The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-09
FIRE CHIEF WRANGLE
Commissioners Kahaley and
Meek Speak Ont.
WHY THEY STAND eY KELLOGG.
They Accuse Mayor Phelps Of Ignor
ing the wish Of the Public In His
Continued Opposition.

Fire Commissioners Kehaley arb Meek
ryoussds~ fkae ts1ey have been unjgstly
sssrRsefnzez4 for Fzledr acton IL the mater
~ s.ses<srgzx a Grief % the department.
They are therefore afor-iss1 an oTEsor-
rarfty 10 explain m the following STATE
sn*.gs vsGsSh f. entirely IL their orr lar
srztasce the re2ssoEfs for t1s4r course. The
eaxne oeyFsyrtzKrYsty will BE- affOFVies1 20 the
otsper commissioners Il they care % use
81:
THE contention Of Commissioners Jo.s1
l.. Kahaley and +. G. Meek ~ their per
ssz.eEr efforts 20 place GARNER Kellogg
again a. the head of the SEA- rls fire de-
partrnent g. that they are en9eavoTing 20
carry out the will ~ tz1s Taxpayers q
this c8cy as recorded 81 me municipal
election OF MaE~tn. 1884. They csrafisse
thai Mayor PhesTs. IN his equally better
Opposition TO Mr.. KefI0z>g's appointment.
Is aCrszas 81 eoae8y from per@cgEAl ressssDns
and motives. Though challenged time
and sgin 20 d. 20 ~ those esTsosIsinG.
sne e1-firs chiefs cause. he has. Ehey
eag, failed 10 give on. valti reason WHY
she arruAntEners' should nut be made. The
Integrity worth and caEal8hty ~ Ar.
Kellogg has at no tame been cerEiest BY
sAe mayor.
The charge made by Some that MesErs.
Meek a1id kssla4ey are trying 10 disrupt
the deTa riunsHE does not appear to &fe
sourwiss1 upon fact. AMI their records as
officials and citizens successfully FefEe
al sascn asseriioffs. Both are heavy
properly owners and taxpaye rs- Mr..
Eaha1ey has been a resident OF this osty
for fifteen years and ne has ever been
On the from. rank OF those eTisieavorsug 10
advance her interests. HIS colleague.
atr Meek. though nof so long q resident,
has been lust as ardent and cO1sc4eslf-
si0us fn bis eudeayOrs.
While three % the commissioners he
ileve q 10 be the wish az a great ma
10rtfy OF the property owners or Seattle
80 see Mr.. Kellogg put back at the head
~ Enc department. Yet they have never
taken TIE position that b1ey would have
az one else. A. the la1t regular TnearLnes
Wednesday evening Comm isslJIlerss kEs~
faley ard Meek several tiInes announced
that they were ready Then auu there 10
proceed 20 the election Of chief cfner
than Kellogg or Allen They expressed
sl1emsel.es as perfes-tly willing TO vote
Tor any coed fireman. al t1e same rs.ne
re- crying ne right 10 their oTan1on taaat
Kellozg gas the best fitted and most
available man for the position
But all such propositions Mayor Phelps
and Comm fssiOner Jones refused Ia en-
Terfaia and IN the face Of u1ese facts tho
ynaflsc can readily see tflat me blame Tor
the fire Department. being without a head
should NOT Ivy any means be borne en-
fireiy fg Kahaley and Meek. Conceded
that their course has been consistent as
we'll a. persistent that they have simply
as elective officers been esfeaVor1ng 30 eX
scute the Will of the voters and lax
payers.
I'm order for one To arrive at a perfect
untiers tassling Of the fire department
nuddle tt Is. necessary 20 recall some OF
che Incidents leading up to the present
chaotic cogHiit5yn Of Things. No one of
unpre jldiCed mind Will pretend TO deny
that The fire department. on the sith day
OF October. iS4E. was in a. perfect % con-
dition AZ could be hoped for or eXpecy>
ed In had succeeded In creating "a con
sidence among the citizens and rhe bn-
surance companies thsd most salts
factory. When Mayor Ronald assumed
the reins Of the municipality he said
publicly mat the fire department WAS dhe
only creiitagde branch of tina entire city
government And the change some
snonths later in the removal OF Chief
kellogg was made Ga the face OF a pro
test from nearly all good citizens regard
less OF party. At tbs time the board
was practically evenly divfied. The
mayor. being Democrat, coEld. with tho
TWO members or that faith. constitute Il
majority. However one of the Demo
cratic commissioners declined 10 make
the changes demanded 10y the kid COM
Tpittoe whisa az that time was having
mueh 10 say in tho Ronald agsulnlstra-
ZION 1St1tis ANitCtA III l4iHA FiApltS 10 bflilE
sDoW the change charges were quaje
against one ot the KepulAIcan members
Pending an investigation he resigned and
ais successor Was named ny the Cougca
This gaze the opportunity desired by the
Democrats. namely, That Of removing s.he
Republican chief. Air Kdlogg WAS ofiic-
lady dtcaGatdtesi. Albert Il. Hunt. a
Democrat. was named as hts successor
Amid protests and general lthlisuat lon
Hunt was duly installed.
soon rumors were current to the effect
that the new chief was not a citizen.
Commissioner kahaloy after "a thorough
Investigation. flled charges against Hunt
and the latter was tried but with the re-
suit OF an acquittaL Meanwhile the time
for another city election was creeping
around. Ronald. his supporters and ad-
ministrution. were severely criticised ana
particularly as regards the ire depart
mcnt. Repeatedly the Republican speak
crs AZ their meetings declared that in the
event OF the success Of their ticket that
the fro department should al once be re-
stored 10 where it was when Ronald be-
gan his work OF disruption aud disorgani-
cation.
The electcnwas had and the Republican
hrc commissioners vote ran far ahead of
the vote given Manor Phelps or any other
person on the ticket save the treasurer.
Thus the people hy that vote The commits
sioners concluded emphasized what they
wanted done-that the department Dee re
stored 20 It's former position and useful
ness and efficiency with kellogg az It's
head.
These We're instructions the commits
sioners have constantly maintained that
they could not conscient iously disregard
With the election which elevated Mr.
Phelps 60 the WaNoraity chair tho roudI-
tious as regards the fire commission were
reversed The hoard was again equally di-
Nidcd hat with Republican mayor Few
doubted ht1t " hat there would he "a chance
Ia the head az tho department and {n due
time the Republican commissioners waited
upon Mayor Phelps 20 ascertain his views
in the premises The mayor asked time
80 familiariEe himself with the various Re-
pRrtments az tire city. This was given
hut in time tia request was renewed ami
aEain and again. Meanwhile the commits.
sloners saw. thc department Went from
had to worse that the action ~ tho mayor
emholit 8ej the firymen 80 such am extent
that they fclf secure in their position anti
drunkenness ard decentralization pervatfes'
che department Its efficiency was 6fr,tY-
ishei and evidences WERE n1eqnvv hfle at.-
Cum}latnc 20 sustain the action Or tie
commission in rcrar3 20 HUNTS citizen
shlp. charges were HGaio made arain~t
h}u1 bar by the vote ~ Navor phtTas "a
majority 90 the board declined 70 make
any investigation whatever. The corroy-
alton counsel ras requested 90 civ-c his
opinion as 10 the fire chiefs r5tira~e',ff,
but the mayor. as usual ivfcrferei NTH a
request u IS sa.3 Uron rooa authority
Tor Mir Scott not 81 give a ic-ssioD 4,rrs
Vorsblo 20 Mr.. HuDt.
Meanwhile other iuauen~es were i.
work against Hunt aud "a Tacoma grand