The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-04

, enough to pay 169 men last year wher there were only 158 men in the depart ment All the commissioners had done was to make 17 of these men perma- nent men.
 The money allowed last year for sal aries had been sufficient to add the extra men. President Hincks inform ed the president of the Fire Board that he should not put on any more men than he received money for, and Com missioner Bullard informed him that the tax board allowed money for l; new men at the beginning of the year and that on April 15 Q5 days after the beginning of the fiscal year) the Fire Board added the 13 men to the depart ment. It was given to understand that it could have Is men this year and as it had sufficient funds 1t had waiting until the first of April
 "But you add a fixed expense to the city," said President Hincks.
 ''If you would go over the list o1 salaries in the department you will find that the increase in the salary list is due largely to a large number of the men receiving an additional $10t this year under the sliding wage scale in the department" said Commissioner Bullard.
 This, he said, was nothing that the commissioners were responsible for, as the sliding wage scale was created by the Common Council.
 He said that the commission did not expect to add any more men to the department this year, but there would be an increase in the salaries of the department next year because of the increase which would naturally come in the salaries of several members of the department.
 Allan w. Paige wanted to know why the new men were put on. He was informed that there had been no new men put on, but that the permanent force had been increased from the call force in order to~keep up the efficiency of the department, because there was great trouble in getting cal1men prop erly located in order to be of any use to their companies in responding to alarms, and many factories were get ting so they will not employ call fire men.
 Mr. Paige said that if it was not be- cause of sympathy for the new men added to the force, the subcommittee might recommend that the new men rot be paid, and he wanted to know if the Fire Board did not think it had exceeded it's power.
 Mr. Bullard said he did not think so, as the charter and ordinances were very specific in defining the rights of the commissioners.
 But you must keep within your ap- 'propriation,' replied MT. Paige.
 We contend we have kept within our appropriation and can say there is no shortage in our department this year." said the commissioner.
 MT. Paige said that it looked as though the fire commissioners were a power unto themselves.
 President ,Hincks said he would like to know for what purpose the $12, OO0 allowed by Auditor Heating was going to be used for. President Bul1ard said he could not tell until the sub-commit- tee had made it's final appropriation.
 MT. Bullard replied that if Main street was to be repaved this year c1oney would be required for. larger hydrants in the center of the city, as the water company would lay larger mains when the streets were torn up.
 President Bullard did not receive the "stinging rebuke' that was assured by several of the local newspapers.