Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-02-23
COUNCIL PAT
FOR FIREMEN
viii oppose ANY Move Look
ing to Paid Department
for City
CANNOT AGREE YET
ON ELECTION QUESTION

I AlAHE VI lut Twelve IRE companies IN
the city, the members of City Council
sitting as committee of the whole,
late last night voted unanimously TO
oppose any bills that may be present
ed IN the Legislative providing for a.
paid fire department in place of the
present Wilmington volunteer system.
Council was asked at it's regular
meeting last week to approve such a
bill and the meeting last night was
fixed to hear the firemen on the sub
ject Another bill providing for
permanent officers Of the fire depart
ment TO be elected by Council. which
Council also was requested TO ap-
prove, is still an open question, and
may be decided at the regular meet
ing OF that body tonight. This mat
ter was discussed, however. and it
was plain that the object OF the bill
is TO abolish the existing "combina-
tion" OF companies which control the
election Of fire officers, the "combipa-
ton" having eight companies of the
twelve in its organization.
Following the discussion the
proposition that Council elect the fire
officers was rejected and then it was
moved that the officers of the depart
ment be elected by the popular vote
OF the firemen and not by the unit
vote as under existing conditions.
This was the question that could not
be settled.
Firemen Held Meeting First.
Preceding the meeting with the
members of Council the nine COM
panies met at the Washington engine
house, and taking up the two ques-
tions, one providing for the election
of the officers of the department by
Council and the other referring to a
paid department, and the following
letters to Council were drafted
Wilmington, Dell Feb 81, 1911
To the President and Members Of
City Council.
Gentlemen: I'VE, the representa-
tiyes of the undersigned fire com
panies Of the city of Wilmington, re-
specially protest against the sug-
gested change in the method of elect
ing the officers of the Wilmington Fire
Department.
"The officers of the Fire Depart
ment are now elected as required by
law, by a majority OF the companies
The law creating the Office of
chief engineer, authorizes and en-
powers your honorable body, on corn-
plant of two companies, to inyesti-
gate charges Of neglect of duty, and
If he Is found guilty, your honorable
body is empowered to remove him
from office.
THE officers Of the fire depart
ment are now elected by a very large
majority of the companies. and we
feel that any change in this method
of electing the officers would tend TO
seriously interfere with the efficient
service now rendered by the depart
ment
Trusting that your honorable body
Will not approve "a proposed change
In the manner o Getting the officers,
and x hiking you or past favors, we
respectfully remainf
Friendship, H. NJ. Lang.
Phoenix, NJ. NJ. Clowney.
Fame, w. j. Lutz.
Washington, r. r. Kendall.
'Weccacoe, Dennis S. Shields.
Liberty M. #. Cannon.
"Brandywine, James Barr.
Union, Edward McNally.
Independence, John Emering'
Wilmington. Del. Feb 81, 1911.
ITO the President and Members OF
City Council:
Gentlemen: We, the duly appointed
| representatives of the undersigned
/ fire companies of the city OF Whining
! ton, IN meeting assembled. have pre-
pared this protest against the sugges-
| ton of proposed change Of the present
! volunteer 1re department TO paid
fire department
ftNp raeparff,t1I1r e,,I,.-ft ~. Q.rf-.--
! ing for your consideration:
/ Il. We fully realize and appre-
| ciate the duties and obligations i'm
/ posed upon each company by the pro-
/ visions of the contract with your hon
orable body, and in the absence of any
complaint or protest we feel that we
! have complied with all the require
ments of those contracts and that We
! have done our duty.
y. The matter Of expense Is. we
I feel, one Of sufficient importance Of
I itself to warrant your honorable
body in giving the matter deliberate
and serious consideration before de-
Gliding upon giving your approval to
/ such change, particularly when
such change would mean increased
cost to the taxpayers. You are well
aware that it is the unanimous opin-
| ion Of the taxpayers that no increase
/ should be made in the city's expenses
unless in cases Of absolute necessity.
at least not until some other means 81
raising revenue is devised than bv tax
4 ing real estate, as the real estate Of
our city is now bearing pretty heavy
4 burden.
%. The companies presenting this
| protest are actuated only BY The de-
sire to serve the city in the future al
IN the past. as efficiently and nrompt-
~ as the work can be possibly done nv
/ either a volunteer or a paid fire de-
partment
The members Of these companies
many Of whom are business men and
manufacturers, urgently request vour
honorable body to decline to give vonr
I approval TO any measure that would
have for its purpose such change AZ
I hereinbefore mentioned"
EVANGELIST AT BRANDYWINE
Extra meetings are now in progress
I'm Brandywine NJ. f. Church. Evanga-