Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-02
CHIEF THIRSTON INDICATED

Objections to Chief ThurSton OF tn" fire de
partmcnt, raised by Mr.. r. II. Trent and urged
less openly by Il number of Democrats who evil
IDENTIFY view the department as potential
stronghold Of political patronage, were answered
promptly, completely and cmphatcaIly by the
fircmrn themselves in the communication pub
lshti by the Stal-I!uIlrtin Yesterday
This paper takes peculiar pleasure in pre-
sertirg the statCmt mt Of the firrmcn, because,
after all, The men who know the chief lest are
the mon who We TX directly under him. If there
were too much politics in his department, they
would know it first If the chief were forcing
his firemen to rent cottages from him, if he were
making this practice for the sake of the reve-
nue. derived, the fircmcn would know it first and
probably would have complained long ago. Ger
tainly, at time when the chief is under public
attack, the firemen would not have come so
promptly to his defense if they felt ill-treated,
abused or mulcted for his financial benefit.
Forty three firemen signed a letter defending
the chief against both the accusation of pernis
cious activity in politics in his department and
the accusation that he is using his official posi-
ton as club to rent his cottages to subOrdnates
in the department. Does anyone believe that the
chiefs men would so quickly and frankly rally
to his defense unless he has their whole-hearted
support? And, if the accusations are true, is
there any possibility that he could have such sup
port?
We believe that Mr.. Trent has BEEN misin-
formed. Without question this lively little con-
troversy has strengthened the chief greatly in
public opinion. Thurston has come out with the
credit of having his department behind him,
We do not believe that the mayor and super.
visors will drop Chief Thurston. Public scnti-
ment is too well united against such PLAN and
several members of the board, we feel assured,
have no idea of sacrificing efficiency to politics.
The danger is that some other position in the de-
partment, that of assistant chief, probably, will
be made the political plum for party picking.
The present assistant chief, w. w. Blaisdell, has
risen from the ranks and Chief ThurstSn says
that if he himself were disabled in fighting
fire, his assistant could carry the department
forward -. : H.
The present organization of the department
, is good. 1t is one of the few branches of city
government that has not been made the target of
complaint ON the score of inefficiency. As a
matter of practical politics, it is to be recognized
that the Democratic party has to satisfy host
of clamoring brethren who helped vote that
party into power But the Democrats should
recognize also that it was the independent Re
publican voter in this last campaign who swung
the balance toward the Democrats The indie
pendent Republican was the man who turned the
tide Of victory to Democracy. And the indie
pendent Republican voters, together with plenty
of good Democrats,-plenty of them,s-are abso-
lutely opposed to any plan of patronage that will
make the fire department the football of poll
tics.