Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-02
WATER WITCH HEAD
SAYS COMPANY WILL
NOT DESERT CITY
Meeting Will be Held Tonight
to Decide on Course to be
Followed.
COUNCIL REJECTS CONTRACT

We are satisfied with conditions
as they are this morning"
This statement was made. today by
Edward r. Kane. chairman of the
committee representing the Water
Witch Fire Company in the negotia-
tions with the City Council, relative
to the signing OF the contract for a
continuance for three months of the
volunteer FIRE department. The reply
was In response To question as TO
What the Water Witch Company pro-
posed doing In view of the action of
Council last night in refusing 10 ac-
cept the contract the company re-
turned with a modification.
Mr.. Kane contended the insertion
made In their copy of the contract
does net affect 1t in any way and
serves only to protect the company's
interests. To sustain their contention
that the paragraph they wrote into
the contract does not invalidate IL.
they point TO the fact that Mayor
Harvey signed IL after City Solicitor
iscuhcn Satterthwaite Jr.. had ap-
proved a. IL was learned this morn
ing however. that Mr.. Satterthwaite
gave the contract his approval only
~ far as it's validity was concerned
and Council does not contend that the
insert affects the validity of the con-
tracty The action OF the mayor in at
taching his signature places him in
the position of signing something
Council had not approved, for its is
still Withholding it's approval of the
Water Witch contract.
MIR. Kane stated this morning that
the Water Witch Company has no
firht with the city and that il does
not want 10 have any fight. He claims
iis stand in the present controversy
has been and is misunderstood. Their
sol. desire. he declared, is to protect
themselves. They propose TO remain
ln service and TO give the city every
aid within their power in case of FIRE.
no matter what happens, he explained.
Council has given the company un-
sii tomorrow AT noon TO sign the con-
tract. Council submitted to the Water
Witch. as well as all the other COM
panies the same contract. Ten of the
volunteer organizations have already
aligned. James II. McManus, chair
man of the finance committee. this
morning personally delivered to the
Water witch Company, new copies
Of the original Council contract, which
Council expects the company to ap-
prove and return by tomorrow. In
The event the Water Witch refuses.
then Council threatens to cut cut
their Ore alarm reporting system. re-
move city property from their house
and have nothing further 10 do with
that particular company. :.
Water Witch to Meet.
Mr.. Kane refused to state this morn
ms what the company was going to
do with the new contract. but there
was an impression about City Hall
that the company would sign the same
contract the other companies had
signed. Mr.. Kane said his committee
will meet some time during the day
and that a special meeting of the COM
pany has been called for this evening
e. discuss the question. Mr.. Kane
had no comment TO make relative TO
a report that the company would seek
new court action against the city in
the event that Council rejects the con-
tract with their inserted para graph
and attempts to cut them from the
Ere reporting system.
Another rumor current today, hut
which appears 10 have been without
foundation. was TO the effect that the
Friendship. Company had a meeting
iasf night and decided to bring legal
action against the city for non-fulfill-
nent OF contract by failing TO take
over the company's property on Sep
tcmber /. as. IL was claimed. had been
Continued on page 10.