The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-17
DEL0R WHACKs
FIRE BOARD HARD.
Says Money Allowed 70 Make En-
CINE Houses Safer For Firemen
Was Diverted To Other Purposes

Charges of a striking nature against
the management OF the fire depart
ment funds were made by Estimator
John Delor of the Seventh ward. IN
the meeting of the board OF estimates.
Friday evening The fire department
committee OF the estimators had I'm
ished Its tour In the afternoon ana
Delor arose TO report on conditions
that had been found.
The department has transferred
funds during the year. and now comes
10 us for items allowed In 1908. but the
money for which has been spent for
other purposes" he asserted. In one
engine house. the door Is 30 low that
the driver In coming out has TO lie
down on his seat II he were TO for
get and put his head up, his neck
would be broken.
I'VE were urged a year ago to al.
low 500 TO fix that door and did SO
but found IL In the same condition
when we went to that engine house
today. The firemen had been taking
chances all year. In another engine
house, there Is a beam running across
which makes IL dangerous. as a man
might get his head knocked OF. But
that WAS not fixed either. although tho
money was allowed. In another place
We found the nremen sleeping In beds
on the floor. That Is no way TO treat
the men whose duty It is to defend our
property.
Il find that the department bought
five new apparatus the past year, In
Qf Of In In, tun old
and having the council transfer funds
to make up the cost. They put the
automobile company In a different
place than the one where II was stat
ed II was TO go and at additional ex-
pense."
Delor had a list OF items which
were allowed last year and are asked
for again and will use II In the meet
ing of the es;imators' committee with
the fire commissioners. Monday night.
This proves that the board of esti-
mates should be given greater rather
than less powers" he said after the
meeting In referring to the fire depart
ment transfers Of money. He favors
plan whereby the board OF estimates
would meet about once a month dur
Ing the year and have authority In
matters OF transferring money from
one fund 10 another, thus keeping a
supervision over the city departments
and making sure that money Is spent
for the purpose for which II Is al
lowed.
The fire fund committee is almost
certain to cut out the estimate for a
new engine house in the Eighteenth
ward. and that for one ut Hamilton
boulevard and Euclid-ave.. the first be-
cause OF lack OF paving and the latter
because the neighborhood is not thick
ly populated.
The committee In charge or the
garbage fund inspected the receiving
station site at the foot OF Twenty
fourth-st., which is now offered TO the
city for $4,000. Supt Aldrich told
the estimators that the land Ia worth
$4,000 or more and that II will be
sold to someone else IL the city does
not buy II. II IL 100 feet wide on Yves;
Jefferson-ave.. and 900 feet deep. the
river end being largely under water.
IL IL Is sold 10 someone other than the
city. he intimated, the garbage station
will be forced to move or the rent
considerably Increased.
Aldrich proposed that the lot be
used AS dumping ground until en-
tirely filed In and that a wharf then
be constructed TO receive water ship
ments OF materials for the city He de.
clared Il would be hard TO find another
location for a station
Mayor Breitmeyer has expressed
himself as in favor of a park In this
locality and this site might be used az
part Of a park II the garbage station
Ia moved later. The objection made
by the estimators was that the De-
troit Reduction Co. which receives the
garbage. should furnish the receiving
station.
The health and poor fund committee
has finished its report. For the poor
commission, s90,454 is allowed, the
only important cut being $4,000 In the
outdoor relief fund The improve.
ments in the contagious disease hos.
pital, desired by the health board,
were cut to $4,000. one-third OF the
amount originally asked for for this
year The total health fund Is fixed
az $l30.S2S.
The increase in wages asked for the
garbage wagon drivers will be disal.
lowed