling
the attention Of the Board of Fire and Po-
lice Commissioners to the state OF affairs
@hA "a tGOuoil9s a II toAiuiuulCd-
tioH OF the board TO the council is in reply
to that resolution.
Letter-tO Mayor and ounci
Following is the full text Of the COM
munication:
To the Honorable Mayor and City Council
of the City Of Omaha-Dear Sirs: We de-
sire to direct the attention of your hon
orable body TO the lack of funds necessary
for the maintenance of the fire depart
ment of the city. The appropriation was
k25,0OO, OF which, according to the state
im netnd OF tne eomp,IoiLer, mere VIII De COZ o
sum of Sll9,626.S1, thus making at the dis
posal of the board for the maintenance OF
the fire department H19,626.S1.
1t also appears that the Board of Fire
and Police commissioners, composed Of the
mayor, es chairman, and Matthew III. Col
Inns and others. as members, carried over
from last year bills amounting to about
TSiteG paid out Of the funds Of 1902. It also
appears that said board, at about January
1907, Increased the fire force by the, ad-
dition of nine members, at a salary OF $40
We are informed that this action was
club OF this city and upon some agreement
or understanding with your honorable body
and the mayor that the increased expense
would be provided for in some manner.
Amount Oh the Denciency.
The present Board Of Fire and Police
Commissioners, since its induction into
office On August 1902. has continued the
lVAN0 No IL u AOhItu ~ WV hd6 hON III
any manner increased the expenditures for
the fire department.. There has been ex-
Gseu sum OF fn So. S SsIa, and IL u the 20 same rate
of expenditure is continued until the end
shows that there Win be a deficiency in
the fire fund OF $S,7n.6. The principal ex-
pense consists in the salaries Of the en-
penses, such as the alarm service, tele-
phone bills, grain and provisions for the
beyond the control Of this board. "'
-rphe eltyrRttoyney has advised this board
that It must not expend beyond the amount
of the funds provided. IT win thus be seen
that the only way In which the board car
appropriation will be to reduce the force o.
hremen. In order to make the necessary
reduction the board will have to discharge
months. This can only be done by ciosinS
six or seven OF the fire houses, thus ex'
ages Of IRE. Such a reduction would ut
terly. cripple the fire department.
in no way Responsible. but which must b,
met. The force as now constituted. Will
dS m tbes tsr I'll ry0 covered oVa1ea iS Sy Omaha EnsSS sP sSsi
a reduction Of the fire department can b
thought Of only as q last resort, but Yndel
do unless the funds are provided. To pro
vide the funds is neither within the prov
ince or power Of the Board Of Fire and Pc
We also call your attention to the further
the department have 5000 feet Of hose
which viii cost about 5000. Much of tn
hose which the department is now using 1
dangerously old and rotten. You will thu
see that II any semblance OF fire prOtec
tfon Is to be afforded TO the city for tn
hazardous months of November and De
cember, the board must have $4,000 NOR
fire funds. We deem a simple statemen
OF the facts TO be SUFFICIENT.
Two R-esignstiOns Accepted.
The resignation OF S. D. Osborn who ha
been a p~atrolman on the police department
for the past fourteen years, and that O
, Charles s. Berg a member Of the fire de
partment, were both accepted.
From the Intentions Of the board as OK
pressed last evening there is every indies
tion that John Pillar. who has been keep
ing a saloon az the southeast corner Q
Ninth and Douglas streets, will have hi
license revoked II was reported 10 IN
board that about 2 o'clock on Sunday morn
Ing Onhcer ryan had found John HIeitfel
On the street suffering fran TIE effects {
q beating which Il was said he received q
the saloon in question. The o%ficer. it wa
stated, went to the place and in respons
to his inquiries met with only abuse froI
Pillar and his bartender. John slovsk!
Pillar win be summoned to appear on Mon
day night next and show cause why h
license should not be revoked.