Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-03
STRIKING F|REMEN
ACCEPT THE TERMS
OF CITY COUNCIL
Five Holdout Companies Decide to
Sign Contracts and Return to
the Service.
CONTROVERSY SETTLED
AT COUNCIL MEETING

The struggle between the five bel
Lperent FIRE companies and City Council
ended last night at meeting of council.
when signed contracts were turned over
to the council by the five companies hold
ing out for larger appropriation than
had been allowed. This confirmed an
announcement in Every Evening yester-
day that efforts were being made to have
the companies do this.
The contracts called for an 5000 APP
preparation for the Washington, Liberty
and Fame companies and 50, 100 for the
Weccacoe and Phrnix. On the motion OF
Councilman Abrahams, chairman OF the
fire committee, Council ordered checks
drawn for half the above amounts and
made available for the companies use
at once. The other half will be given to
them in February, according to the terms
of the contracts.
The settlement last night came as the
result Of special meeting of the hold
out fire companies representatives and
several Councimen in the mayors office
Yesterday afternoon. There the COM
pauics made their last stand for the adj
ditional 81 500 appropriations for which
they have been fighting the last two
months They were informed that no
amount Of agitation could give them the
increase as the budget had already been
approved. They were. however. inform
cd that after the contracts were IN effect
Council would be in a position TO give
them an additional appropriation later.
After a short consultation the firemen
agreed To have signed the contracts ready
for the meeting OF Council last night.
With this agreement In mind Council,
after transscting routine business, re-
cessed.
PHOENIX WANTED TO DROP TRUCK.
The first hitch came when only the
contracts from the Fame, Liberty, Wash
ington and Weccacoe were presented and
a delegation from the Phoenix Go. asked
Council to correct an error In Its contract
The Phoenix apparatus consists of three
pieces and for this reason it was allowed
$1,000, instead of $1,000 given to the
COMPANIES only having two pieces. They
wanted their contract changed to call
for IS 600 and stop the operation of their
truck.
we notified council on June 9 that the
truck would be out of service after Au-
gust 81, and we have never received any
renlv," said the spokesman for the
Phoenix company. They also claimed that
the truck caused them TO go in debt every
wear and that they could not run 1T on
councils appropriation. Plans were dis
clissed to carry the hose on the truck and
thus eliminate one piece OF apparatus,
but the Phoenix men declared that would
he impossible. Council refused to accept
the contract calling for the elimination of
the truck from the Phnnix apparatus, as
one councilman said it Is the main part
OF their equipment.
I'VE want TO know what you men are
going to do tonight. We have wasted
enough time on this question. II you will
not sign we can get trucks and engines
by Saturday" one Of the councilmen de-
clared.
Michael F. Cannon, president OF the
Liberty company and chairman Of the
executive committee of the fire companies,
plead with the Phoenix men to sign with
fair assurance that Council would come
to their assistance If they were losing
money. After short conference their
spokesman announced that they would
sign and they did so.
TEMPORARY PLANS ARRANGED.
If the FIVE companies had refused to
sign the contracts Wilmington would not
have been without proper fire protection
longer than day. Councilman Abrahams
was in communication with the fire de-
partments in Philadelphia and New York
and arrangements had been practically
completed to secure the loan of some
apparatus TO tide the city over the crisis.
A plan was considered TO use the Friend
ship house, use space IN a manufacturing
plant in the southern part Of the city and
a garage In the center Of the city for hous-
ing this equipment. 1t was planned to en-
deavor to have some of the members of
the Friendship company help to man the
engine.
RESULT IS GRATIFYING.
Chairman Alfred D. Warner of the
Conservation and Fire Prevention Com
mittee expressed his pleasure on hearing
that the companies had signed the con-
tracts in the following statement:
81 cannot too earnestly express my
qualification with the harmony attitude
evinced by the Council and the FIVE fire
companies which had deferred temporarily
the signing of the contracts offered by our
municipal authorities. In all sincerity il
seems to me that the FIVE companies should
be commended for subordinating their
personal feelings in favor of that moral
obligation In which ! am sure they have
felt all the time.
Citizens must not become apathetic,
however. now that the dread situation ha.
become history. Wilmington must have q
full paid fire department"
Back from the Convention.