The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-06
WILL CREATE PAID TIRE Department,

WILL CREATE PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Council Passes Resojutioa PROVIDING
four Paid Mea@ia 'Additio~tos
Chief aud Teamster.
The long delayed question of the
organization of a paid fire depart
ment for the city was perhaps the
matter of greatests importance over
which the city council passed few
pleasant moments Tuesday even.
ing, although the manner in which
the body should 60 to work to ap-
point jauitor for tire city hail
building was one which furnished
fully as much amusement for the
members.
The fire department changes
were brought up through the con-
sideration of applicants for the
position of fire chief, made vacant
through the recent resignation of
Chief Gimse and filled temporarily
upon request of the department. by
James Stickney. Two applications
in addition to Mr.. Stickney, Messrs.
c. S. Stevens and Jas. Lavick, were
in evidence by communications to
the council, while the application
of the department to have Mr..
Stickney's appointment confirmed
was the third spoke in the wheel.
In consideration OF the heavy ex-
pense to which the city is going in
the improvement of the department
apparatus and the erection of the
fine new firehall, President Kimball
expressed himself as favorable to
looking farther and endeavoring to
secure the services of some fire.
fighter who could and would devote
his entire time to the department
and the duties of his position, even
though salary of considerably
greater proportion had to be paid.
He stated his conviction that un.
less this course was pursued the
city's expenditure for the vast i'm.
provements made and under way
would resemble a man building
house and leaving the roof off.
The ideas of the president were
concurred in to great extent by
Alderman Johnson, who also stated
his conviction that someone was
needed in the hall at all times and in
charge of the sleeping apartments
of the boys above, to see that every
thing was properly conducted in
and about the fire hall.
Mayor Eaton entered the argu.
ment by asserting that in his opin-
ion, which. ris always weighty, that
it was not q question of the none.
tary expense which insured good
service; that if the city can hire a
man of experience at $25 month
they might REASONABLY expect as
good service as though they were
paying $125.OO, but if a man was put
in who had no more experience
than he had learned az a member
OF the volunteer department he
might fall down.
AS solution to the vexed prob.
lem, which occupied a considerable
space of time, Alderman Johnson
introduced resolution providing
for the appointment of a chief and
four paid men, the chiet to receive
as compensation SIS per month and
the firemen $50 per month, the
entire time of these men to be de.
voted to the city's fire fighting
interests. This resolution passed
by vote of four to one, Alderman
Owens being an absentee from the
meeting.
The appointment of a janitor for
the city hall also became a bone
of contention and brought forth
some strategic diplomacy, but a
resolution finally passed for the
appointment of such a necessity at
a salary of $50 per month, after
advice from the assistant city attor.
ney that the appointment should be
made in the same manner az the
city attorney, city health officer and
city engineer were appointed. He
did not make the error, however, of
advising the appointment to be
made in the same manner as was
that of the city poundmaster.
A communication from A. Y.
Bane & Co., who have had the con.
tract for the construction OF steel
bridge across the narrows between
Silver and Virginia lakes, advised
the council that they had received
notification OF the shipment of the
steel for the structure and that 90
soon as it arrived here they would
send large crew of men to com.
plete the erection of same at once.
The city scavenger came in for
some slight consideration it being
asserted by some members that the
health officer had made complaint
against the manner in which he
was conducting his Official duties
while others had not understood
any complaint to have been made.
While this divergence of opiuiou on
the matter could find no. com tnon