The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-06-29
FIRE AND POLICE.

| Councilman Cohn, as chairman of the
committee on police and fire depart
ments, said he could not see how the
expense of the fire apartment could be
cut down. 1t was now about $4,000 a
month and he would like some council
man to suggest how it could be re-
| duced to $500 a month.
The police department might be cut
down, from $4,000 per month to $4,000.
There were fifty men in the depart
ment and the limit allowed by the law
was not to exceed fifty but Mr.. Cohn
! thought they might get along with a
few less so as to bring the hgureS down
to $4,000 but would not recommend a
greater reduction.
1 Bache said he had had some talk
with insurance people and had gathered
! from them that reduction in the num-
| Der of men would not mean an increase
! in the insurance rates, four or five men
might be dispensed with. He favored
buying more apparatus and dispensing
with some Of the men.
MARSHAL PRATT
was asked to make statement of his
men and how they were employed and
said that there were thirty-three patrol
men, three sergeants, one officer who
acted as court baiiiff and license col
I lector, two detectives, three mounted
police, one Liberty park policeman,
three desk sergeants, two patrol
drivers, one man in City creek and the
: captain.
The arrests for the last six months
averaged $50 per month and the fines
! paid in cash averaged 81, 900 per month.
The stolen property for the last six
months was valued at $3.50 all of
which had been recovered but SIT
worth.
/ The chief could not see how
the department could be reduced
and its efficiency maintained
In the winter the three mounted police
and the Liberty park man could be dis
pensed with and that would be done
without any resolution of the council.
The force of six policemen formerly
stationed at the depots was reduced to
two now The patrolmen and desk SER
geants worked eight hours a shift,
three shifts for twenty-four hours,
most of the other men worked twelve
hours a day, and the chief did not see
how any reduction could be made. II
/ a. reduction was made it would result in
a reduction of the cash received for
fines and in increased lawlessness.
Bache bore testimony to the very
good work done by the police and the
general efficiency of the force.
MR.. GRIFFIN SPEAKS.
Superintendent of Water Works Grit
fin was next called to state how he
could cut down the expense of his de-
partment but he appeared to have no
more men employed than was absolute
~ necessary for the maintenance of the
system Nine tanknnen, two flushers,
two blackSmiths, one plumber, one in
spector, one laborer one extra tank
man and few others.
The fushers could soon be dispensed
with as the most of the mud which
came down with the spring floods was
now out of the pipes.
Mr. Young asked if it was not pos
sible to cut down Is or 20 per cent
without affecting the efficiency Of the
services.
Mr. Griffin said he didn't see where
he could cut out q. single man. He had
no foreman or assistant and everything
was done under his personal supervis-
ion.
Young said he was glad to see that
the waters of City creek were kept
clean and sparkling, but Parleys was a
filthy stream. There were sheep cor
rails. cow yards and pig pens on its
banks. some of them within a few
yards of the stream. There were also
dead animals laying around and he
thought Parley's canyon water supply
should receive some attention. and that
probably some men could be spared
from City creek and put on Parley's.
FIRE CHIEF DEVINE
said a larger saving to the taxpayers
could be made by keeping an efficient
fire department so that the Insurance
rates might be kept as low as possible
At the present time the force was too
small, and no reduction could be made
without inlpairing the efficiency of the
department. He don't approve Of Mr.
Bache's idea of doing away with the
captain of house No. neither did he
think it proper to dispense with the
SIX aerial truck men. The reduction
made in salaries a while ago saved
about 1920 a. month. Without wishing
to criticise the management of his pre-
decessor in Office, he stated that he had
effected a saving of between 5000 and
s400 month in the general mainten-
ance account. He was getting on with
one horse less than his predecessor, but
some Of the horses he had were not fit
for the work. The department was also
in need of hose, and he thought it right
to tell the council what was required,
and let them get it or not, as they saw
fit
Insurance rates in this city were
double what they were in other cities.
and he thought an effort to get lower
rates and keep up the fire department
would meet with more general approval
Of the taxpayers than reducing the de-
partment bv four or FIVE rnan He didn't