The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-22

getting rid OF the men is concerned.
The public is taking hold of the Don
ovan and Sullivan case with an en-
ergy which BODIES no good to the
chief. Petitions are being circulated
in behalf Of these two and when the
commission meets to sit in judgment
on the case, it will find that it has to
combat a whole lot Of influence on the
part of the friends of the suspended Of
dcers.
One thing is certain: if the men are
not incompetent, and it is charged
Ipy the chief that they are
{the only reason by which they
'-can be ousted is that the commission is
willing to stand by Devine in making
a clean sweep in the department. If
Donovan and Sullivan are dismissed
there is 10 need of any of the men on
the force who are distasteful to him
attempting to stay.
But it is thought by many of the
leading citizens Of the city that Devlne
will not prevail. Sentiment is grow
ing every day in favor of the men.
Plenty can be found who will come up
on the day Of the trial and speak in
behalf of the accused. Some OF these
do not care to tell their story at pres
ent but they say they are perfectly
Wiling to tell the commission what
they know of the competency of the
chief and captain when the day Of
hearing arrives.
The following are a few expressions
which We're picked up on the street
yesterday in relation TO the case:
salt Lake Building and Manufac-
turing company, by John Wardrobe,
manager: We nave always cOne'F@~~7
that members of the fire department
statiun at house No. We're nlra 10y
competent to fill their positions and
the discharge Of those men for petty
reasons IS an exercise OF bad judg-
ment. We are Of the opinion that there
never Were better men than Donovan
and Sullivan on the department, and
we do not think such petty charges
should be entertained against them.
These charges seem to have been
brought more through selfish motives
than through a desire TO enhance the
efficiency of the department
B. T. Whittemore, Grand Pacific:
have lived in close proximity to engine
house No. , and am well acquainted
with the men stationed there, and es-
pecially with Donovan and Sullivan,
akld l have always considered them
very efficient men, and a charge of
jncompetency against either of these
seems too absurd to be considered for
a moment. I have seen. those men
fight fires and think they proved them
selves fully capable Of performing their
iAuties.
John Silver. of Silver Bros Iron
Works:
1 have always thought the depart
ment was composed of competent men,
and / believe they should be retained
the service. I think 3he discharge
2 experienced men for trivial causes
IS a. serious mistake. I do not think
DeVine Is the right kind of a man TO
govern men, as ne is too overbea ring
in his manner. The present wranglc is
a disgrace TO the city and requires a
speedy remedy
Haynes q Sons, boiler makers: 1t
seems to us that Devine is acting fool
ish in preferring such trivial charges
against the men. I believe if anyone
is incompetent it is Chief Devine, and
those in authority should see that he
is speedily removed. Judging from the
present state of affairs, he seems TO
be wholly unfit for the position.
II. .Jungk, wholesale grocer: When
fVhief Devine took charge of the fire
Epartment it was composed of good,
efficient men, but at present ii seems to
be in a continual wrangle. This is a
bad condition Of things and should be
remedied.
C c. Weant, druggist: i think De
vine is making d serious mistake in
suspending the old members of the
department on such frivolous charges
as incompetency, for they must have
understood their business to have re-
manned SO long in the service.
James Bros, grOcerS: We are Of the
opinion that either Assistant Chief
Donovan or Captain Sullivan are a
great deal more competent in fighting
fires than Chief Devine. and think the
efficiency of the department should not
be questioned until the present chief, /
BY, his favoritism and petty abuses of
the men. brought on this quarrel in
the department. If there is anything
that would benefit the department it
is5the removal of the present chief.
w. Hamilton Smith wholesale stor-
age commission: In my opinion. Devine
Is far from being qualified for the po-
yytion of fire chief. Since he took
'eharge of the department it has been
-one continual wrangle. He seems 10
have but one aim, and that is to get |
rid of all the old members-men who /
today can give the chief lessons in fire /
fighting. Devine has demonstrated one /
fact. and that is that he is unqualified /
to govern men. He has almost sue
ceeded in disrupting the department |
that was once the pride Of the west.
H. P. Mason, coal dealer: Have al
ways considered the members of the
department to be good, competent
sension in the department.
NJ. Bernhisel druggist: 1 have no
party favors in the matter, but think
the old members should be retained /
as it is my opinion they have lemon
strated their fitness in the past.
Joseph William Taylor, undertaken:
It is my opinion that there will never
be harmony in the fire department sc
long as Devine is chief, for ne is not
the sort of a man that can command
the respect and confidence of his men.
He is altogether too tyrannical and
vindictive in his intercourse with his
sUbordinates. Pretty much all the
members have been on the department
long before Devine took charge and I /
think they were all good men, Before !
Deyine took charge as chief the de-
partn1ent was the pride of the city and |
i, u was noted as being the best de- |
Akrtment in the west. But such can
10 he said Of it at the present time !
foT the chief, through his fragrant
abuses of his authority, has lost the
good viii OF the men, which is so !
necessary for one in such a position to |
have. / do not think Devine has any !
of the qualifications necessary for a |
fire chief, and I am of the belief that |
there is scarce a man on the depart /
ment but could give him lessons in i
fire fighting. Anyone who has ever /
saw Assistant Chief Donovan fight |
fires cannot help but think how alb |