1921 Fire Department Compensation

REPORT OF ARBITRATORS. WHEREAS heretofore on August 1, 1921 the Culver Volunteer Fire Company of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana, pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by said Fire Company submitted to the Trustees of the incorporated Town of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana, its request that members of the said Culver Volunteer Fire Comnany should be compensated for their services; and

WHEREAS no agreement has ever been reached between the said Culver Volunteer Fire Company and the Trustees of the incorporated Town of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana, providing for a just and equitable compensation of the said Culver Volunteer Fire Company and

WHEREAS the members of the said Volunteer Fire Company were on the verge of dishandoning their organization; and

WHREAS at the request of several of the citizens of the Town of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana and persons interested in said Town living outside the corporate limits, the Business 7ents Association of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana, called a joint meeting between the Culver Volunteer Fire Company, the Trustees of the incorporated Town of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana, and the Business Men in and about the Town of Culver City, for the evening of Septenber 13, 1921 at the store of Aitchell and 9tabunowt Culver, Indiana, for the purpose of adjusting the differences between the said Culver Volunteer Fire Company and Board of Trustees of the incorporated town of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana; and

WHEREAS at said meeting there was a representative body of the Buisness Men of Culver and vicinity present as well as all members of the Trustees of the incorporated Town of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana, and the Chief of the Culver Volunteer Fire Company with several other members; and

WHEREAS the committee heretofore apointed by the Town Board being W, 0. Osborn, John P. Walter and David H. Smith made a report in the presence of all, giving comparative figures and requirementa of other fire companies in the immediate vicinity; and

WHEREAS it was finally concluded at said meeting to arbitrate said matter, which resulted in a motion that was seconded and unanimously carried to the effect that the Culver Volunteer Fire Company and the Trustees of the incorporated Town of Oulver City, Marshall County, Indiana, each select a competent, disinterested man to represent them and as an umpire and third member that the Business Men select a competent, disinterested man, all of whom should act as Arbitrators in arriving at a fair, equitab1e and just compensation to he paid to the Culver Volunteer Fire Ccnany; and

WHEREAS the Culver Volunteer Fire Company selected as their representative John P. Wa1ter; the Board of Trustees of the incorporated Town of Culver city, selected as their representative Fred C. So1omcn and the Business Men's Association elected as their representative John Mitchell; and

WHEREAS on the afternoon of September 14, 1921 said members and representatives so selected as arbitraters met at the Palmer House Hotel at Culver, Indiana, behind closed doors for the purpose of arriving at a fair and equitable compensation to be paid to the said Culver Volunteer Fire Company; and

WHEREAS after an entire aftornccn of discussion, meditation and consideration on the part of said Arbitrators It was finally unanimously agreed between zaid Arbitrators as follows; --

1. That the Culver Volunteer Fire Company should maintain a body Of not less than fourteen competent, trained firemen.

2. That all property owned by the Culver Volunteer Fire Company, consisting of articles more particularly enumerated in memorandum hereunto attached be appraised as soon hereafter as practicable, and to that end it is recommended that the Culver Volunteer Fire Department select a competenty disinterested, appraiser and that the Trustees of the incorporated Town of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana, select a competent, disinterested appraiser and that the two so selected shall proceed to appraise the value of all of said property and in case of dispute the two appraisars so selerted shall select a competent, disinteterested umpire, who shall decide the difference, and the decision such appraiser shall be final and binding on all parties interested, after which the Board of Trustees of the incorporated town of Culver City, Marshall County, Indiana, shall cause to be paid to the Treasurer of the Culver Volunteer Fire Company said amount as agreed on so that the town shall own the entire equipment and in case of any individual belonging to said Fire Company owning any of said property as a result of his or their own personal money invested it is recommended that the said Culver Fire Department reimburse said person to the extent of his investment.

3. That the Culver Volunteer Fire Company as a body shall receive the annual compeneation of Three Hundred Sixty Dollars (360.00) Per year, payable semi-annually on January lst and July lst of each year in installments of One Hundred Eighty Dollars (180.00) to the Treasurer of the Culver Fire Company and that the money so received shall be expended by the said Culver Volunteer Fire Company in paying its members for their services as maybe agreed on by the members of said body from time to time. It being recommended that so far as possinle the merit system be adopted so that those most entitled shall receive their proportion of the sum so received; it being provided that such pay shall commence as of August 1, 1921 and that on January 1, 1922 the Board of Trustees of the Town of Culver City pay for five months in the sum of One Hundred Fifty Dollars (150.00) and that thereafter semi-annually payments of One Hundred Eighty Dollars (180.00) shall be made as provided above and it being provided further that said compensation is to be paid on the condition that the Culver Fire Company maintain not less fourteen competent, trained firemen in their body.

4. In order to establish harmony and a better understanding between the Town Board and the Culver Fire Company it Is recommended that once a month the Culver Volunteer Fire Company be represented at a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the incorporated Town of Culver City or that a member of the Board of Trustees of said town of Culver City be present at a meeting of the Volunteer Fire Comnany and to that end It is recommended that at the next Town Board meetinc a member of the Culver Fire Company be present as a representative of their body and in October a mamber of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Culver City be present at a meeting of the Culver Fire Company and that alternately once a month thereafter said bodies be so renresented.

The undersigned Arbitratera have unanimously adopted the following resolution:

WHEREAS the Culver Fire Company has been in existence nearly nineteen years during which time it has rendered valuable and efficient service to the Town of Culver and surrounding territory; and

WHEREAS it may have appeared to some of the members of said Fire Company that their services were not appreciated and whereas no compensation has ever been given the members of said body for their services and whereas it is imnpssible at this time to compensate the members of said body to the full extent of their services rendered and to be rendered be it resolved in the name of not only the subscribers to the fund that purchased the chemical motor truck now used by the Culver Fire Company, but all parties and persons living in and around Culver that all members of said Volunteer Fire Company be tendered most sincere thanks for their services and that they accept the undersigned arhitraters finding in a compromising mood with the full understanding on the part of the undersigned Arbitrators that the above agree on consideration Is not as much as the members of the Fire Company really earned, but that on account of the financial condition of the Town linked together with the fact that your Arhitraters have taken into consideration the fact that the members of the Culver Fire Commany are not serving in such capacity from a remunerative spirit alone, but to a great degree are acting in such capacity as patriotic, 1oyal citizens desiring to do such services to some extent for the good of the community and be it resolved further that a ocpy of this decision be given to the Culver Volunteer Fire topany and a copy to the Board of Trustees of the Town of Culver City.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF John Mitchel1, John P. Walter and Fred G. Solomon Arbitrators selected by the Buusinees men, Volunteer Fire Company and Town Board respectively have hereunto subscribed cur names on this the 14th day of September 1921.
Arbitratora:
John Mitchell
Jno. P Walter
Fred G. Solomon