Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-01

ccrning where IL would be possible 10
obtain fire apparatus quickly and that
they had ,earned Of severnl places where
all the apparatus that WAS needed could
be gotten at short notioe. Among these
places is Hog Island. Government aii-
shorities nave assured them, IL il said
that they could acquire some Of the fire
apparatus now at the rhipyard very
quickly II the emergency became such
as exists today.
FIRE DEPARTMENT DISRUPTED.
/, was learned today that the officials ~
the companies that quit last night re-
fused 10 meet with the officials Of the
loyal companies. This statement, made
by a prominent city official, IL true. in
dicated 10 the Underwriters representative
here, that the volunteer system had
sgnsIly failed and that because Of this
lack of cooperation no efficient service
could be looked for from a continuation
Of the volunteer system.
In case Council should decide 20 sieze
the fire apparatus and houses of the dis
eruntled companies. the procedure would
be for Council 10 name representative
and each company another and these two
select third man and this board should
fix value on the property TO be bought
aa tnt fpTttfHfitft fl4t F'iisSb ~ Hfkh
have not returned their contracts. there is
still an opportunity for them to sign up and
return 20 service But this may not settle
the question. City Council might be
willing as the easiest way out Of IL to ac-
cept the belated contracts, but the Under
writer's might consider IL taking too long
chance 10 allow policies to continue
where there has been such serious dis
satisfaction among the fire companies.
Engineer Rowland Of the staff Of Under
writer's attaches 10 IN the South on an
important Job and will not be sent here
10 look the field over. Consequently the
men sent 10 Wilmington by the Under
writer's will not be known, unless they
chose 20 announce their presence, be-
cause they have not been here before
Mr.. Rowland made the recent survey Of
the city which resulted in statement
from the Underwriters calling for the
establishment of paid department
NAY RECRUIT NEW FRIENDSHIP coapANY.
Another detail OF the situation is that
concerning the Friendship Co, that dis
banded last night. Council has been given
the chno.ce 10 buy this apparatus at
IS 900, and there are many young men
about that section of the city who have
for years wanted TO become runners for
Friendship, but were uuO Bile 10 join be-
cause the company refused to take IN any
new blood. There are some Councilnen
who suggest recruiting company of
young men to take the place OF Friend
ship Co. and install the apparatus in a
location nearby that has been suggested
The refusal of several of the companies
that quit to take in any new members in
the past ten or Is years II the basis on
which the underwriters have steadfastiy
declared Wilmington must install paid
department. The absence of young men
as members has, In the opinion of the
underwriters, decreased the efficiency of
the department and they claim 10 have
records of many fires, which were attended
largely only by the apparatus of some of
the companies. the members failing to
respond to the alarm.
UNDERWRITERS ON THE JoR.
George W Brooks, chief engineer for
the National Board OF Fire Underwriters.
got into communication with members OF
the Chamber of Commerce today over
the long-distanee telephone. When Mr..
Brooks was apprised of the fact that six
companies had quit, he immediately came
back with the statement that Wilmington
must establish paid department. He
told the men at the Wilmington end OF
the wire that this action on the part OF
the fire companies showed that the depart
ment Was In need of change and that
change must be for better discipline and
greater loyalty such as only could be OBJ
tanned through paid department.
Mr. Brooks said that men would be sent
TO this city to observe conditions, but that
1t was not likely that they would make
themselves known while here. Upon the
report of these men by telephone, the
Underwriters would consider what action
to take as to cancelling policies and in
creasing rates Of insurance. He said that
be had been expecting just what had
happened and that it had been his expert
ence in other cities when a change was
being proposed from volunteer TO paid
department. That these who were hoval
to the city often had TO suffer for the acts
of others.
MAY ASK PRIVATE PLANTS TO GIVE HELP
Among the plans that CITY Council has
under consideration is the requesting of
private corporations TO render relief to the
city In case any serious fire occurred
Some of the concerns have we'll organized
tre. departments and those that were
asked today If they would respond to an
appear iipiil tiit city, atllbQuCtu Liiat tleE
would give every service possible in case
OF an emergency.
Not until midnight last night, was it
definitely known whether the five COM
panies--Fame, Phoenix, Washington, Wee
cacoe and Liberty, would quit, because
their request for an additional 81 500
had not been granted When contracts
that had been sent them had not been
signed up to that time, Fire Chief Lutz
sent word to the loyal companies to pre-
pare for extra duty until the situation
was relieved
Clerk of Council, Homer simmons said
today that checks for the first six months
OF the new fire year starting from today
had been mailed to the loyal companies,
with the exception of Reliance, which
did not return its signed contract until
last night. Its check for the first six
months was mailed today.
According to Mr.. Simmons, Council
had acted fairly in this matter, While
Council had not appropriated the addi-
tonal III 500 asked for, that the difference
between what was granted and the amount
asked for would be forthcoming through
the division OF the appropriation designed
for the Friendship Co, which quit for
other reasons Through the companies
responding to extra calls the additional
money asked for would be paid to the
companies.
According To members of Co,,ncilis fra