The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-15
BUTTE POLICE FORCE
This Very Important Matter 10 Come
Before the Council.
TO SELECT IN COMMITTEE
Many Aldermen Who Do Not APP
prove the Present System,
Wherein Politics Play such
Conspicuous Part.

The next important matter to come
before the Butte city council is the APP
pointment of the police force for the
year. Under the present lamenta BILE
system the police force is political
machine and can be changed with each
administration. AS there is no change
OF administration this spring the
changes in the police force are not
likely to be sweeping. but then there
is no telling. The aldermen have full
control of the matter, and IL they have
any particular friends they want to
get on the force in place of some of
those already there, they are likely. to
succeed.
There was a police commission in
Butte up to year ago, but il was not
successful in divorcing the police force
from politics Now the situation IL
even worse, for the matter of selecting
the policemen is in the hands of the
aldermen, who constitute the police
committee, which has taken place of
the board of police commissioners. The
police committee will probably meet
Tuesday TO select the list of policemen
and this list will doubtless be appoint
ed by the mayor at Wednesday nights
meeting of the council. IL is a pretty
sure guess that there will be some
changes, although not many are ex-
pected at this time.
IL would seem that the chief OF po-
lice. who has charge of the men day
after day and who is neld responsible
for their inefficiency or rascality on the
force, ought TO have more to say than
any one else as TO who should be police
men. But such is not the case under
the present system. The chief of police
has nothing TO say as to who shall con-
stitute the force, except i'm the Capacity
of an advisor, and then only in case the
aldermen FIT m i'm, int
sultation The older aldermen in the
council admit that the system rs wrong
and that IL Will never be possible to
have a first class police force so long as
the aldermen have the naming of the
policemen. Some of them say that they
will go before the legislature next win
ter and do their utmost TO have a law
enacted by which the legislature will
have the naming of a board of police
commissioners, and these commission
ers shall have absolute charge of the
police force, shall name the officers and
the men, and have the power of remov-
ing them. There will also be a provi-
sion that none of the policemen after
being once appointed can be removed.
except for cause. IL will be provided
that II will not be necessary for the
appointments OF policemen to be con-
firmed by the council, and II is thought
that In this way Butte may have a
force OF policemen who will not have
TO be politicians in any sense.
But at present the matter Is in the
hands of the aldermen and a good
many wires are being pulled to get va
rious officers reappointed. While IL is
intimated that a few changes are like
~, there is no intimation of who are
likely TO be the victims. There is little
doubt that Frank Anderson and Clyde
Coulter will be reappointed jailers.
They have proved excellent officers and
have given general satisfaction. The
mayor also has some other appoint
ments to make. and 1t is considered
likely that he will complete his list of
officials next Wednesday night. The
fire marshal and the firemen are yet
10 be appointed, and the mayor declares
that he will throw the responsibility
for these appointments on the fire com
mittee and will appoint whoever this
committee may recommend. The
health officer Is also to be appointed.
Those mentioned for this position are
DIR. o. b. Whitford. the present incum-
bent. DIR. ]. w. Gum and DIR. sMcCrim-
mon. The assistant city clerk is also
yet to be appointed.