The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-23


posed fire and police bill, now pending,
may not be out of order at this time,
considering the case in the light of the
statements made at the meeting of the
committee of the senate having that
matter in hand, held last evening in
the mayors office in the joint build
ing. The measure will probably not be
adopted exactly as proposed, for al
ready the committee have several
changes to make, and it is certain that
the arguments advanced last evening
had an effect upon certain members.
There were great many present at
the meeting. The chiefs OF the fire
and police departments, and Commls-
sioners Jennings and Stephens came
in early. DR.. Tiff, Rev. r. G. McNiece,
|. Attorney Whittemore, P. L. Williams
and the secretary of the fire depart
ment made up the list of those who
favored the passage of the measure as
it is proposed, while the city attorney,
ex-Mayor Baskin, the committee OF the
city council, appointed at the last ses-
sion. and several others constituted the
opposition.
Judge Mckay was the first one to
speak. While not favoring the pas
sage of the bill at all, while being IN
favor of the absolute repeal of the law
on the statute books at present, he
wanted, if the senate and house We're
bound to continue the principle, TO
have the proposition changed some
what from the form proposed. The
sections which vest the power OF the
board to fix the number of men in both
departments was wrong. That should
lie, he said, with the city council. II
this bill passes in it's present shape, the
city council will have nothing to 90
but pay the salaries on demand OF the
commission The portion which de-
clares that no salaries Shall be re
duced or raised without recommends
ton of the commission took from the
city council all rights in the matter
of reform or retrenchment.
The idea that the chiefs of the de-
partments should have the right to
fine, dismiss or discharge men without
a hearing, and with no one to ques-
ton their action, was also wrong. Inc
bill provides that they shall not be
dismissed without cause except by a
vote of four members of the board.
The board has nothing to say in the
selection of the members of either de-
partmeut. It's duties under the provis-
ions of this act are to hear the names
| proposed by these chiefs and then
confirm. If they see fit to reject man,
all the chief has to do is to keep ON
submitting names until finally one is
selected What is there in the bill to
prevent the chiefs from exercising par
| ttsanship when the powers Oh the
board are limited?
| Another provision says that the city
council shall set apart, at the begin
ming of the year, the money deemed
necessary for the expenses OF this de
partment which shall be subject to
the orders of the board. If the cash
is not in the treasury, it must be set
| aside as fast as it comes in. This is
wrong in principle, and should not be
permitted. 1t means simply that the
! fire and police departments are TO be
maid No matter whether the others get
! their money or not.
/ Concluding, the city attorney said
the administering of the law in this
city had been a failure. The police
| department levied fines on saloons
gambling houses and prostitutes for
! revenue and was lax in discipline. He
! nroDosed to see that this. practice was
! stopped
chief Pratt resented this and laid
the blame on the city attorney himself
His department merely collected the
! bail. The amount of the bond was
! fixed by the city justice of the peace:
Replying, Judge Mckay declared the
arrests were made in the night; the
/ DOnQS lOIIeIICu, anu
/ thought of seeiong to it that the law
is enforced by the punishment or ar
rest of defaulters of bail.
In closing, the city attorney called
attention to the provisions OF the con
stitution which forbids the delegating
of municipal power to special commits
sions and urged that as the executive
power of the city was vested in the
MAYOR he should be the head OF the
police and fire departments.
Judge Baskin advocated a chahge IN
the policy outlined. The power which
creates the board should have the right
c,f removing it, One was no more i'm
nortant function than the other. He
the mayor believed in the executive
having the control of the departments
He believed the mayor ought to be the
executive head of the city. All eXecli-
tive power should be vested in him. lr
the personal experience OF the speaker
he cited that he had declined to resist
the massage of the present law, while
not believing in it. The administration
had been a failure. If the mayor ano
council have the right to appoint E
commission which has a right to ap
point a chief, who, in turn, may ap
point men and discharge them, the
same rights should act from lowest tt
highest.
Hon. Farley l.. Williams, attorney To-
Chief Pratt, advocated the passage o.
the BILL which he declared had beer
tried in Milwaukee with good results
Mr.. Williams arguments were very
able and were attentively listened to
He was followed by DR.. McNiece
who said the saloon men were arrayeC
against the measure, and he was fo
the principle.
County Attorney Whittemore tool
the same ground the ex-mayor did
and was followed by Commissions,
Stephens in favor of the bill.
Mr. O'Meara made a long argumen
in which he talked about the mayor
veto, the presidency of the council, thu
city jail and other articles too numer
Gus to mention. Evans went to sleel
during the talk and Driscoll, the chair
man, had to poke Senator Sutherland
to keep him awake. r. G. Miller, tn
other member, dreamed of home ant
fatherland until the alderman from tn
Fifth ceased, and when he quit, moved
the committee rise and retire
The sleepy spectators and member
of the committee took the nearest rout
for their respective bedchambers AM
will be in session again today for tn
purpose of hearing and determiuin;
what course to pursue. In the mean
time a substitute bill will be intro
duced and the matter fought out il
open session.
1t Costs Little and Does Much.
Remark when you attend a play r