The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-02-20
Some Things to Come Up of the Next
Town Meeting

At the meeting of April ?, 1906, the
town passed the following vote with
regard to the Fire Department and
Fire Department Building:
The chief engineer shall have
the superindence and control of
the engine house, except the upper
portion of the building.
This has always been a cause of dis
content with the fire department who
assumed that the building was exclus-
lively for fire purposes and that the
department and its officers should
have full control thereof AS a mat
ter of fact the members of the fire
companies have rarely, If ever, been
interfered with in the uses of the en-
tire building, including the hall and
upper floor. But there has always
heen the feeling that they were sub
ject TO the dictates of town authority
outside the fire companies, and this
feeling was not pleasant.
Several years ago, the town needed
the hall for school purposes and pro-
ceeded 10 erect partitions and make
use of it in that way. This, of course,
for the time excluded the firemen,
who had previously used the hall for
their meetings, and now and then for
dances and socials. At this. however.
they made no complaint as they real
lied that in emergencies the needs OF
the schools should have prior claim.
81 he 1,ff
people of the High School asked for
the use of The hall for basket ball.
While he firemen had no authority
in the matter il was recognized that
their wishes ought to be consulted.
They were called together and the
matter VAS laid before them There
was slight divisions of opinion on the
matter but in the end with the best
OF feeling. they voted To invite the
young people to make use of the hall
In the meantime. the town voted to
purchase horses and fixed up stalls
for them in the rear of the fire de-
partment building on the street floor.
This made use OF an area which had
previously been used as a club room
by the boys of the department. They
had installed a pool table with card
tables and other furniture and the
room was the source of a good deal
of enjoyment for them 1t was one
of the features that made the depart
ment attractive to the hest young men
of the community and helped to keep
1t efficient as fire fighting organize
ton. The men were very glad to get
ha hnr m oil boi RI
and made very little complaint at los
ing their club room. They took down
and stored the pool table and moved
their card tables out among the horse
wagons and other apparatus and made
use of them as best they could. Grad
ually however. the feeling grew with
them and they finally proposed to util-
ize a part of the upper floor for this
purpose. The plan now is to take the
rooms at the front of the building
heretofore used by the men who stay
ed in the station at night. for club
room and to put partition parallel
with the south wall of the building
and II feet from the entire length of
the assembly hall, using this space for
new sleeping quarters This OF course
would interfere largely with the use
OF the hall for basket ball purposes
| The young folks of the High School
Immediately put up a vigorous pro-
test. The authority to authorize
the change lay with the selectmen
They were reluctant to interfere with
the usefulness of the hall. as such and
did not in any event. feel justified in
approving of the cost, which would be
between 5000 and $500, without vote
of the town to that effect The fire
commissioners also announced that
! in view of the fact that the imperative
costs of maintaining the department
! would certainly exceed the appropr1-
alton for the year. they would not ap-
prove of the bills for constructing
rooms in the assembly hall. The boys
of the fire department recognized the
| wisdom and Justice of this decision
and with good nature and patience
/ have awaited such action as may be
taken at the annual town meeting
They will then present two articles
/ to the town: one being to give the
entire control OF the building. includ-
! ing the upper portion to the chief oil
! the fire department and another au-
thorizing construction of sleeping
quarters, above referred to- and raise
| 1915 therefor.
The partition proposed is intended
/ to be so made rs to be readily remov-
ed without injury to the hall when
ever such action is desirable. In the
meantime, the remaining portion Of
the hall would, perhaps. just get by
| for basket ball purposes. There would
be very little room for spectators
however outside the playing area