Putnam patriot., 1920-10-08

Believing that the serious situation in the fire department, due te the equipment lacking hook and ladder truck that can be used at fires, makes it imperative that something be done and done at once, the common coun- eil, at it's regular meeting, Tuesday evening, unanimously voted te call an- other city meeting to see if the voters will appropriate the sum of S9.500 to buy motor driven truck.
 Since the last meeting, at which time the appropriation was voted down, it has come to list that some of those who voted against the appropri- ation believed that if truck was pur- chased that it would be the forerun- ner of more expense in building a new fire station. This it was em- phatically stated Tuesday evening. is not so.
 The members of the council have discussed at length this serious propo- sition and feel that they should make one more effort through the voters to see if the appropriation will be acted on favorahly, believing that the pub- licity given the matter must have brought home to many people that hemes and business blocks are at the mercy of the flames should fire break out above the first story. un- der such conditions all that the fire men could do would be to stand upon the ground and pour water upon the fire as best they could
 1t was stated that in the business section the present truck could be rolled to the place by hand, but this would be in very limited area, and at no point where there is an up grade. The suggestions of some citizens that q cheap truck be secured or some sort of Il vehicle be used to pull the pres ent truck has been discussed and in vestigated. but no satisfactory plan could be devised. The council is unan- imous that the sxigencies of the situac tion makes it imperative that n truck specially built for the purpose and carrying skeleton ladders that can be easily handled is needed and, although we'll realizing that expenditures should be kept as low as possible, ask again that the appropriation be made.
 Many people who failed to vote at the last city meeting have since ex- pressed the belief that the expenditure is warranted and it is expected that when the matter comes up again that a much larger vote than before will be boiled.
 Not to Disbsnd Fl. & L. Company
 The matter of disbanding the Hook X Ladder Company was taken from the table and there was considerable discussion on this question. Alder man Byrne said that he did not wish to be thought as criticising the council or the mayor, but he thought that the l suggestion that the company be dis banded was most unfortunate. While | he called it unfortunate that the ap- i had been voted down, he did not think that for this reason the should be penalized. He | said that the members of the company were not to blame because the city | did not furnish apparatus. He stated | that the company had been in exist ence 42 years and included some of | the very best firemen in the depart ment. He said that if the time comes when the city does get piece of ap- paratus the company would have to be if dishapded and that if disbanded it might cause hard feeling in the department. He thought the matter should have been referred to the fire committee before any action