Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-09-23
MAYOR HAD put
HIS 0. K. ON THE
FIRE BOARDS ACT
Chief Executive Had Confer
ence With President Crogan
Before Promotions Were Made.
THERE WAS NO SLlP-UP AS
OCCURRED IN POLICE BOARD
Commissioners Make Defense
of Action in Face of Civil
Service Boards Stand.

That Mayor Raymond approved OF
the plan OF promoting the six nremen
by the Board OF Fire Commissioners
yesterday afternoon. Including the
two denoted battalion chiefs. before
the meeting took place, was the an
nouncement made today by President
Gilbert f. Crogan, of the Fire Board.
The action of the city's chief execu-
tive in the matter was pretty much
the same as his course in regard to
the naming of the three police cap
tains on Monday. only In the case of
the f1remen there was no miXup sim
liar to that of the policemen.
In order that everything might
move along smoothly President
Crogan said that he had personally
waited upon the mayor and laid his
plans before him. Not alone did Mr..
Raymond approve of the course, but
City Counsel Spaulding Frazer put
o. X. on it, and everything went
through in accordance, as it was
chalked down on the slate.
The men promoted were Thomas
]. Reilly and Charles c. Storch from
captains to battalion chiefs, Chris
topher ]. Devine and Charles R.
Bartlett from lieutenants to captains
and William A. Doremus and Henry
Horter from firemen to lieutenants
Before replacing Reilly and Storch
as battalion Chiefs" said President
Crogan, II personally held q confer
ence with the mayor. and the action
taken was heartily approved by him.
1t was also done on the advice of City
Counsel Spauldlng Frazer. Certainly.
the action of the board shows it's good
faith with respect to officers and men.
1t is not the desire of the commission
ers to have the department under
offlcered but with four battalion
chiefs it was the belief that two many
officers were In existence, Certainly
the civil service commissioners can
not take exception to our action, IL
their claim is correct, since they
maintain that both Reilly and Storoh
were always entitled to the position
of battalion chief"
what effect will the appointment
of the two denoted men have on the
case now pending in the Supreme
Court? ?" President Crogan was asked.
Want Precedent Established.
''As far as know, the case will be
tried for the purpose of establishing
precedent on the question of the
right of the Soard." replied Mr. Gro
gan. "It will not be discontinued be-
cause two of the men involved have
been promoted to their former posi-
tions. The action of the board will
not, as ] see, affect the status of the
case at all. IF the Supreme Court
should uphold the action of the board
In demoting the four chiefs, the two
men appointed yesterday, according
to the civil service rulings, are eligi-
BILE for the positions. Should the court
find, however. that the fire commits
sioners were in error, then both
Storch and Reilly will DC only holding
the positions they are rightly entitled
to. Certainly the status OF the two
iby the decision of the court" con-
cluded Mr.. Crogan.
Previous to the appointment of the
two battalion chiefs, two captains and
two lieutenants at yesterdays meet
ing, q letter from President Alexander
r. Fordyce, jr., of the Civil Service
Commission, was read, in which II
was stated that the names Of the four
denoted battalion chiefs would not be
certified to the board as eligibles for
the positions they formerly held. Not
withstanding, the fire commissioners
evaded this situation by simply plac-
ing two OF the denoted officers to
their former positions.
Commissioner G.. Blake Carrington
then stated that in view of the at
titude Of the Civil Service Commits
sion he would Introduce q resolution
which would clear up the situation,
the declaration being that vacancies
are being filed and that no new posi-
tions are being created. The resolu-
tion in full is as follows:
Whereas, Thomas s. Reilly, Charles
c. Storch, James Fagen, jr., Michael
j. Durkin and Cornelius Smith, on the
first day of May, 1914, were promoted
to the rank of battalion chief of the
Newark fire department by the fire
commissioners then In charge of said
department; and
Whereas, the present Board oil
Fire Commissioners on the third day
Of March, 1915, did reduce said mem
bers to the rank or captain in said
fire department for the reason OF
economy; and
Whereas, the Civil Service Com.
mission of the State OF New Jerse,
by its opinion held that the reduction
in rank of the said officers was Illegal
and said action was now before the