Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-01
UNDERWRITERS MAY
ACT If COUNCIL FAILS
Have Sent Men Here to Make
Survey of the New Situa-
ton.
TEST CAME ON A FIRE
ALARM THIS MORNING
Demonstrated the Need OF Having
a Larger Force Than is
Available.


City Council. meeting rs committee OF
ne whole tonight. viii, IN all probability,
70 asked TO commandoer the apparatus OF
he FIVE volunteer fire companies that re-
ilsod last night to sign new contracts Tor
he coming wear. IN order that the city
nav not suffer from lack Of protection due
to the failure of these companies TO renew
their contracts. This suggestion comes
from tho Chamber Of Commerce. The
National Board of Fire Underwriters,
which has the authority to cancel all fire
insurance policies If II considers the CITY
unprotected, today notified the Chamber
~ Commerce that the city must institute
4 paid department. These were the two
most important developments today IN the
fire department situation.
With b,,f six companies with which TO
Irotr the city, Chief Engineer William
= f.i1fr directed all Of them TO respond 10
every alarm Of FIRE from now until the city
s rcdistrictcd At an alarm of fire tins
morning. none of the FIVE companies that
failed 10 sign new contract because the
city would not give them all of the APP
nropriation they asked for, responded.
This action, in the minds OF city oihclais;
indicates that they have definitely declueo
10 quit the fire service.
CITY Council at its meeting tonight viii
discuss rearrangement Of the companies,
plan for huying apparatus or the COM
mandecring Of the present apparatus own
I'd hy the companies that quit, thresh out
the reorganization of the Friendship Co,
which retired from the service, not tor
lack of appropriation, but from choice, ana
talk over plans for acquiring suitable
buildings in which FIRE apparatus could DE
stored.
The CITY Fire Prevention and Con-
seryation Committee, representing clvlc
bodies. held meeting this morning ana
issued statement in which 1t was declared
tha, the situation was desperate and urg-
ing Council to seieze the apparatus OF the
comnarics that Quit and keep II in service,
rather than have all insurance policies
cancelled. The committee, of which Alfred
u Warner. Jr, president of the Chamber
of Commerce. Is chairman, learned Wnlie
in session that the National Board OF FIRE
Underwriters was going TO send men 70
this CITY 10 size up the situation. lnese
men. il was learned, would not make their
presence as being connected with inc
underwriters known, but would assemble
information quietly.
asKs COUNCIL TO CoMMANDEER APPARATUS.
Chairman Alfred ID. Warner, Jr., OF the
conservation and fire prevention commit
toe OF Wilmington, today issued the iol-
lowing statement regarding the present
fire department situation:
.'The present situation is unspeakable.
| think il is best described by quoting
well-known citizen, who remarked this
morning i am almost ashamed to regard
myself as a Wilmingtonian.
However, the emergency is with us.
We have but SIX companies IN service.
just what action Council will take TO full
fll their promise to the public to preserve
the fire protection which the city must
have, do not know. The suggestion from
this committee viii be along the line OF
Council taking immediate steps to COM
mandeer the houses and equipment OF
those companies which have retired, and
the adequate manning OF this equipment.
II the houses cannot be Communicated,
then certainly the equipment can be
transferred TO the houses of the SIX loyal
companies.
The fire protection committee has
reason to believe that during the next
A. hours. in all probability, the insurance
companies will be notifying their clientele
az reduced lines and increased rates,
effective Immediately. This is the situa-
ton forecast by the committee in letter
from which / quote:
We are impelled to submit this COM
munication especially al this time by our
knowledge that representatives OF FIRE
insurance companies recently have visited
this citv with the primary object OF In
vestigating and considering the advisa-
bilitv of cancelling local insurance con-
tracts, or adopting other measures equally
prejudicial, In the protection OF their
Interests.
II want to take this opportunity to call
on all proprietors of mercantile and
manufacturing establishments, especially
20 adopt extra precautions against the
occurrence Of fire at this time Unusual
efforts must be taken by all along the
line OF extra housekeeping. The big es-
tablishments, especially should take steps
TO provide additional watchmen and pre-
pare, if such be necessary, their local
apparatus for special service.
CHIEF LUTz NOT TAKING SIDES.
William j. Lutz. chief engineer of the
fire department said today, that he was
not taking siddes in this situation. I've
got many friends among the members of
the companies that have quite and | do
not propose TO antagonize them through
asking questions as TO what they intend
TO do" he said.
Mr.. Lutz said that he would meet with
members of City Council tonight at
which time the present situation would be
discussed Prior 10 redistricting the city
he had directed that the six loyal com
panics should respond 10 ala alarms. The
LOYAL companies are Reliance, Delaware,
Continued on mage n