Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-02-05
CUT DOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT
COUNCIL PASSES ORDINANCE;
LIMITING EACH COMPANY
TO 10 MEN

The city council met in regular ses'
sion at the city hall Monday evening,
with the following aldermen present:
Hall, Moeglein, Geo. Peterson, Henry
Peterson, Bell, Blake, LaFond and
Venners. 4
Justice Geo. Gerritz's report with q
receipt for Sc attached was accepted /
The bill of Louis Kuffel for repair
ing the boiler at the city hall was laid
On the table as it was considered too
high. Mr.. Kuffel charged double time
for his work which was done on a
Sunday and the bill was for $14.0O
for 10 hours work.
VIM. Batters informed the council
that the nozzle used on the hose at
the city hall was broken. The council
instructed him to ascertain the cost OF
getting it repaired and report to them.
City Clerk Schallern was instructed
to write to the official who has charge
Of the distribution of animals from the
Yellowstone National Park in an ef-
fort to secure two elk for the Pine
Grove park. He was authorized to
draw warrant for the amount re-
quired to get them upon receipt of a
favorable answer. The city will be re-
imbursed by the committee which So
licited the funds for the elk.
The city custodian was authorized
to sell some fire brick which were at
the city hall to Fred Kleber.
Leo Smith, proprietor Of the First
street billiard room, appeared before
the city council and asked that, if
possible, the number Of billiard rooms
in the city be limited to- one on the
east side and one on the west side. Al
dermen Moeglein from the first ward,
Venners from the second, Geo. Peter
son from the third and Bell from the
fourth were appointd as a committee
to investigate the matter and see what
could be done.
An ordinance was passed amending
section of Ordinance II, relating to
the city fire department. The ordinance
provides that that section of the fire
department ordinance be so amended
that each company Of the fire depart
ment consist of one foreman, one fist
assistant foreman, and one second as
istant foreman and the companies, con-
sist of not less than five not more than
Item members. The old ordinance pro-
vided for minimum of fifteen men,
bers and a maximum of so. Alderman
Bell was the father Of the ordinance.
He introduced resolution which was
much the same except that it provided
that the members Of the fire depart
ment who missed the greatest mum.
ber Of fires during the year be drop
ped. City Attorney Vernon suggested
that an ordinance would be better and
the result was as stated above.
I Some discussion was brought about
} by the introduction Of the original
resolution. Aldermen Venners and
Bell stated that the city is in need Of
better protection and said that in their
opinion the only way to get good fire
department would be to get rid of the
members who do not attend the fires.
Alderman Venners said that at the
time Of the meeting Of the relief s.
sociation at which the question as to
whether or not that organization would
help the city purchase fire truck, men
were present whom he had not known
were members of the fire department.
Some, he said, are SO old that should
they have to draw apparatus to a fire
the strain would prove 50 great that
it might result disastro1sly.
Alderman Geo. Peterson stated that
since the truck proposition came up
there has been some dissatisfaction
with the present fire department.. As
a result several active fremen have
Threatened to drop out, he said. New
ertheless he, although fireman, ex-
pressed himself in favor Of the ordi-
nance, even if it shouli knock him out
as a member.
Chief Fire Warden Geo. Emdcr ad.
dressed the council on the matter, say.
ing that the only way in which the
|city can protect itself against fires is
to get an efficient depastmen3 anl ap-
paratus. A department in which less
than half Of the members are active
cannot be considered efficient, he said.
This was proved at the Rider fire, he
said, as the entire department of 12s
men was summoned and only 43 put in
an appearance. He also CITED several
instances to show that efficiency is
one Of the minor aims among some Of
the members. At one meeting man s
application for membership in the lie.
partment was brought up. Someone
said that he did not want him az a