Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-02-02
Official.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.

At called meeting ofthe Board OF Alder
men Of the city of Alexandria, Va, held Feb
ruary |, 1909, there we're present:
j. K. n. Curtin, esq, President. and Messrs.
Brill, Marbury. Ballenger, Field, Sweeney
and Summers
A communication from F. ]. Paff, Na,o-,
giving his reasons for calling meeting Of
Council, was received.
The Mayor returned TO the Aldermen,
WITHOUT his signature, the following resolu-
ton passed January 26, 1909;
Resolved, That the Chief of the Fire De-
partment, or the Fire Wa'dens, shall hay Q
the power TO order the Fire Deplrtme Il o
go beyond the city limits whenever Ia the
Judgment Ct the Chief Of the Fire Depart
ment the services of the FIRE department b..
come necessary beyond the city limits. AMI
this resolution shall be ia force until the Gen.
eral Laws Committee report law in The
premises in the near future.
Accompanying the resolution was the fol-
lowing communication:
TIE MAYORS OFFICE,
February /, 1909. !
To the Honorable City Council. Alexandra,
Va.
Gentlemen-I feel constrained to return to
you without my signature the within res0lu-
ton, passed at your last regular meeting, IN
reference 10 the regulation OF our ire depart
ment relative to its going beyond the u y
Ii nits In looking up laws relative 70 thus
matter, find in the code Of Virginia loi ,,
page 289. section 1866 (Which IS still IN
force, never having been fepe8tsd). Council
may make ordinances as to IRE companies,
etc. The Council may make such ordlnan es
in relation to the powers and duties OF hire
companies, FIRE wardens, a0d principal en-
ginser as it may deem proper. You VIII
readily observe that the wording In the above
act is very clear and spec. tc and Is cOnsl sive
in my mind that whatever regulation Cohn'
Gil wishes TO adopt relative T. the ire dep e.
ment must be made by ordinance and not ny
mere resolution even though the fesylu iOn
has the effect Of An ordinance. 1t IS true
that an amendment has been attached 10 the
within resolution TO make IL APPEAR 1T a
casual glance as though the act was inie lGed
TO be in force temporarily, but upon closer
inspection it Is perfectly apparent that ,f
properly passe y the same could remain n
fJrce indefinitely as it leaves 1t entirely des-
cretionary with your General Laws commit
tee as to when they will report an ordi' ancs
reguls lug the matter in question.
This latter argument is irrelev M to the
proposition in the main, and viii refer to
| Il as an evidence that | notice It is the pur-
pose Of your honorable body to adopt f0ne
| regulation in keeping with the within rc.0-
luton at some future date. | will avail my
self Of this opportunity TO urge upon y0n the
use Of caution in framing sail re Guiaiio1s,
and ask you 10 inspect the records OF GU ire
department IS to the number OF instances
they have been called upon for period sly
of five years to aid cur neighbOrs IN thu I'D
iacent counties, also to note the lccstio1s OF
| the fines. am sure it must be perfectly
clear TO yon all las il is to mel that as rule
these coahagrit ons must have been exceed
| ingly close t. our limits for when the loca-
tiOu is beyond where il can be reached r. IA
the cty FIRE plugs it Is useless % send the &C.
partment, consequently it is safe T. presume
| in the most instances it is necessary for our
| department to work in order 10 protect city
properly.
AS to the mode OF procedure in the past
and the satisfactory or unsatisfactory work
| ings, / would re pectiully refer you 70 TIE
chief of the FIRE department. Just for an in
slant imagine what a state Of aiiSirs 1t @o1ld
he to have a FIRE raging just beyond our city
| limits and before assistance could be sent,
! there would have TO be a meeting OF the
| Board Of Fire Wardens called. Now, ge tie
men, think this agitatio unoaled for and
| evidently brought about by Misrepresentation
aud Of this was thoroughly convinced when
it was brought TO my attention that the Bolsd
Of Fire Wsrdens lin anticiplhon Of the
withio resolution becoming law issued an
/ Ofdef 10 ne sSutu ny Tue cuioi chkibcct oiN
sent 10 the several fire houses. 10 the effect
| thst whenever called to the Virgini, GIais
| Works, Agnew's Brick Yard. Old Dominion.
| Bell Pre- or Alexandra Glass Works t. re-
! spond otherwise to wait for orders from the
! Chief, or the board. OF the FIVE places desig-
| mated, three are within the city limits sud
| two outside Does this not appear ridiculous
and show conclusively the necessity Of hand
| ling this carefully.
Respectfully submitted.
| FRED PAPF, Mayor
Upon a vote being taken GA the question,
"Shsl the resolution remsin in force not
| withdrawing the Mayors OBJECTION" it was
| decided in the affirmative by the following
1 vote:
For sustaining the action of Council in
( passing the revolution. Messrs. Marbury,
Ballenger Field, Sweeney, Summers end
| Mr. Presidents. For sustaining the Mayer
| in his objections, Mr.. Brill.
| The board then adjourned
J. R.. N. CURTIN. President.
Teste LUTHER IL. THOMPSON. Clerk.