The Seattle Fire Department's Political Purge
Mayor Ronald installs a new fire chief amidst internal dissent and a public push for retention of the incumbent.
At a special meeting of the board of fire commissioners last evening, Captain A. B. Hunt was elected chief of the fire department to succeed the present incumbent, Gardner Kellogg. Hunt was elected by the votes of Commissioners Foster and Masel and Mayor Ronald, while Commissioners Kahaley and Jones voted for Assistant Chief George Marlow. Mayor Ronald, who had been investigating the department's internal climate, admitted to holding secret interviews with 71 of the 72 firefighters. While acknowledging Kellogg's popularity and the Chamber of Commerce's support for his retention, the Mayor insisted the department was suffering from a lack of discipline and that Hunt was the superior choice. Chief Kellogg, speaking after the vote, defended his record and expressed frustration over the political maneuvering that had plagued the department since the fire commissioners were changed thirteen months prior.
“As sure as the sun will rise I am sure that some of them will leave the department tomorrow.”
The tension between professional fire department management and political interference from City Hall has been a consistent feature of Seattle's civic history. This 1892 struggle over the Chief's appointment highlights the ongoing debate between public accountability and institutional autonomy in municipal governance.
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