The Public With Firemen at Salem

The Public With Firemen at Salem

The call firemen of Salem, Mass., who are making a fight to receive the appointments to be made to the permanent force in accordance with State laws, and in opposition to the appointment of those outside of the department to the permanent force by Mayor Hurley, are meeting with much better success than they had expected or hoped for. Citizens have formed a league to secure the recall of Mayor Hurley, and 1,100 of 1,800 signatures necessary therefor were obtained in a few hours. The police are also working with the firemen. The recall petition is under the direction of A. P. Thompson, one of the leading manufacturers, and other prominent citizens. At a meeting of the city council last week a resolution was presented which will be acted upon October 9, and which takes from the mayor, as director of public service, the control of the fire and police departments and places them under the direction of a department—now under the direction of one of the city commissioners. In presenting the resolution the city commissioner, in part, said: “Our city marshal, likewise our chief of the fire department, have no voice whatsoever in the control of their departments. Only recently there have been several appointments made in both of these departments. None of these appointments have been made on merit, or for the good of the service, principles which should govern all appointments in all of our public departments. Men have been chosen who have had no knowledge of the labor to be performed or no experience whatsoever—foisted over the heads of old employees of practical experience.” The people of Salem are taking this opportunity to express their appreciation of the services rendered by the call firemen and the sacrifices they made at the time of the conflagration by aiding them in retaining their legal rights. They claim that it was the control of others than the chief of fire department in fire service matters that was principally responsible for the conditions that caused the conflagration, and they now want the chief to have as much control of the department, the selection of men, etc., as possible. People declare they will not tolerate any further interference with the fire department.

The call firemen of Salem, Mass., who are making a fight to receive the appointments to be made to the permanent force in accordance with State laws, and in opposition to the appointment of those outside of the department to the permanent force by Mayor Hurley, are meeting with much better success than they had expected or hoped for. Citizens have formed a league to secure the recall of Mayor Hurley, and 1,100 of 1,800 signatures necessary therefor were obtained in a few hours. The police are also working with the firemen. The recall petition is under the direction of A. P. Thompson, one of the leading manufacturers, and other prominent citizens. At a meeting of the city council last week a resolution was presented which will be acted upon October 9, and which takes from the mayor, as director of public service, the control of the fire and police departments and places them under the direction of a department—now under the direction of one of the city commissioners. In presenting the resolution the city commissioner, in part, said: “Our city marshal, likewise our chief of the fire department, have no voice whatsoever in the control of their departments. Only recently there have been several appointments made in both of these departments. None of these appointments have been made on merit, or for the good of the service, principles which should govern all appointments in all of our public departments. Men have been chosen who have had no knowledge of the labor to be performed or no experience whatsoever—foisted over the heads of old employees of practical experience.” The people of Salem are taking this opportunity to express their appreciation of the services rendered by the call firemen and the sacrifices they made at the time of the conflagration by aiding them in retaining their legal rights. They claim that it was the control of others than the chief of fire department in fire service matters that was principally responsible for the conditions that caused the conflagration, and they now want the chief to have as much control of the department, the selection of men, etc., as possible. People declare they will not tolerate any further interference with the fire department.