The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-04
BILLIARD DEFENDS FIRE
 BOARD PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY
ADDITION OF PERMANENT MEN WITHIN CHAR
 TER RIGHTS OF DEPARTMENT
Expenses of Department Were Not Increased-No More Men Were Added Than Tax Board Agreed to Allow An Echo of Harbor Line Rebellion in the Affair.

The frying of President Bullart was a much tanner affair, at the ta1 board hearings last night, than tht public had been led to expect. There was some interrogation of the presi dent of the Fire Board but it was con ducted without enthusiasm, by one o1 two members only, while the other. looked on and smiled appreciatively | whenever the represen ntative of tht fire department scored a point, as ht frequently did.
 The notion had got about that there was a connection between the Alder manic rebellion against the harbOr line program, and the outburst of hurricane wrath against Mr.S Bullard and his program for the enlargement and bet. torment of the fire department The rebellion was led by Alderman Dudley Bullard, who is @ near relative of Pres. ident Bullard, and is associated witf him in business.
 1t had not only got about, this idea that there was a reason, but some members of the tax board had heard of it. Their attitude of silence die not indicate that the news had pass. ed in at one ear and out of the other. l. MT. Bullard calmly insisted that the Fire Board had acted within it's char. ter rights and it's duty, under the law He implied that those who were op- posed to the addition of permanent men to the department, while the number of call men was reduced, hac not taken the trouble to inquire much
 He also showed that the increase ir the expense of the department in the salaries item came from the wage in crease provided by the ordinances as certain men pass from lower grades into higher.
 The expense of sustaining the perma- nent men was met by a reduction in the wage list of the call department except in so far as the Apportionment Board had distinctly authorized, ol promised to provide, for permanent men.
 President Bullard of the Fire Com mission told the Board of Apportion- nent last night that the charges made by City Auditor Keating to the effect that the Fire Board had waited before adding permanent men to the depart ment in order to increase the force was unjustified.
 He was subjected to much question ing by various members of the board As all of the questions were along the same lines he was obliged to repeat his anSw CTS.
 The regular requisition of the depart ment this year is s155, 800, an increase of 17,000 over last year. The request of the commissioners for a special ap- propriation this year is $42,450. of which Auditor Keating recommends $12,OO0.
 President Hincks told President Bull lard that the Fire Board had been taken to task because it waited until the end of the year and added 30 men to the force while the appropriation for salaries only allowed for 13 men.
 we did not wait" replied MT. Bull lard. "The auditors remarks are not justified-it is not a true statement. We have not put on any more men than we received money for.''
 President Hincks seemed surprised to hear this, and said he supposed the su.b-c committee of the board had pro- vided the appropriation for a specified number of men last year.
 MT. Bullard told the board that the members must bear in mind that the Fire Department was allowed money