Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-01
IT IS HASKELL.
New Chief Engineer
Elected, Saturday Night.
City Council Takes Its First
Lesson in Economy
And Fir.is it DitficuIt-Burns Midnioht
Oil-Many Obstacles.

1t was within 10 minutes of the mid
night hour. Saturday, when a tired lot
OF men passed through the broad pOr-
tails OF the city building and wendell
their ways homeward. Some went in
groups, and some went alone. Those
who went together had something to
talk about. and those who went alone
had q chance to think. if they so de-
sired. What the talk and thoughts were
about, those who constituted Il portion
OF the party could easily guess, and
had it been put all together it would
have made strenuous reading, had it
been published.
The men who thus sought the free
dom of the outer air at that late hour
and incidentally, their beds. in order
that they might rest their weary heads.
were the members of the two branches
Of the city council. and some others
whose shoulders We're not burdened
W 18th the welfare of the city officially
but Who We're very much interested and
the reason for their being out SO late
was that they had been in attendance
AT a special meeting.
That the members of the council
were tired, need not be said, for they
had been working overtime. Seldom
does il take more than two hours to
do up the business that comes before
the council, but Saturday night, they
saw the passing of more than five long
and weary hours before the mutual
message was sent from one room to
the other notifying each branch of the
council that the other was ready to
adjourn and even rs this was done. the
hands of the clocks about the building
were heralding another day. and some
of the east side ROSTERS We're growing
long and Justify at the all-niSht lights
in their neighborhood.
The question of the hour was that of
electing some worthy citizen to the Of
fee OF the chief engineer of the fire de-
partment. an action which was made
necessary by the resignation of Chief
Engineer Charles w. Kicker. Had it
beer this matter of filling a vacancy
in the list of city offices alone, it would
have been a simple matter. as there
were several citizens who would not
have refused the plum had it been Of
fercd them. but with the offer there
came i'm the shape of tidal wave of
economy. Il determination on the part
of some of the members of the couII-
Gil to reduce the salary of the chief
engineer to such figure that it would
hardly be considered plum at all. 1t
was because of this desire to reduce
the salary that the hour OF ADJOURN
ment was late, and that. instead of
getting through with the election and
going home, the weary hours were
fraught with argument, oratory and
conference meetings.
The business of the evening opened
with a meeting of the two boards in
the common council room. at which
Mayor Hichborn presided. The matter
of the election of chief engineer WAS
at once brought up and in addressing
the convention. he spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Council:
The city charter provides that the
mayor shall. from time to time. adj
dress the council concerning such mat
ters as he deems the welfare of the
city requires.
This is my warrant for speaking to
Won at this time.
It is your duty. tonight to elect a
chief engineer to fill the vacancy
caused by the resignation of Mr.. Rick
er. whose health, as he tells me. is so
seriously impaired as to prevent him
from longer discharging the duties of
that position.
That ynu will accept the responsible
;tv of action and discharge this duty
faithfully, I do not doubt. There are.
however. certain facts and figures
which ! wish to present to your atten-
tion and upon which I hope you will
take acton before proceeding to elect.
7 refer specifically to the question of
e,l,rjes. The pay Of chief engineer is
now $500 per year: that of the :iremen
20 nor year. 1t will be readily concad-
ed that tie engineer should receive
MORO than the firemen. because of his
additional responsibility; but I do not
ha,iave that he should be paid 16 times
nc much. l do not believe that $50 for
tho dremen and $500 for the chief en-
ainac; is a fair distribution of the
money.
AIR. Morse. the former chief. served
for years for $50 per year. and his high !
oct compensation was 800 per year. !
ADMIT if you please, that the duties
hove increased since Mr.. Morse re-
,;red. can it be truly maintained that
they have grown to be eight times as
great?
claimed that the burden of the fire
oI.rrn system has been added. and is
yerv onerous. Eut the council. last
,,oar ordered the employment of an
sesistant. because of this work, at a
larry of S15 per year. In addition to
.,,;s the actual work on the system
has been paid for at the rate of so