Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-08-07
BURLINGTON F|REMEN
TO GET MORE PAY
Policemen Also Booked for a
Raise as Soon as Expenses of
Department Have Been Re-
duced, Presumably by Drop.
ping Some of the Force

Recommendation of Aldermen Roy
L. Patrick, Charles Caise and Fred A..
Deyette, composing the salary commit
tee OF the board Of aldermen, that the
ffremen be granted an increase of ten
per cent. in their present weekly
wages. starting at once; that the
policemen be granted an increase of
ten per cent. in their weekly wages
as soon as the expenses of the depart
ment have been materially reduced.
they being termed as excessive and
not In keeping with the other cities
or the same size as Burlington. and
that IL was the sense of the board as
a whole that a triple denomination auto
pumping engine. hose wagon and
chemical combined. together with a
tractor for the hook and ladder and
chassis for a hose wagon. all to cost
approximately $1s.500. is highly desir-
able and much needed in the city were
the principal features of the August
meeting Of the board of aldermen held
Monday night.
The fire commissioners, headed by
Chairman F. E. Perkins and Chief
Engineer Carl D. Stockwell appeared
before the aldermen to explain the
proposition Of the commissioners to
motorize the entire department, dis
continue Station on South Union
street and possibly remodel the build
ing for modern apartment house at
little cost. The commissioners argued
and had facts and figures to back
them up that the cost Of maintaining
the fire department with horses be-
cause Of the high cost OF grain. etc,
was about four times what it would
cost to maintain a motorized depart
ment after the equipment was bought.
written guarantee would be
handed to the city from the fire un-
derwriters Of the New England Fire
Insurance Exchange in Boston that IL
the triple combination motor pump
was bought the insurance rates on
all property would drop more than 3
per cent and would put the city in
"B' class. According to an estimate
made by Henry H. Hickok last year
when the same proposition was taken
up the sum Of s3ss3.0O would be saved
to the citizens on insurance policies
II the pump was purchased
Chief Stockwell told Of the very poor
pressure on hydrants off North avenue
and cited an incident which occurred last
week when the department filled the tank
for the high diver at the carnival where
the pressure was so low that by stepping
on the hose the flow of water could be
stopped. At the Orphanage on North
avenue. the pressure registers "a pounds
and Is 50 weak that If there was a fire
and two streams were in use neither
would be able to reach to the second
story. The same condition exists in many
other parts Of the city that is not reached
by the great electrically-driven high
pressure pump on the hill. motor-driven
xl.;s, eel 4
save a big building in the central part
of the city or house or property in the
northern or southern part of the city.
The cost of the motor-pump would be
about $4,000 and the chassis for the hose
wagon and the tractor for the hook and
ladder would add another $500 to that
item. II cost $500 and a few odd cents
to maintain the motor apparatus in sta
ton one. including new sets of tires, gaso-
line, repairs. etc, for one year. The
cost of maintaining the horses. apparatus,
ETC.. in the other various stations follows:
Station two, s5s1.1o: station three s5os 90 ;
station four. ,$527.00 station five, $540.79. 1t
can readily be seen that one set of horses
cost more to maintain than two autos and
they could not render one-haf the
efficient service because of their lack of
speed, etc.
After hearing all the facts and figures
read and explanations made by the COM
missioners, the board authorized the city
attorney to draw up a resolution provid-
ing for the payment, etc, Of the new ap-
paratus and authorized the fire commits
sioners to advertise for bids for the Sc
curing of the apparatus. with the under
standing that the answers to the bids
were not to be binding to the city in any
49, 81.
buy the apparatus.
Then the reports Of the salary commit
tee were read, the first being that about
the increase for the firemen. After it was
read Alderman Caise, one of the signers,
the board authorize the granting Of one
day off in Ave instead of one in eight
as is now in force. After some dis
cussion the board was Of the opinion that
the day off proposition was a matter for
the fire commissioners to regulate and
Chairman Perkins said that matter could
be worked out satisfactorily and the
board voted to adopt the report.
POLICE DEPARTMENT TOO EXPEN-
SIVE
The report concerning the raise for po-
licemen was accompanied with the ex-
mittee wished to go on record as favoring
decided cut in the expenses of the de-
partment and that they were unanimous
In the opinion that the raise should not
be granted until such a material cut had
been made in the expenses, it going into
effect Immediately after such material cut
had been completed. There was no stipu-
lation as 10 how much of cut should be
made
Alderman Bergeron then got the floor
and stated that he was for the granting
Of the raise to the policemen without any
restrictions. the same as the firemen got
Alderman Dwyer advanced the opinion
that there we're not police enough now.
He said that up off North avenue and in
the northern part Of the city people. es-
pecially women and girls, were afraid TO
60 out after dark because of insufficient
police patrolling beats there He said
that for two or three years the people
there had been asking for more protection
and had not got 1t and now they were
going to try and take away part of what
had been given them for some time
Alderman Beecher got the floor and said
that If there were not enough police there
it would be a good idea to have a good
shift and put some of the patrolmen up
there as there was certainly plenty of
them, Alderman Hall was firm In his opin-
ion that the cost of the police department
was excessive and cited departments in
Rutland, Barre and cities in the country
the size OF Burlington where the police
department is run on a much less cost and
with more efficient service He stated
that Burlin gton WAS dry or a laas, r,,,cb