Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1901-09-09
THE FIRING OF BLOOMHORST
The Action of the Council Viewed by
Citizens.

No Phoenix city council ever did a
more foolish or unpopular thing than
the present council did on Saturday
night, when it fired Henry Boomhorst,
the driver of the fire engine, because
he would not pay nv per cent of his
wages into the Young Mems Demo-
cratic club. The Republicans account
of the proceeding was read, and iDdig-
nantly discussed on all sides yesterday
Ii has been known for months that
such a tax had been levied on the ci,y
employees, and ii has been rumored for
two weeks that a part of the council
had threatened to remove BloOmhDrst
If he failed to come in. Nobody be-
Ii we'd though that the council would
do il, Even those who d. not regard
that body as ar aggregation of great
intelligence, credited IT with a small.
smattering of horse sense.
Nobody could be found yesterday to
defend the action of the council. The
democrats condemned it as a move
which would certainly handicap, IL not
defeat the party at the next election.
\ majority of the democrats OF PhOa-
nix are not members of the Young
Mems Democratic club, ana are not in
sympathy withsuch an Legitimate pro-
ject fOr raising funds for il,
a great many taxpayers deplorsd the
course of the council, because they fear
hat it will result in breaking up the
volunteer fire department, enc OF the
best in the world. II is agreed that it
will. at least, have the effect of dividing
it and destroying its esprit du corps.
While the department has frequently
taken an active part in politics, it has
never permitted party politics to enter
into IT, Its members have always been
n ore loyal to the department than they
have to their PARTIES. This Is the first
council that ever sought to crowd po'-
itcs into it.
The members of not only the engine
company. but of the other companies,
were very indignant yesterday at the
discharge of BlObmhorst who Is q very
fiicient man. They said somebody
Will have to drive the engine and be
paid for 1t. They ask who will it be,
a new man or onn CT the two extras?
They also ask why, If the council
wanted to reduce expenses, it did not
discharge one of the extras ana re-
tain BloomhOrst, who is known to be
efficient ana who, by. reason of his SEN
iority in the service, should have been
preferred to the two extras.
The preteXt Of reducing expenses was
laughed at as silly ana ridiculous.
Messrs. Shott and Sanders have not
been dis ,inguishel for their economical
management of municipal affairs.
Members of the department point to
the particular lnlquity of thu demand
upon Bloomhorst for five per cent of
his salary He recently lost everything
he had in the world by fire.
Mn Shot is himself a member of
the department. and used to be a very
enthusiastic one. His brethren gath
cred about him yesterday and asked
him what he meant by following the
lead of Sanders in such a s.nse!ess
move. Mr.. Shctt replied that he had
never heard, what everybody else in
Phoenix heard two weeks ago, that
Bloomhorst was to be punished for re-
fusng to pay tribute to the Young
Mems Democratic club. He supposed
it was just a cutting down Of expenses.