Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-02-16
HELD BIG BANQUET
CONTINUED from Page u

for a speech but he chose to tell one
or two short stories and call it good.
E. A. Loucks, third assistant fire
chief, from the West side, spoke Of
the value of banquet OF this kind,
now when the fremens are
very seldom needed at a fire and there
fore do not get chance to see each
other. If it was not for these get-to-
gether meetings, he said, it would be
necessary to get introductions to one
another. Mr. Loucks, ever proud OF
Hose Company No. 3, stated that they
represented 100 per cent efficiency,
and cited as an instance the time of
the Denis foundry fire, when the truck
died on the way over and the West
F. f. Hall, president Of the city
council, thanked the fremen on behalf
Of the council for the invitation to at
tend the banquet. He said he believed
these banquets to be like wine imrrov
ing with age. Mr.. Hall complimented
the fire department, saying that he did
rot believe there was a better vclun-
teer department in the state. This fire
department is far above the ordinary
paid department, because at the fact
that it is volunteer department. He
said that some people thought the city
was rather extravaganza when it chang
ed to the truck system, but now the
value of the change can BE- shown in
black and white.
George Emder. chief Of the iir.> de-
partment, was next on the program.
He said th>t he h id nevc: been known
to make speech, hut af.e. he finish
ed Toastmaster Lyon was So we'll pleas
ed with his splendid talk that he got
up and said, "Well, f 1a!ly, after sew
enteen years, Ender mas managed to
get his palate loosened so as to be able
to make a speech" Mr.. Emdcr stated
that he had been a member Of the fire
department for a good many years
and that he had served as chief since
1899. IT am going to stick with the
boys to the end,' he said, Gas it is
said that the man who works and ex-
ercises will live q long hfe."
Mr.. Emder gave figures OF the
amount of the losses. Ten years ago,
for that particular year, the losses
were twice as large as the premiums
but the past year: the losses were only
about one-third as large as the premi.
ums. During the past ten years, he
said, the profits on insurance in Little
Falls have amounted to nearly $780,
900. Mr.. Emder cited the fire mar
shal's report for last year, which
showed that the were 1852 fire in
this state and losses amounting to near
~ FIVE million dollars. Most of the fires
were caused by matches and were due
to carelessness.
The chief appealed to the fremen t.
feel as though they were all in one big
company, and not feel like different
companies. No one company has thu
cinch On the town, he said, and. al
should join in and fight fire together.
P. J. Vasaly, first assistant chief
gave a brief talk in which he said thai
the cooperation between the city coun
Gil and the fire department has beer
very good and has resulted in some
splendid improvements. He told abou
the old days Of fire fighting, the time
; of the flaming red shirt and paten
leather belt, when one Of the old bows
would first run home to don his fir
fighting regalia, - proving that his spir:
it was the rionc kind, he wanted to b
there with the goods. Mr.. Vasaly reat
the French Canadian dialect poem
"The Wreck of the Julie P1ante,'
which brought forth rounds Of ap
phase.
George Kiewel was the last speake,
of the evening. He took exception to
Mr.. Cameron 3 remarks about the city
council having improved in the last
few year. (Mr. Kiewel il an ex-alder.
MANI, and he explained that the coun'
Gil a few years ago turned very live
city over to it's present aldermen and
they have kept it alive.
Mr.. Kiewel spoke Of the insurance
question, and said that in order to get
lower rates it will be necessary to have
a general cleanup about the city. When
the inspector Genes here to re-rate the
city he should not find heaps Of paper
piled up in the basement4 near the
furnaces. back yards and alleys filed
with refuse, ETC., as all these condi-
lions are considered fire hazards and