New Britain herald., 1928-11-17

iReport Wosn ButtonhiieS
 If the biblical story of tho bar ley loaves and fishes could be re-
 peated in this city. but instead of
 edibles the basket would give forth
 2 limitless stock of fire department positions and lieutenancies. four citi- zens who today displayed the gold badge of fire board members might once again return to the pursuits by which they make their daily bread and might once again enjoy . few minutes of rest or squint at the evening paper.
 Only a commissioner. or one who has at some time been on . fire board when a vacancy has occurred in tho department. has the slight est conception Of the buttonholing 2 board member receives in the in- terests of candidates.
 Having been appointed to the board for the express purpose of conducting its business and pre- stunned therefore to have at least | smattering of personal knowledge of the department and it's personnel it should not be unreasonable to sup- pose that the board members might be in the best position to make the selections. Perhaps they are, but dis cussion with; members of the pTes- ent board. would convince anyone that they are not wanting for ad- visers.
 A telephone call comes. This is such-and-such. Commissioner, will it be possible for me to see you for a minute today?" The commissioner grits his teeth and makes the ap- pointment, knowing full we'll he's about to get "the business" on the qualifications of this candidate or that candidate. Half an hour of that day already budgeted to something that will prooably accomplish noth- ing.
 The candidate himself. "1 don't like to bother you, but, etc. etc." The commissioner listens and when he gets through he wonders If 1t wouldn't be in the interest Of ef- ficiency and economy to fire all present members of the department and appoint this individual to nam de all fires alone.
 Well, I'm glad to see you on the board; now efficiency will be recog- nized," being another Nine times out of ten. recognition of efficiency would put him out of the running without question.
 Then comes the candidate who takes half an hour or more to tell how inefficient the other candidates are, So vigorous is he in his condem- nation of his colleagues that he for gets 10 set forth a single argument in his own favor.
 There are also the candidates who can spend an hour telling or ms work at this fire or that. He plunged with absolute disregard for life or limb into the blazing building and did his work. Dramatic, to be sure, but exactly what the city pays him for.
 Then there's the old school mate who seeks support on that ground, and there's the political or fraIerhai brother, the neighbor or the steady customer in commissioner busl- ness: there's a million and one req sons why each of 12 candidates TOT the one lieutenancy should receive 1t. and the same condition exists with reference to the positions as regular firemen. where B men are out for three positions. Some are bound to be disappointed. Some Will be furiously angered. Some will de- eide there's no justice in the world, while others will immediately lay plans to change their political party registration. The commissioners VIII make four friends and lose forty and the sad feature of it from the commissioners standpoint is that, by all the rules of the game, they will be confronted with the same prob- lem dozens of times before the news papers on an April afternoon come out with a two column head, read ing:
 City Hall Shake-up Begins; Fire Board Comes Under Axe