Los Angeles herald., 1891-01-29
WALTER MOORE CHIEF,
THE ELEoTToN YESTERDAY BY
THE FIRE COMMISSIONERS.
Routine Business Attended to- Mayor
Hazard Fights for strohm-Ths Pre-
ceedinge in Full.


All the members OF the new board of
FIRE commissioners duly qualified; and
we're sworn in by the city clerk yeSter-
day; hut only two Of them, Messrs. w.
]. Broderick and J. Kuhrts appeared at
the regular weekly meeting OF that body
yesterday mdrning.
They, with Mayor Hazard, however.
were sufficient to form quorum, and at
the usual hour they proceeded to dis
pose Of the regular business Of the
board.
A communication was received from
the city clerk transmitting the request
Of the coppe} that the board take steps
towards placing fire-alarm boxes at or
near the intersection Of Central avenue
and Eighth, Sixteenth and Washington
streets. The matter was referred to the
chief engineer.
The petition OF d. G. Wilgus for per-
mission TO erect small upright boiler
ct 181 West Sixteenth street, was also
referred to the chief engineer.
A Number OF demands, amounting in
the aggregate to $466.Sl, were approved
as read.
On motion Of Mr.. Kuhrts, the matter
OF putting the new park hose wagon into
service, was referred to the chief, with
instructions to do so as soon as possible,
and return the hired one.
The board then adjourned, the matter
OF appointing the head OF the depart
ment and his deputy being tacitly post
poned until8 O'Clock in the afternoon,
so that all the members might be in at
tendance.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At 8 O'Clock yesterday Afternoon the
new board of fire commissioners met in
special session in the mayors Office,
Hon. II. T. Hazard in the chair and
Messrs. w. j. Broderick, ]. Kuhrts, E.
L. Stern and g. A. Stilaon present.
After the roll had been called there
was an ominous silence. each member
apparently waiting for one of his COL
leagues to open the ball. Finally, how
ever, Mayor Hazard announced that the
meeting had been called for the special
purpose Of electing chief engineer OF
the fire department to serve at the
pleasure Of the board. He then de-
clared nominations to be in order. but
after q silence of several minutes dura-
ton he relinquished the chair and
placed in nomination Thomas Strohm,
the present incumbent, who had served
the people well during the past two
years.
Mr.. Kuhrts, in seconding the nomina-
ton of Thomas Strohm, said that he had
been tried for the past two years and
not found wanting in any of his multi
tudinous duties. During his admins
tration peace and harmony had reigned
continuously, and the department was
in better shape than it had ever been
before. Between the two candidates for
the Office. Meeers. Strohm and Moore,
but little need be said, as the public
sentiment was without doubt in favor Of
the former, who was, in his opinion,
much the better man.
Mayor Hazard said that be would hate
: to eeSa change made, IS Strohm would
then be the only man in the city gov
ernment who did not receive the en-
dorsement he deserved for performing
his whole duty. 1t would not be fair to
supersede him, as there never was
chief of the FIRE department who was
more conscientious in the performance
OF his duties. As to the other gentle-
man whose name had been suggested,
he did not think that there
was one man in ten who was in
favor of deposing Strohm for him.
During Etrohm's administration there
had never been any scandal or trouble
in the department, and the citizens were
uniformly pleased with the manner in
which the department had been man.
aged. Strohm had not acted in the in
terest of any clique or individuals. 1t
was only recently that Moore had run
for Office and the Republicans had
turned the Office he sought over to the
Democrats rather than elect him.
Mayor Hazard called the attention Of
the new members to the fact that there
was in the possession Of the clerk at that
moment, an order in Moore's hand
writing signed by seven councilmen, in
structing the board to reinstate man
who had been discharged from the de-
partment for drunkenness; but the old
board had refused to obey it, preferring
to be removed by the council, rather
than submit to being dictated to in mat
ters of that kind. In his judgment, Mr..
Moore was not the kind OF man who
would prove satisfactory to the board.
them was to act in consideration
with the best interests OF the
public. In his opinion, If the matter
was submitted to the people, nearly
every man, woman and child in the city
would vote. for Strohm.
Another 0minous silence followed upon
the mayors speech, which was broken
BY Clerk Robinson, who annoupced that
he had petition signed bya large num-
Der of insurance agents, and other
prominent business men, asking that
Strohm be retained.
After this had been read Mr.. Stilson
arose and placed in nomination Walter
s. Moore. In doing so he said he wished
to state his position, as he hated to be
the means of making change. The
council had seen fit to elect him to po-
sition he did not seek, on certain is-
sue. Without knowing either OF the
candidates, he believed that Walter
Moore knew as much as any other man
in the city as to the wants Of the public,
and that he was the peer Of the pres
ent incumbent, or any other man, az q
firema If Moore would try to
do hie duty a. we'll as he knows
how, he would make q splendid chief
He knew nothing personally that was
detrimental to >trohm, but he felt that
it was hts duty to vote against him and
he would vote for Moore.
Mayor Hazard said that there was one
question he wished the board to be in
formed upon, and that was thatif Moore