The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-13
FIRE BOAR
MAY JOLT
KIERSTED
1t Will Reconsider
Chiefs Leave Of Absence.
OelkerS Talks.

the Fire Board meets this afternoon
1t will reconsider it's action of Mon
day granting Chief Kiersted a leave of
absence until December 81, as he re-
quested.
Some of the members of the board
now think that 1t is too long a time. in
view of the fact that the fire depart
ment chief has also asked to be placed
on the retired list January l. The
length of the time for the leave Of
absence is more than the commissions
ers realized at the time the request
was granted, it was explained, as the
majority of them were under the i'm
preston that the time asked for was
until November 80.
Speaking of the proposed retirement
of the chief, President John B.
Oelkers said that while the re-
ports of what he had said concerning
his part in allowing Battalion Chief
McDermitt and Fireman William J..
Saupe leave of absence after their re-
quests had been denied by the chief
were substantially correct, one impor-
tant point had been omitted.
81 never gave them the permission or
went over Chief Kiersted's head that
they might have it," said Mr.. Oelkers.
II was told that Saupe was a candidate
for the presidency of the Exempt Fire
mems Association and wished to attend
the convention to be held at Paterson.
1t seemed to me that he ought to nave
the day off and that the department
could get along without him for that
short time, so I told my informer l
would talk with Chief Kiersted and see
what could be done. Accordingly !
called up the chief and asked If he
could not see his way clear to letting
the man go, as a personal favor to me.
l was told that Saupe had already been
refused leave. After some talk the
chief admitted that 1t would not dis
turb the department materially If he
agreed to tell Saupe that he had per-
mission to attend the convention.
at was after this that 1 learned that
Battalion Chief McDermitt was backing
Saupe for the office and wanted to be
present when the decision was made.
The convention was to be held on Mon
day, and on Sunday morning McDermitt
called me on the phone and explained
that he was anxious to attend and
asked that I try and manage to get
him leave of absence. I told him that
I could not promise, but would do all
that I could. Then, after / had seen
another of the commissioners, l called
up Chief Kiersted again and told him
that I had another favor to ask, this
time that ne let McDermitt off for the
day also. He answered that 1t was
going over his head for the president of
the board to reverse his orders.
81 am not going over you head 1
ted him. Mr.. McDermitt asked me to
speak to you about it, and any man,
from the chief down, has a. right to
come to the commissioners as a body or
to the president if he has anything that
he Wants to tell them. I am not telling
you to grant this leave, but TASK you
to, and I think l am within my rights
After some more talk Chief Kiersted
agreed to do rs I asked, and said he
would inform the battalion chief.
THAT was all I had to do with it.
I did not reverse any decision of the
chiefs, and If the president of the
Fire Board may not ask favors from
the chief l don't know who may
MI. Oelkers said the board had
reached no decision as to what action
10 Jake III T0SdTu TO the T6SlSudIlOH.
1.-THE call for the meeting tomorrow
"wednesday afternoon for the purpose
of making up advertisements and ac-
cepting the telegraph" said Mr..
Oelkers, had a line added stat
ing that any other matters that
might come up would be discussed after
we had finished that work. 1 do not
know that we will decide on any def
mite action in regard to Mr.. Kiersted,
but we will probably talk it over and
make some sort Of plans. We will also
consider whether to grant him leave
of absence for the six weeks he has
applied for or not. He has never been
refused before. but he never applied
for so long a furlough before, either"
Neither the president nor Commits
sioner Charles Logan was prepared to
name the chiefs successor in case they
should decide to accept his resignation.
In point of service, Deputy Chief Will
lam c. Ashley ranks next to Chief Kier-
sted.
Some doubt exists as to what
Oelkers meant when he said that
the board would consider granting the
chief his furlough. According to Sec
rotary Flavel w. Sullivan, it was de-
cided to give the leave at Mondays
meeting, but Commissioner Logan said
that this decision might be reconsid-
cred.