Evening journal., 1916-07-15
FIRE Chief Will
CO AFTER THE fees
Says Council Will Not Learn
From Him Amount of
His Collections
MAGILL NEVER
RECEIVED MONEY

Declaring that City Council will
never know from him how many in
spections of city fire escapes he has
made or the amount he has collected
in fees. Fire Chief Golden last night
said that he did not propose to dis
continue the Inspections Chief
Golden said that while he had no
quarrel with City Council in the mat
ter he proposed to make Councilman
McGoldrick, who made the motion to
refer his report. retract his in
situations Councilman McGoldrick.
Chief Golden said. claimed 10 favor
an increase in salary for the fire
chief, but he knew that if the fee
! system was abolished he. Councilman
McGoldrick, would not vote for an
increase in the chiefs salary.
Chief Golden also said that he
, never requested an inspection fee
from John S. Stewart the barber. of
No. 1O7 West Seventh street. although
Mr. Stewart says he did. In fact, Mr..
Stewart conferred with Mayor James
f. Price on the subject following the
visit of Chief Golden to his property
In speaking of the undeivered GER
tiicate to the NJ Megary & Son Com
pany, the stub of which was marked
mo escapes Chief Golden said that
he made this notation on the stub for
references only and that he did not
propose to deliver the certificate until
the building was made to conform
with the fire ordinance
i Merchants who have already paid
the fee are anxious to know Just what
, will be the outcome of the question
In speaking of the fees he had col
lected Chief Golden said: THE num-
Der of Inspections set forth in the
book that ! had in Council on Thurs
day night were for rubbish inspec-
tions made as required by the ordin-
ance passed last autumn by City
nj Council. Council will never know
4 from me how many fire escapes | in
spect If they want to know they
will have to find out from another
source There is a way TO do this
q and l know it. They are dealing witt
the State in this case"
The section of the 32-year-old law
under which Chief Golden is making
the inspections. follows:
Section p. What buildings shall
have; kind of; exceptions. The
owner or owners Of any building
J now erected OF hereafter to be erect
ed and being more than two stories
in height aud which shall be used
in the third or any higher story, in
;. whole or in part as a college, semi
nary. school house, hotel, hospital
j asylum, almshouse, factory or work
D shop. or as tenement house or
when rooms are let TO families or
dodgers. or for the accommodation
Il of organized associations of any de-
g scription, shall be required to fur
nish such building with sufficient
y permanent fire escapes from the
third and all higher stories,
and which escapes. shall be
/ kept and maintained in good
; order Such fire escapes may
he by means of stairways or lad
ders outside the building, or by
= stairways in a separate tower or
structure furnished with safe and
Il easy communication with such
building. Provided that sections D
10 2s. inclusive, of this chapter, shall
not apply to any building whatever
that is already supplied with two or
Z more independent stairways leading
} from the highest story to the
ground floor, if said stairways shall
not he nearer to each other at any
point than a distance Of sixty feet
o In Justice to former Fire Chief NJ
s. will. who was reported to have receiv
e. 50 for two inspections of fire escap
is during his term Of office from Villa
Is J. Fisher, real estate agent, Mr.. Fish
IS said former fire chief had charg
;t for inspections As he preceded Chi
y Golden in office. the inference was tn
'e it was Mr. Magill who had collected t
fees. Mr.. Magill today said that duri
his term of office he made numerous
spections of fire escapes, but neN
y charged for any such service.
re The following self-explanatory le
lg ter was received from former Fl
ay Chief Magill today:
es July IA, 1916
C. To the Editor of THE EVEN
be ING JOURNAL. Wilmington Del.
by Dear Sir: I notice in a news
le, article published in your paper of
he this date. in relation to a cOntrO-
n versy between Fire Chief Golden
and City Council in regard 10 the
collection of fees" for the inspec-
ton of fire escapes and buildings.
iat You quote William J Fisher. real
estate dEtHl dS saying llldl ndh
ty collected from him two dollars
III for two inspections on two prop
ed critics that were equipped with
Is fire escapes" 1 most emphatical-
as ly deny the assertion and say
De that during my entire administra-
ton as chief engineer of the Will
mington Fire Department, that all
inspections mad by me both on
pe fire escapes and in buildings was
rm done absolutely free of compen-
lor sation from either owner OF
ne tenant. ]. therefore denounce Mr.
III Fishers allegation as false and
ys untrue and l defy any man, per.
10 son. firm or corporation to say
that / ever charged or accepted
oh' a fee of any kind during my en-
tire term as chief engineer of thu
;. p Wilmington Fire Department
M, nv Patrick Magill, Ex-Chief.
ear STRANGER DIES IN HOSPITAL
70 Patrick Mccarthy, a middle-al