The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-21
WILL DISCUSS FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT
 AT SPECIAL MEETING

need more men, moro and better ap- paratus and more money. I think we ought to have all these. A committee should be appointed to confer with the Board of Trade, the Commercial club and all other bodies and sec what can be done in the matter"
 Alderman John L. Parker;
 Birmingham needs larger fire depart ment and needs 1t at once, I thoroughly approve The Age-Herald's editorial call ing for immediate action on the part of the city, As alderman and president of the Board of Trade have been working to get more ire fighting equipment The Mayor and aldermen should act promptly. will be ready to vote at the next meet ing for an appropriation for additional ap- paratus."
 Alderman Thomas Wheeler;
 While I think the fire department did as well as 1t could at tho fire yesterday morning, 1t was demonstrated to my own eyes that Birmingham needs more fire equipment and more men. Had there been more plugs. more hose and more men 1t might have been possible to have confined the fire to the building In which 1t started. but lack of these things show ed that something should be done to rescue us from our perilous position in case of fire. While 1t Is not my privilege to be on any committee that may have the fire question before 1t. I propose to raise my voice in the council room for more money for the fire department until xuya rafo Ia pyIr bar af a nd mn equipment The men employed now are overworked and should be given a rest. When a man goes to fight fire he sould be in good condition. The city cannot expect men to work twenty-four hours a day and be at their best in an emer- gency."
 Alderman J. G. Greener
 T have always advocated a larger and better equipped fire department. Should such an ordinance come before me at any time I would vote for it and work con- stantly for its fulfillment. As a member of the fire and water committee, you may say that I shall insist on a recommenda- ton to the council that we comply at once with our pledges to the people, Let us | quit beginning at the top and working down. It is time we were looking after things in the bottom, and after every thing is all right in the business section we can spend more money improving streets in front of vacant lots on the hills"
 Alderman Ben F. Barbour: q am heartily in favor of doing any thing that will give Birmingham a more efficient fire department. No one rec ognizes more than myself that the city was practically without a department for two hours early this morning. By | this I mean that every available engine, hose wagon and other apparatus of our small company was at the fire which destroyed the buildings on Third avenue and Eighteenth street and that had an- other alarm been turned in. there was no possible chance to respond without running risk of allowing the blaze in | question to do much more damage than 1t did. The Age-Herald's point on this score must be recognized, by every cit | zen of Birmingham.
 We need more fire fighting apparatus, more water plugs in the business dis | trict, more firemen, and 1t seems like | more everything when it comes to fa- eilities for fighting fires. Put me down as man who will not submit to any committee report that says full com 1 pliance of the agreement with the South eastern Tariff association should be de- 1 layed further because of the alleged | empty treasury
 Alderman H.. A. Stockmar T don't know how I would vote on | a resolution or ordinance calling for an
 immediate expenditure of money for bet | ter fire fighting equipment. should such resolution or ordinance be introduced at
 the next meeting of the council. As a
 member of the fire and water committee
 to which such an ordinance would un-
 doubtedly be referred, I would be guided
 solely by our financial condition. Under
 the law we can only go in debt s50,000
 a year and I understand we have already reached the limit for the current twelve l months"
 I Alderman F. A. Fulghum
 q am convinced since learning the de- tails of the fire in the heart of the bus mess section early this morning that we need an augmented fire department, more
 fire fighting apparatus. more men, more
 and larger water plugs and better system of turning in alarms. Should an OrQlnance emDOuyluS ticSc | be introduced at the next meeting of the council, it would be my duty as an alder
 man of the city of Birmingham to vote for its immediate passage. We can and | must get the money somewhere. and when the question comes up it is my in- tention to see that 1t does not get lost In
 a committee room.
 "When the department responds to an
 alarm there should be sufficient men to handle every hose with perfect ease. There should be a system by which the
 city's water pressure could be made much greater during the progress of a fire and there should be no such thing as lack of water plugs in the business or any other district"
 1 Alderman w. R. Gum:
 T have not had time to study the
 question of enlarging or improving the fire department to the extent that would like. In fact I don't know just where the trouble lies. do not know whether
 1t is lack of water pressure. lack of equipment or whether 1t Is bad luck that is causing so many disastrous fires here
 of late.
 l q did not see the fire Sunday night