Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-06
ORDINANCE FOR HOME RULE.
UPPER HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMIT
TEE AGREES on A MEASURE.
It's Provisions Would Make the Police
Force About Equally Divided rs
to POIitics-Provisionso of
the Ordinance.

The judiciary committee of the upper
house of the council has completed. after
several weeks deliberation. the charter
amendment ordinance which is TO provide,
if passed by the council and signed by the
mayor. home rule in the management OF
the police department of Kansas City.
The committee met yesterday morning in
the office of the city counselor and reported
favorably to the upper house an ordinance
differing from the original referred to that
committee in two important particulars.
The substitute ordinance provides for the
election of the police commissioners by the
two houses of the council in joint session,
and for the creation of board of excise
commissioners to be composed of the may
or, police judge and city auditor.
The new ordinance follows the details OF
the original measure as to organization,
duties, etc, of the commissioners. The two
elected by the council shall be of opposite
political parties, the third being the mayor.
If the two houses of the council do not
agree upon time and place for the efec-
tion of the commissioners, then the lower
house shall set a time and place and file
written notice thereof with the city clerk
not less than three nor more than five
days thereafter. If the lower house does
not agree upon a time and place, then the
time and place. If both houses fail. then
they are to be called together in joint ses-
sion by the mayor.
The commissioners shall be disqualified
from holding any other city office; they
snail receive $500 year salary; they shall
meet every Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock
IN their office in the city hall; when the
board is not in session the mayor shall be
recognized as the head of the police force
or the city; by and with the consent of the
board of public works, ratified by the coun-
lph 70 IN
houses as may be deemed necessary; on
the third Monday in April of each year the
BOARD shall report to the council the num-
per and expense of the police force; the
members of the board may arrest persons
with or without warrant if suspected of
violating the law; the board may equip
such a force of law abiding citizens as vol
unteers, who shall serve without pay, as
the board thinks proper; the board is to
eStlmate Its expenses for the fiscal year at
the beginning thereof and shall make
requlsition upon the treasurer monthly for
the support of the police force.
=, Between the first day of May, 1897. and
the flfst day of January, 1898 the board
shall reorganize the police force and aft
erwards so maintain it that not more than
one-half of either of the superior officers
the detectives or the patrolmen shall be
OF the same political faith. and the politics
OF each appointee shall be properly en-
tered in the record kept by the secretary.
me maximum salaries of the force are
Chief of police, $4,000; inspector of de-
tectives, $500; secretary Of the board
$1,000; captains, $1S0O; iieutenants. 1880;
sergeants. $1,2OO; police surgeon. $500; de-
tectiVes, not to exceed one for every tif-
teen patrolmen, $780, patrolmen. not more
than one for every LOCO of population 500
per month for regulars and $50 for proba-
TONERS.
The provisions now in force for relief as
sociations are embodied in the ordinance:
policemen are not to receive any gifts for
services performed without the consent of
the board.
The excise board is to have control of
the issuing of licenses for saloons and the
provisions now in force are re-enacted, the
power being simply transferred from the
board of police commissioners to the ex-
else board.
The ordinance did not come up in the
upper house last night, although it was in
the budget.
Mayor Jones said yesterday that there
We're funds available for paying the ex-
penSes of the special election. Several
weeks ago the mayor sent letter to Rep
resentative Clarke, asking for the passage c
OF bill repeating the state law regulating
the appointment of police commissioners,
which would thus obviate all possible dam
ger OF collision with the supreme court.