The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-01-07

Orphan Asylum Couple of Damage Claims
DisaIowed City Engineer PITT Gives the
Results of His Investigations of Street Pav
ings-Recommend Use of Brick or Asphalt
For Washington Street
The report that occupied the greater
share Of the attention of the City Council
Monday evening was the report of the
Fire Committee. The result of this re-
port is that the Board Of Fire and Police
Commissioners has been given q severe
dig" regarding its book of rules for
the conduct of the Fire Department.
The matter was brought up by Alder
man Kennedy, who remarked that as
to the practicability of the rules he would
ask the council to decide, and that as to
the right of the Board to make the rules
he would refer the Council to the City
Attorney.
Fire Commissioners Not Authorized
To Make Rules
City Attorney Schmitz then reported
that in his opinion the Board Of Fire and
Police Commissioners was not authoriz-
ed to make rules fer the regulation and
conduct of firemen. He read from the
statutes to show that the real purpose
of the Board was to examine and pass
applicants for admission to the depart
ment, to act as judges in petty disputes
between the men and the chief, and to
determine whether such men as are
suspended by the chief should be expell-
ed or reinstated He claimed that the
book of rules was absurd and that the
chief alone should be responsible to the
council for the proper conduct of the de-
partment.
Chief Kratz of the Fire Department
was present and in response to questions
stated that he had told Pres. Richter
and other members of the Board that
neither he nor the men could live up to
the rules. President Richter answered
that possibly the rules might be modi-
fed The chief stated that the rules
had been adopted without his advice or
consultation and that neither he nor the
men were living up to them nor could
live up to them,
The members of the Committee on
printing explained to the Council that
they had agreed to the printing of the
rules, but had stipulated that proof Of
the same should be submitted to them,
which was not done.
The Council then adopted the follow
ing resolutions, which were signed by
every one of the fourteen Aldermen:
VIII Not Tolerate Rules
TO the Honorable Mayor and Board
of Aldermen, Manitowoc, Wis.
Resolved
That the Board of Police and Fire
Commissioners cease to exercise assumed
jurisdiction over the management of the
Police and Fire departments, and their
rules, adopted April 2Sth, 1902, govern
ing the fire department, will not be toll
Grated; and that the Chief of the Fire
department be instructed to draft rules
governing their respective departments
and to submit them to the Council for
adoption. The City Clerk is hereby au-
thorized to mail IL copy of this resolution
to each of the Commissioners.
Better Fire Protection for st. Mary's
A resolution was adopted providing
better facilities for getting water in case
of fire at st. Mary's Orphan Asylum.
The resolution provides that the water
main be extended on Division street to
the middle of the block between Nine
teenth and Twentieth streets; that q hy-
drant be placed at that point, and that
the fire alarm box now located on Twen-
tieth street, be removed to the corner of
Nineteenth and Madison streets. The
resolutions also provide for the placing
of a private fire alarm box in the asylum
and for the construction of three fire
escapes on the building.
Alderman Kennedy stated that the
present hydrlnt was 1,047 feet from the
asylum while heproposed hydrant would
be only $50 feet distant Some delay in
passing the resolutions was caused by
Aldermen Willert and Kennedy, who
were trife cautious on the subject Of
economy, but al objections were finally
overruled and, with the exception Of
Mr.. Kennedy, who declined to vote, the
resolutions were unanimous.
A resolution {, place FIRE alarm box
in the Fifth Ward at the corner of
Twenty third and Walnut streets, was