Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-28

should feel very proud Of our depart
ment. it is no cinch 10 get out in the
night and attend the fires. where they
endanger their lives for the small sum
of money.
There should always he one Com
panE in reserve to attend fires. They
must have orders in the department
and the men should, and do obey
their chief. We have had struggle
in getting Waterville improved and
we must get the city in Class b.
During the winter the chief and my
self have been working to meet the
requirements Of the insurance COM
panies and before March 1st. 1919.
Waterville will be a Class 3 city.
Applause). Which will mean not
only lower rates but much less risk
of fire. We should cooperate with
the inspet tors
The second number on the pro-
gram was an address by G. Walden
Smith of Portland. State insurance
committiOncr, who was unable 10
be present but sent q telegram to the
chief. which was read. announcing
his regret for not being able to at
tend the banquet. and wishing the
department success.
Chief Berry then made few re-
marks saying that under the new
ordinance there were several things
that could not be done. under the
new ruling. One in particular which
he mentioned WAS that there are sew
eral of the buildings in the city
where. when the store was swept,
the substance which is used for
dust was placed on the floor, then the
dirt swept down the stairs and left
to accumulate. and in some instances
there were found from one busllel to
100 bushels of dirt in cellars Of some
Of the stores on the street. This
must be looked after or the person is
liable to prosecution.
Another matter Which was brought
to the attention of the men was that
gasoline, naptha and other burning
fluids could not and must not be
found in any quantity in a building
If there is a two story house. where
both parties have the use Of gaso-
line. then each person is only en-
titled to have three gallons on hand
at time. as six gallons is the limit
in any building, at any one time, if
the rule is broken they are also liza BILE
to prosecution.
The next speaker was Frank w
Alden Of Waterville, also connected
with insurance corporations, who
gave very brief and interesting
talk on the cooperation Of tie in
surance companies and citizens. He
explained that the first thing that the
insurance company did was to in
vcstigate the city and see how many
hydrants there were, and that there
were not enough hy1rants in the
city for the firemen to do good work
in case of fire as they were placed so
far apart. He stated that there was
To be an address given at the Cham
tcr of Commerce on February itI, at
which Franklin Wentworth Of Bos-
ton will he present and he urged the
members of tho department as we'll
as citizens III the city to make q
special effort to be present on that
occasion.
On account of illness. John =.
Caldwell of Boston. OF the New Eng
land Insurance Exchange, was unable
to be present. but in his place. John
+. Drisco!l OF Boston gave a very fine
address to the men on insurance, and
the Glass b. City"
In the Glass b. City, the dwelling
tax rates will be lessened by 26O and
the furniture by 220 reduction. The
privilege of the company is that they
may call on any person at any time
and inspect the buildings, and il in
any case the inspection docs not NEE;
with approval, the blame will be on
the chief of the department. and il is
urged that all will cooperate with
the chief. and take every possible
prevention. The conditions must be
improved in Easements and cellars in
the city, and If they are not, after be-
ing warned two or three times, pleas
antly by the chief. action will he
taken. and a warrant sworn out The
sum of s25 will he paid for the Of
fence. and $25 for every "a hours af-
ter the warrant had been issued. Ii
is up to the citizen to look after the
matter. 10 avoid further trouble.
The last speaker was the superin-
tendent Of schools, w. II. Patten, who
said that he looked upon the mem
bers Of the Are department as On
triOtic men and that fboy NnaAvvoN