The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-19
WILL INTRODUCE
FIRE DRILL BILL
AT NEXT COUNCIL SESSION.
ALDERMAN OLIVER SAYS THAT
THE ORDINANCE is READY.

Ordinance May Cause n Clash With
the Board of Education, as Some
of the Members Are Opposed to
It-Matter Has Been Under Discus
sion for Many Months and Some
Supposed That 1t Had Been Al
lowed to Drop AItOgether-Super-
intendent Mcguire, of the Fire
Will He Passed.
An ordinance requiring fire drills in
the schools of Savannah and in all
places where children are congregated
regularly, such as factories and shops
where they are employed, will be in
troduced at the meeting of Council
next week.
The fire drill ordinance has been I'M
der discussion for number of months
and some people thought that the mat
ter had been dropped. Alderman Oh
liver, the chairman of the Fire Com
mittee of Council, however, announces
positively that the ordinance will be
brought UP at next Wednesdays ses-
sion. The Fire Committee agreed a
number of months ago to introduce
such an ordinance. When the an
nouncement was made it brought forth
storm of protests from some of the
members of the Board of Education.
Alderman Oliver never gave up his
intention of bringing the matter before
Council, though he let it lie dormant
during the vacation months, as it did
not then matter whether such an or
dinance was in force or not.
May Cause Fight.
Now that the schools are open again
the ordinance will be introduced. 1t
would probably have been taken up
just before the present session of the
schools opened had 1t not been that
Alderman oliver was very busy. The
ordinance will probably be passed by
Council without serious opposition, but
some of the members of the Board of
Education may make a fight upon it's
enforcement.
When the matter was last agitated,
Col George A. Mercer, the chairman of
the board, said it was a matter that
Council had nothing to do with, and
that so far as he was concerned he
would pay no attention to such an or
dinance in the event one should be
passed. If the ordinance follows the
usual routine it will not be passed for
three weeks yet. 1t will be read for
the first time at the meeting next week
and then laid on the table for two
weeks. At the meeting at the end of
that period, it will be read for the sec
ond time and put upon its passage.
Fire Chief Gratifed.
"It is very gratifying to me to see
the matter taken up at last" said
Supt. Mcguire of. the fire department,
when told of the ordinance. II am
is to be passed. There may be some
opposition to it now, but I believe in
a short time the people will see that
it is a good thing 1t means protection
for the school children and that is
what l have been working for"
For the last several years in his
annual reports the fire chief has rec
commended to Council the passage of
a fire drill ordinance for the schools.
and at every opportunity he has done
what he could to impress upon the
people of Savannah the Importance of
such a regulation. The introduction OF
the ordinance comes as a reward to
his perseverance and enthusiasm in the
matter.
The ordinance will require the school
authorities to have fire drills, so that
the children may become accustomed
to marching out of the building in or
der.