Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-01
SOME FIRE COMPANIES
HOLD OUT UNTIL COUNCIL
ISSUES ULTlMATUM
Continued from paxe /.

Continued from page l.
1t was another epoch making meet
Ing last night. The room WAS crowded
to capacity by the flremen and their
friends and interested citizens and tho
atmosphere was surcharged with tn,
tenstty OF the situation. for every.
one realized that the time had CONS
for a nnal showdown between the
city and the volunteer firemen who
have been trying to impose their CON
dtious upon the Council after prar-
tically agreeing last Monday night "a
give the city their hearty support and
cooperation In the present crisis
The volunteers contracts expired M
midnight last night and IL was abso-
lutely essential that aomething he
done at once TO provide adequate pro-
lection and to have some kind OF a
system ready for service this morn
inR.
During yesterday six companies
forwarded their contracts. These
were the Delaware. Phoenix. Wee
oacoc, Liberty. Washington and
Union. All these contracts were on
the clerks desk when Council was
called to order. Nothing had been
heard up to that time from the Bran
dywine. Water Witch. Fame, Inde-
pendence and Reliance companies.
When Council called for represent
tatives of the companies only three
responded, the Washington, Liberty
and the Union. A recess for an hour
was taken as Il was stated that sew
NJ Al. N..II Is,,.4
meetings and their representatives
would be late getting there. At 3
o'clock Council again went into ses~
sion, but the holdout companies were
still among the missing. II developed
at this time, however, that the repre-
sentatives OF the Ave missing COM
panies were holding a meeting in the
Fnme Companys house TO try to ar
rive at some decision rs 10 what they
were 10 do.
Council Forces the Issue.
Council waited another half hour
and in the meantime Chief Isutz tele-
phoned to the Fame house and told
the men there that Council was wait
ing fcy them. At es2 o'clock none of
the holdouts had put in an appearance.
40 Council went into session and
James Il. McManus, chairman of the
finance committee. offered the follow
ing motion: That inasmuch as six
companies have signed contracts. we
feel that the city is sure of reasonable
fire protection and that the FIRE com
panies that have not signed be given
until I2 o'clock noon, September /,
to have their contracts signed and in
the hands OF the clerk of Council"
This motion was adopted without a
dissenting vote.
Mr.. McManus next offered another
motion as follows;
THAT the clerk be directed 10 notify
the superintendent OF the flre alarm
system to disconnect all FIRE alarm
wires from the houses OF the fire COM
panies refusing 10 sign the contract
by IL O'Clock noon, September /. and
10 remove all fixtures belonging 10
the city from the fire houses OF saad
Councilman McNabb asked the pur-
pose Of this second motion.
This Council is not going to be
made monkeys Of by the FIVE fire
companies who are holding out for
unjust reas declared Mr.. Nc
Manus. II do not believe there should
be any further delays or any mere
We must now meet the
situation squarely. These companies
are asking something in the same
spirit which was so evident last year.
These companies could strike alarms
they saw fit and have the
lther companies running all over the
town sfor nothing. II these COM
,anies refuse 10 sign this contract they
will have no standing with the city
whatsoever and there would be abso-
utely no reason why the alarm system
should then be allowed to remain on
heir premises
This explanation satisfied. apparent
y, all the other members. as well as
Mr.. McSabb. and the second motion
vas adopted without a dissenting
fote. Mr.. McManus again arose TO
speak and said some of the fire COM
,anies seemed TO think they had
binding contract with the Directors of
he Department Of Public Safety.
the city would be compelled
o execute them and take over from
hem their houses and equipment.
He said, however. he has all the
in these cases and he
,nows for a certainty that there have
,een no binding contracts, in fact
.othing but tentative agreements that
he city whould take over the houses
nd equipment at the prices agreed
lpon between the safety directors and
he tlremen. Consequently, he eN-
,lained, the city is in nowise obligated
O take anything from any of the fire
and he said that fact
hould be thoroughly understood by
n of them.
Men In Training Offer support.
r. T. Hanley, president of the Will
nington Progressive Fire Association.
n organization made up of about zoe
{ the young men who have been in
raining for the paid fire department.
nut who have been dropped since the
Injunction proceedings started was
-iven the privilege of the floor and
fter explaining that he had been
AIMED a committee Of one 10 address
'ouncil, he said their organization IS
quarely back of City Council in any |
hing they can do TO be of service in /
ne present crisis, even to volunteer |
lg their services. He said they all /
a .s.sT Il.