The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-01-04
Creates Sensation BY Demand
ing Better Pay and Fewer
Hours For Men
CITY FATHERS STUNNED
BY UNEXPECTED ATTACK
Some Of Wasted Money Should
Be Distributed Among His
Efficient Command

Fire Chief Charles Thurston created
an immense sensation last night BY
dropping in ON the supervisors in caucas
on the budget assembled and asking
that the wages Of a number of mem.
oers of the fire department be raised
an the appropriations for the coming
six months. :.
1t was regular Oliver Twist stunt.
ThurstOn asked for more! The super.
visors, or at least some of them, eouldn Z
believe their ears and asked the
EdebOnair chief to kindly say it again.
He obliged with an encore which was
even an Improvement on the original.
lie said something like this: Zen.
tlemen: l want only what : right. NV
men are working longer hours than
those of the police department and are
getting less. They have as much
brains and executive ability as the DO
lice and they work twenty -four hours
straight. ] am trying to give the PEG
pie a square deal and do what's night.
We should be recognized. 1t looks as
if someone has got a pull and am
gong to find out who it is and why
| it isl T.
Supervisors Knocked Galley West
Supervisor Larsen gasped. Other
members of the board gritted their
teeth. Supervisor Single suddenly
reeollected that he had d social debt
to pay and begged to be excused.
| Larsen took up the running. "I'm
| Q1Ir f1Fi aal ~ ka- L
land asking us for more money after
all we We done for you. 1t is true that
your department is efficient, but it
wouldn't be if we hadn't given you
the equipment which you asked for.
We are here handling the public 3 money
and II we pay out everything in over
head changes therein be nothing left
for improvements. We are $145,0OO in
the hole, apd yet, instead Of weeping
with' rs, you come aRdl ash ps for more
money. IN ashamed of your ~
- Money is wasted in other places, 3"
| replied Thurst0n. "Save some of this
and give it to the firemeu."
Larsen said something about it be,
ing time to take the bit in the teeth
and give the public run for their
money, remark which caused an in,
slant gloom to come over the proceed
ings.
"Why should my men do more work
than those Of other departments and get
less pays" the bold fire chief demanded.
Too Modest in Past
"Why are you kicking nowf"
queried Larsen. "You we managed to
rub along all right in the past.''
THAT'S because We been too mod
est in the past" exclaimed Thurston,
land tried to do what was right. 1t
don It pay TO be too damn modest and
| don t intend to err in that respect
again. Give US eight hours On and
sixteen of, the same as the police get,
and | don't want any raise. You can
have IL.
Larsen told him not to let impossible
conditions enter into his argument.
81 IN no hog" said ThuFston. " Give
us something. Put us on the same foot,
ing as the police. Do what you can
for us. I'm willing to compromise"
Compromise nothing" exclaimed
Supervisor Arnold. e.
1--WE are not in a position to raise
salaries, " said Larsen.
Then why are you raising others?"
asked Thurston.
Larsen Sorry for Himself
"Ask me another replied Larsen.
81 IN sorry l raised Harry Murray
that twenty-five dollars. People have
been throwing it in my teeth ever
since" 90,
"I'm friend of the board" ex-
planned Thurston, "and the board has
always been friend to me.'
There are no friends in this bust
noss," remarked Larsen.
The matter went over for final de-
eision until tonight, when the appro.
priation bill will be presented for first
reading.
Chief Thurston asked that three cap.
tains be raised from ninety-fve dol.
lars a month to $40, that three cap
tains be raised from ninety dollars to
500 a month, that drivers be raised
from eighty-fve to 800 q month, that
he himself be raised from 1928 to $3.50
a month and that Assistant Chief Wal
lace Blaisdell be raised from $3.50 to
$lSk a month.
Some Salaries Readjusted
On the request of City Auditor Bick.
nell the salaries of his department were
readjusted as follows:
Deputy Auditor James w. Lloyd,
$3.50; Clerk Robert ID. BicknelI, $l0O;
Clerk Edward Hopkins, $3.50; Clerk
Eli ], Crawford, seventy Ave dollars.
Bickhell explained in communica-
tion that the monthly expense of the
department would rrmain unchanged,
twenty-five dollars extra a month going
to Lloyd and twenty-five dollars a
month being Ricked off the Crawford
stipend.
Citv Attorney Brown asked that the
salary Of Second Deputy Attorney W.
T. Garden be raised from $235 TO $25h
month, and that Of Prosecuting At
torney Charles +. Chillingworth frola
5000 TO 1925 month
The salary Of First Deputy Attorney
Cristv was raised In October from $3.50
to 1878 a month.
supervisor Shingle stated that CITY
Attorney Brown had expressed "a de