Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-06-10
Seven Firemen Also Lose Their
Places WikOut Trial or
Hearing.
Necessity Apparent for Civil
Service i'm the Various City
Departments.
COL. WHALLEN SILENCES THE TIMES

The sensation of the week in political
circles was the removal of Gasoline In
spector Frank Dugan, for which act the
Board of Public Works is being roundly
censured. That Frank Dugan was an
honest and efficient city official is con-
coded by all, but the best evidence is the
records of the office. Under former In
spectors the appropriation for gasoline
lighting was 81 900 and $4,000, never
under the former figure; but when Mr..
Dugan took charge the sum was reduced
to 10000, followed by the addition of
the whole of South Louisville, and under
his administration the city has had
better service than ever before, there
being not month in which he did not
save the city a portion of the $4,000
appropriated. When to this is added the
statement that there has never been a
complaint made since he took charge the
reason for the indignation manifested is
more apparent.
Chairman Granger was called upon at
the City Hall by the representative of the
Kentucky Irish American, and all the
information that he would vJuchsafe was
that Mr.. Dugan had been removed. He
declined to answer any questions and
appeared not to know anything abont
what the board of which he is a member
was doing.
The Board Of Safety the next day fol-
lowed the example set by the Board of
Public Works, and the following seven
iremen, among the very best in the de-
partment, were summarily dismissed for
he alleged good of the service:'
James Coleman, stoker.
Thomas McDonough, ladderman.
James Donahue, stoker.
John McCrory, stoker.
John Fitzgerald, pipenan.
John Bauscher, pipeman.
John KCenehan, substitute.
Among the foregoing are some men
against whom no charges can be brought,
having been in the department for years
without ever having received a repri-
mand. This action of the board is mex
plicable unless for the purpose of making
places for some who will neglect their
duties to do the political bidding of its
members.
These men had reason to expect better
treatment at the hands of the present city
administration, and the Kentucky Irish
American will always oppose the abuse
of city employees, no matter what faction
they belong to or by what board con-
trolled.
The Times endeavored to create another
sensation Wednesday by publishing mis-
leading statements and again villifying
Col. John Whallen, to which he makes
the following dignifed reply:
To the Public: The Evening Times seeks
to make the impression that the men who
are striving to elect Council which will
be beyond the Mayors influence intend
when that is accomplished to remove the
Mayor and name me to fill the unexpired
term.
The statement and all the implications
based on it are false altogether.
There is no public Office of any kind or
character which would accept, whether
it comes from the people, from the Mayor
or from the General Council.
made this fact clear two years ago. at
the time we were striving to get the
Democratic party together in support of
a reform Mayor.
My interests are not with the con-
tractors and the politicians, but with the
long suffering taxpayers of Louisville. If
any has doubt on this point let them go
to. the Assessor Office and see that my
chief interest i'll Louisville is in good
government and low taxes.
Good government and low taxes l ex-
pected from this administration, and
openly and repeatedly Mr.. Weaver prom
ised these things before he was elected
In the public disappointment 1 fully
share.
At this time it seems to me matter of
first importance to have a General Coun-
Gil that can not in any manner be made
subservient to the Mayor, either by pat
ronage or promises.
Whether or not such a Council will
find grounds for impeachment of the
Mayor l can not say. The Times has
sources of information closed to ME, and
its intimation that impeachment would
come must be due to its knowledge of
the condition of city offices; il is not due
to any knowledge of my motives or pur-
poses.
wish the public to understand once
for all that there is no Office that could
come to me in any way that would ac-
cept. The attempt of the Times to de-
fend the Mayor by attacking me seems
to call for this positive statement, though
the fact is fully known to the Times, to
the Mayor and to all others who have had
anything to do with me in politics.