Denver labor bulletin., 1917-05-26
TRAGIC END OF ROW OVER
STREET WORK.
Assistant to Superintendent Re
fused to Act as Slave Driver,
Is Discharged; Shooting
Follows Bad Feeling
Caused by Election.

Tuesdays tragedy at the city hall
can be charged directly to the policy
of efficiency" and greed for political
control by Mayor Speer. This is the
verdict generally agreed upon by those
who have kept close tab upon affairs
at the city hall.
Edward c. Green, superintendent of
the highway department, was shot by
William r. (Buck) Seay, who was
Green's assistant. The shooting oc-
CURED in the Office of W. F. r. Mills,
manager of improvements, shortly be
fore noon and Green died at the county
hospital two hours later. Seay immc-
diately walked to the Office of Chier of
Police Armstrong and gave himself
up. He was then taken 10 the county
Jail where he is held without bond.
Last Ounce of Exertion.
Green had been placed in charge Of
the highway department by Mayor
Speer, n position which he held under
previous Specr administrations. Since
being elected 20 Office n year ago, the
mayor has been preaching efficiency
in the street and park departments.
The kind of efficiency that drives labor
and squecZes the last ounce Of eNer-
ton. Seay. Immediately in charge of
the street gangs, was not believer
in these driving tactics and had re-
fused TO treat the highway employees
as tho they were chattel slaves. This
brought about quarrel between
Superintendent Seay which Tuesday
resulted in the killing.
There was another element, n polit-
ical element, which entered into this
tragedy. The day before election
Mayor Specr called for n list of all
city employees, numbering some 500.
These lists were divided into districts
and given to managers of the bi-par-
tisan machine. II being expected that
these employees could be called upon TO
render aid in putting over the bipar-
tisan machine program. which was the
election OF Glenn Crowley for auditor
and carrying of amendments No.
and No. g. II also called for the defeat
of the fremcn and policemen's wage
amendment No. and the defeat of the
laborcrs' wage amendment No. 3.
Orders Force Reduced Again.
Wednesday morning following the
election, Mayor Speer again called for
these lists of city employees. Then he
invited Green, superintendent OF the
highway department. and Fred Stein
hauer. superintendent of parks, into
his private Office and announced that
at least 20 per cent of the men en-
ploycd in these two departments must
be discharged. The mayor is said to
have been in rage because the people
had rcpudiated his program. and that
the firemen. policemen. street and park
laborers had received Endorsement
from the people of their wage amend
mcnts, while those initiated by the
mayor and city council had been re-
jected by an overwhelming vote.
There was an awful stew at the city
hall. during the days which followed,
eliminating eventually in the shooting
of Green by Scay, the latter having
been informed that he was among
those TO be discharged.
Sweating Of Employees.
Under the efficiency system" in.
nuguratcd by Mayor Speer. heads Of
departments have become virtual slave
drivers. The mayor evidently hopes
by this method to show n great saving
and thus gain the good will and ap-
proval of the taxpayers.
1t should be made clear, however,
that this saving comes largely thru
sweating of employees in the street and
park departments. It caused the Ia
borcrs to rebel and initiate wage
amendment to the city charter after
the mayor and city council had turned
down their appeal. 1t caused the city
firemen and policemen to initiate
wage amendment for the reason that
there was no other method by which
they could secure more wages to cope
with the ascending cost of living.
Orders Issued at City Hall.
These movements were not only
frowncd upon by the mayor and his
city hall lieutenants, but orders given
out, even to the firemen, policemen and
laborers themselves, that they must
work and vote against their own ad-
vancemcnt. Tickets were marked un-
der the mayors direction, and given to
all city employees, with additional
copies for circulation among their
friends. Numbers of these city hall
marked tickets were brought to The
Bulletin office and exhibited.
That great majority of the city
employees did not obey the mandate of
the mayor is past history. His pro-
gram was rcpudiatcd Mt the polls and
that supported by organized labor, and
other citizens who believe in square
deal, carried by vote Of approximate
ly two to one.
May Result in Recall.
The killing Of Green and the causes
which led up to this tragic event have
been the talk Of the town this week.
II is generally predicted that II Mayor
Speer attempts further to carry out
his coercive policy n recall may be un-