Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-03-06
FIRE AND POLICE BOARD.
Changes 10 tho Present Law Dis.
CusSsd by That Body Last Night,
Uhnirma" vHrlAn suniiss IIis re.
make IN Strong O'p 'sition TO mr.
Icnnings's Am sndmeats

special meeting OF the FIRE aud
police board held Into yesterday after.
noon, pfoposoi changes in the police
and IRE bill now peniiug iu tue
Legislature were Discussed NJ some
length.
Commls.ioner Jennings proposed tho
following bmsadmcnis Go the law:
srruuy J.. There shall bu appointed
hy tuU sUgofuur IN au cities Of 1000 or
moro inhabitants, immgdIa oly after this
act takes tii0ui, a board of police aud lfo
commissioners, consisting " four per.
sous, residents aud lHgH, yO'Ora in FniI
cuiDs, respectively whose term N office
shall commence a. souu as lhoy hfU ap.
pointed ami qualified, one of ~ nom shall
hnIl uHlcg uui Oh January ], l,N ono until
January j., lsNl, aud one uuul January
j. 1900, ami CAun until his successor j. Ap-
pointed aud gutlnoi.
AZ CO tho ur,t uppoiutmbnt horolnho.
Tore provided Tor. tho term " office Of
Wumu"rs % stil board shall bt Tor hour
NDArs ifum uud ai ,r tho tirst Jay ~ JAZZ
ua.y noNt alter iluir appointment, which
snail Do uuuiu lu tho month Ut Dtcrmbpt
100 p '.AN NAN'A NNA 30 HNN'NA HNA'.H'".HA n
hrN appointed Hut quAliuUu, aud uun
momh'r every year shall bo appointed
by tuo Governor
lu rs'u N vacancy by resignation, death
or otherwise, the vac tuuy shall Dc ullrd
10y tnr 1lyufuor, aud such Wrm Dor of
said board snail soryu tue uurxpifO I
torn' aud ~ no tim8 shall thgfu be- uu
sad board moro lhnu Two persons uH.
longing IN thu same political parry. SAID
board shall have power 10 employ a
c.CIk aui liz his compensation. uDt 90
exceed 5000 iur year, which shall h0 paid
monthly uy tue snid cItio., respectively.
upon the coriinca a. NJ SAID board. Tho
board shall hold regular meetings al
Toast once Zach WOek. ~ hu nNrl 10y %
rule ui the board, and each member NJ
the board shall be- presumed to have nos
tcu ut fuCh regular mUouug, nnI 10 all
such regular mUo inus three members
Of such board shall constitute a quorum
aud be- authorized 90 transact al business
which may como before the board. Any
member ~ said board may be- removed
by sud with tha concurrence of three
mom1ots OF said board.
Soc. 81 For their services tho momh0rH
" said board shall each receive the SUN
OF 90 pur nuuum. except thu chairman
thereof, who HAull receive tue cum Of
| $50 por aunum. said Imponsatiau % bo
paid quarterly by the Uity ~ the ouui'
ponsatiln Tor other city officers Is paid.
cuAiHAiAN vAuAS's rUsrIioN.
Chairman Varlan states his position
on the bill In the following letter cent
by him 20 uoD. George l., Nye. GUAR.
man oi the iousu committee on muui-
cipal corporation;
slr-'rho board u police and Gro com.
missiouors having had under oUnsidora'
ton the proposed legislation concerning
tho administration Ol tho police and iirt
departments IN certain classified cities IA
the stale, Ms embodied IN Soma bill No.
| aud House bill No. lll ,horuwi IA submit
Tor tho consideration u the Legislature
some suggestions.
Underlying and Incorporated In the
| present law, IN tho principe " tenure uI
oiice. The law gives To tho officer IA,
hope OF making himself useful aud ot
nciout agent OF society, and promises
safe aud oeriain tenure " office. 10 b,
disturbed only las general ruiel by Ia
| efficiency or inisuonduo, and thon onlJ
atOr TAR invOstigt ion aud trial.
By Senate bill No. IS this principle /,
| destroyed. IL IL proposed lby section 10
/ to commit TO tho res ponliyO chiefs ~ tht
| departments tho arbitrary power 80
] make aud enforce tho rules aud fbgulH.
| lions ...,.. aud They shalt have power to
! suspuud without Jay, fne or dismiss ans
subltdiuWo, oiiicur, mombor or en-
! pluye," reporting their action, with the
| reasons therefor, 10 the board.
tut, IL but tho same power here ofnrt
| vested iu tho Mayor or Council, aud Au
| Oh fusiyo evil tho present sys.om wa.
| designed TO ohvIav. Tho machine, M
| constructed, liz none tho less powerful TOT
| evil btcause the manager IL u chief Of
| police or engineer Ut tho ire department
] than b. hn NOru tho Mayor IL h not uu-
| parent that this feature of tho bin cllm.-
| ualrs tho very life ui hc syHtom'
| while carefully providing for this
| poNof tu boo vested a. above stated, lht
| bll docs not contemplate tho exercise ol
| d like authority by tho board over tho
! respective chief, that is, In any practical
way. Tho power u tho four members
| nll conCurrIug to remove, is not pra .tl-
| ctlly operative. lnt 10 B. proposed Ia
| commit To the board .a- by tho ptus0ui
| law tho duty " enforcing tho laws, Ia,
| Guiding tho ordinances oi tho respective
| cities. Ifthe state cht'goe tho board oil
| commissioners with hiph public unr.
| tiuns, such ~ these, surely the puWOr n
| ouiurcp its authority and maintain its
dignity should be- granted,
| Ihu board should not administer the
| finances ~ the municipality, 10 take
| from theCOuncIl tho power 20 regulate tho
! membership and salaries Ut the mumbsrs
! ~ iuu respective departments D., iu our
| opinion, univ lsH, and iu violation OF Que
| of tho principles of representative mum.
| rIppl government,
House Dill, so. llIDpruUu,os To- prohibits
! .-yuluu J. secret or executive sessions.
! ~slrDt uruNtcutIyus sessions Ntu reasonable
90. ...s IA. 10.