The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-03-29
Commissioner Favor Former
 Service Man
Commissioners D a w e and Noonan Against D TO pp n g Steno- grapher Unless Both
 Girls Resign and Ser vice Man Gets the Job.
The fight is on.

The first shot has been fired.
 Fire mn1issioners Dave and Noonan absolutely refuse to ask for the resignation of one of the girls now employed in the clerks office of the Fire department unless both girls are asked to resign. and an ex-service man, who has seen service in France, is allowed to take the positions whi1h are now held by both girls.
 Commission Coleman and Fin negan are just as insistent that the Fire Board live up to an agreem ent which was reached with the sub committee of the Board of Appor- tionm ent some time ago when it was decided to appropriate $1,56O for the clerks now employed in the fire clerk g office which would pay the salary of one girl only. and necessitate drop ping one of the girls now employed.
 That is the principal thing over which the fight has started and was the situation as it stood when the Fire Board adjourned at the last reg ular meeting.
 The meeting, however, Scheduled for yesterday was not held. Instead. an informal discussion took lace and although Commissioner NOOnan twice requested that Presid ent Coleman call the meeting to order and take a. vote on the question: his request was re- fused and the third time when he absolutely insisted that the meeting be called to order, his plea fell on deaf ears. President Coleman answer ed in an evasive manner. This was the statement issued tO'the press after the meeting by both Commissioners Dave and Noonan-
 President Coleman was also asked for statement imam ediateIy after the discussion, and stated that it had been an informal discussion and the matter of dropping one of the girls had not been settled. He stated that he still believes. as in the past, that there is no other alternative but to drop the girl. as the money has not .been appropriated for her salary. commissioner Finnegan agreed with Presiden Coleman on this statement.
 When asked what would be the next step to be taken by the board he stated that he believed there was nothing more to do.
 There are the two sides of the question. It is probable that at the next meeting of the board the matter will again be brought up. At that time both sides are expected to stand firm on the question, with CoGnm1s- sioners Dawe and Noonan voting against releasing one girl and Com missionerS Finnegan and Coleman voting in favor of dropping the girl. Then Mayor Atwater is expected to step in and break the tie by voting in flavor of dropping the girl on the grounds of economy. Then the board will be split and the fur will begin to fly in the Fire department.
 Commissioner Coleman also re- ported at the meeting yesterday that he had been questioned by the City Attorney, John A. Cornell, Jr., as to who authorized giving vacations to the fremen. When told that the pre- cedfng Fire commissioners had set the precedent, he asked that the an- nouncement of the vacation schedule be postponed for couple of days until he might look up the matter and see if r~sre was an ordinance gove- erning the giving of vacations.
 Miss Helen Fitzgerald. one of the stenographerS, it was reported. had been offered a position in another city departmen and it is said today she will accept the offer. Miss Ve- rontca Smith, clerks assistant since 1916, will be retained by the board, 1t Is thought.