Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-11
COUNCIL WRANGlES
OVER FIRE BUREAU
Does Not Act on Appeals fo'
the Retention Of the Firsmen
Slated for Dismissal.

Councilman Murray, McNabb and
Mulvcna made futile appeals to City |
Council last night to give the De-
partmcn, OF Public Safety financial
assistance sufs'cient to retain the 2s
nrcmen slated" for dismissal next
Tues,my.
Councilman Murray said the Depart
ment of Public Safety should be
given enough money 10 keep the
Fir Bureau intact.
Councilman McNabb stated the die
mesal OF the e6 f,rcmcn would be fol-
lowed by a ten-fold increase in fire
insurance rates. lie dcplored the de-
noting OF four officers and declared the
casting out OF the c6 firemen would be
awful. II the proposed purchase Of AN
cnginehouse site wcrc deferred. he
remarked. there would be- available
money sufficient to pay tho salaries
of these fremcn for one year.
Councilman Abrahams said Council
had not been consulted regarding the
creation of the Fire Bureau. lie
thought the Department OF Public
Safety is cxtravagant and stated II
had spent for repairing three engine
houses enough money TO employ the
26 hremcn Ave years. Had Council
not stopped tho Department OF Public
Safety. no declared. Il would have re-
paired all the cnginchouses In the
city. lie said tho organizers OF the
Fire Bureau had hoped out" and
Left burden on the Department OF
Public Safety.
Councilman Ahrahams denied that
Council was In any way at fault FOR
the Department Of Public Safety get
ting In the present hole" He de-
scribcd In detail the work OF prepar-
ing tho Paid Fire Department bill.
meetings held relative 20 tho same
and OF the sending OF the bill TO Dover
and OF the support II received from
tho old Council. lie stated II was n
fact that had the bill not been sup
ported by tho old Council and the in
Nestigation relative to fire departments
been conducted by the former fire
committee the bill would not have
passed at Dover. lie remarked that
after the bin WAS passed, after being
changed naming tho three directors.
that the work OF Council ceased, as
the directors no longer desired their
services and any data. ideas or sug-
eestions that Council might have had
were not requested by tho directors.
He said he did mention TO the direc-
tors two mon that they rould have
secured 10 help organize the depart
ment, but they were individuals. not
companies. He contradicted Mr.. Nc
Nahb In HIS statement that all cities
with paid fire departments the size
Of Wilmington have larger and more
expensive departments. lie called Mr.
McNabbs attention 20 the fact that
most OF the cities upon which the
comparison was based had paid fire
departments for years and said he
would wager that At the original for
nation the expense or the number Of
men was not as large ae Whining
tons. In reference 10 tho improve
mcnts made 10 houses. he stated that
II was agreed that one house would
y. repaired n year and already three
have been repaired.
MIR. McNabb interrupted Mr.. Abra-
hams on this point 20 ask II his COM
mittee had not approved the plans o!
the repaired houses. Mr.. Abrshami
answered they had. but only after 81
had already been decided by the board
what they were going TO do and bid:
had been opened for the work by tho
directors. lie said he naturally fel'
sorry for the men who were losing
their positions, but that IL WAS III
20 the directors 10 weigh each cas'
ard avoid causing inconvenience
where possible. He stated II more at
tention had been paid TO expenses
at the start Of the department 81 wouls
not he necessary 10 extend sympath,
20 the &c men now. He said he has
no grievance or grudge against th'
Department of Public Safety. but whel
other departments Of the city ha'
their budgets cut IL was necessary q
cut the Public Safety Department.
lie stated that the papers had edi
torially commented on the reduction
and that he had heard many com
ments on the street which were aloni
the line that too much money was be
ing expedited on the department.
Councilman Murray quoted citizen
AZ ~aying II would be a shame {
weaken the Fire Bureau. He remarke
that proponents OF the paid ftre de
mr;ment have become the "bigges
kickers" and stated the Departmer