Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-01

|
At this time and that the money TO
be paid under the new contracts be
expended ~ wages 10 rthosa men who
have been In training ut the Union
house. He said the city would then
have "A first-cinss paid department anu
Payment for 1t could be made lat II
lby note.
Mr.. brand wanted to know what ex-
cuse Council could offer for refusing
this suggestion and disseminating
what h. termed the present abnom-
lnahle volunteer system. His indict-
mont of the volunteer system was
severe, yet no one In the room. either
fireman or Councilman, ross TO contra
diet him. MIR. Brand declared tho only
thing the volunteer fire companies can
guarantee the city under the new
contract were some of the fxtures In
their houses. He said many of them
have sold everything they had and
that some companies do not even have
chairs.
"you can take Il from me they
can't deliver the service" Mr.. brand
said He said for sometime past the
fire chiefs have realized that there
were not enough men In some COM
/
lire and for this reason at many
recent fires two alarms have been sent
I'm for a puny blaze just go they
could get sufficient help from the adj
,litional companies. He said the very
best the volunteers could do was to
hand over 20 the city for a little more
money to swell their dividends n de-
partment that cannot give service. lie
l a attts
| Tie waa loud in his praise of the men
who have been In the training and
said there should be an exhibition By
| these men along market street. so
the people of the city could see how
efficient they are. He said he was
| talking for the benefit Of the people
OF the city, TO make them realize the
dangers they are facing by having the
volunteer companies continued in SER
vice. Ife made reference To the polit-
ical phase Of the case. saving II the
| Counciimen are not In favor Of a paid
hre department the people will defeat
them at election. lie explained all
| the Council had 20 do under their sng-
| gestion was TO convert the money
into wages for the men In training
many Of whom. he said. had given up
good Jobs 10 enter the service, and
now they are out in the cold with
nothing TO do.
| Mr.. Brand said they, however
would do fre service in spite of
everything and that it would take an
| Injunction TO put them out Of conn
r-isHion. but the best we can-give
ycu Is very poor service" he conelu-
ded.
I
| Councilman McManus said they
appreciated the offer. but ON Mon
| day night the companies had agreed
| TO the plan offered and the Council
| believed they were sincere and would
| aign up. He said the representatives
had power 20 act but they now want
certain things. which In nothing more
than coercion TO compel Council TO ea-
| tahlish a paid FIRE department lie
said they did not ask for any countA
er proposition.
! AS FAR as the injunction referred to
by Mr. Brand was concerned, Mr.. Me-
Manus declared that had already been
passed and referred to his previous
motion TO eliminate all holdout conn
panies after u O'Clock noon TODAY.
we feel II 1. absolutely ungrate-
fil for these fire companies 10 with-
hold their signatures now" said Mr.,
McManus. 1T Ia exceedingly unA
grateful for them to take this stand,
You cant establish paid department.
over night oar idea In having the
ee-rnonths contract was to give us
time TO organize n force and prepare
it, Now they want to dictate 20 us
what shall be done. They can sign
or not. but the city is not obligated 10
take over a thing that belongs TO them
We can get along without them"
Mr.. Brand said there are always two
parties to a contract and they did not
have the moral courage to take agy
more money for a department that
can't deliver the goods. and the vol
unteer companies cannot deliver the
goods" he declared. The counter
proposition he had TO offer was read |
by Mr.. Simmons and by motion it
was ordered laid on the table.
II was announced during lie mest- |
ing that tbe Brandywine and Fame |
companies had signed contracts. Later |
in the evening the Reliance and Inde-
pendence companies signed Presi- |
dent Ward announced Clerk Sim
mons would remain at his office un-
III IL . StoSh Hit1IlEHA 10 EGAEiNG any |
contracts that might come in. All |
had been received at midnight except |
the Water Witch.
Counter Proposition.
The counter proposition suggested |
by MFR Brand pointed out that the |
money 10 be paid volunteers for the |
three months service would total s22.- |
36T.35. He claimed il is apparent 10 |
all those who are informed on the sub |
ject that the volunteer fire companies |
are not at present able to deliver the |
service contracted for. because It is |
a physical impossibility for them N |
their present state of disorganiza tian |
to render adequate service and to |
fully protect the property of the city |
against fires.
The proposal continues as follows:
Whereas. While the volunteer fire /
companies OF the city of Wilmington
are not now in a position to guaron-
tee that they can secure a sufficient |
number of volunteer firemen who are
trained to man and operate their ap-