The San Francisco call., 1898-10-20
Dow Declares It Petty
 Politics.
WAS PLANNED IN SECRET
THE MAYOR AND ENGINEER
 ADOPT NEW RULES.
Police Commissioners Hold Meet ing and Disagree on Every Subject That Is
 Brought Up.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
 -l

sos Broadway, Oct. 19
 The three gentlemen who compose the Board of Fire Commissioners, and who are also the Mayor, City Attorney and City Engineer, held their usual monthly seance this morning, and there was the usual quarrel. City Attorney Dow had not been appraised of the fact that there were to be some sweeping changes made in the Fire Department, and he was greatly surprised when Fire Chief Ball recommended many changes, and more surprised still that they were all reau.ly made by the votes of Mayor Thomas and City Engineer Clement. The report stated:
 That s. c. King. foreman of Engine Com pany No. 3, be removed and A. A. Secotte, fS tRat post6n SL also fhat MbFaads ii be appointed extraman, vice A A. Secotte' pro
 That N. J Hanley be appointed extraman of Engine Company No. 3, vice R. A Hennings' That NJ. HaIIihan. foreman of Engine No. 5. be removed and John Rutherford be appointed
 That !. C. Parsons. driver of Engine No 5. be removed and William Hamb be appointed to said position.
 That George Weaver foreman of Engine Company No. s, be removed and William Mo Grath be promoted from extraman Of Engine That Leslie Reed, foreman of Truck Com pany No. ?. be transferred from foreman of said company to extraman of Engine Com pany No. f. and J. J. Mugrew. extranHan of Engine No. 4. be promoted to foreman of Truck No 9 vice Lester Reed transferred.
 That J. k. Waddocks engineer Of Engine Company No. 6. be removed and E. Laperle, engineer of Engine No. l, be transferred to That A NJ Hutchinson be appointed en- gineer of Engine Company No l. vice E. Lap
 l also report that P C. Smith, extraman of Engine Company No S. has resigned, and recommend that George DriscoH be appointed tO fill said vacancy.
 50 you are starting out again to do petty politics." said MT. Dow. This is some more of the star chamber business l suppose 1t was all put up beforehand and that you knew of it in advance, did you not?"
 T guess so." said the Mayor to which Dow replied: You are mighty careful not to have 1t get out, so that anybody would know about it until the whole thing When the report was recommended for adoption, MT. Dow said It was indecent to sacrifice good men in order to do pettv politics. He also said that although there were some good men recommended, Le would vote against the whole of the re- not recommended for the good of the de- partment but simply for political motives. Another warm argument took place over government of the department. MT. Dow said that the existing rules were SooU. This was denied by MT. Clement, but when asked to point out wherein they were not good, MT. Clement said he couid Q not call the defective ones to mind on- hand The Mayor said he was ready to vote for the adoption of the new rules, and with Clement they became the law for the department.
 put in, and MT. Dow noticed that they were all from one firm. He stated that the Chief should scatter the orders East Oakland houses should be done in East Oakland and the same with West Oakland No objection was offered to MT DOw's suggestion, and neither was the Chief instructed to follow tt out.