Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-20
THE POLICE CAPTAINCY
Mayor Glendinning Disappryes Of Aboishing
the Office.
DIEHpS SALARY ORDINANCE VETOED.


Mayor Glendinning returned Diehrs
salary ordinance to Recorder Emery
today disapproved, the chief objection
being to that section abolishing the
| captain OF police. The Mayor says that
in october 1896. he disapproved of an
ordnance abolishing that Office and
proceeds to give the same reasons for
MS position taken at that time. He
says that so much of the ordinance as
reduces the salaries Of elective officers
meets his approval. After giving the
number Of men in the police depart
ment' the city's executive says:
TO have efficient service in any DO
nee department worthy OF the name, 1t
rs necessary that the Organization
nave chief. who shall have charge of
the department during the day: and a
captain or other officer of superior rank
70 the aergeants in command during
the night, ana at other times when the
chief is absent from duty.
At the present time the chief is stis-
pended, awaiting trial upon charges
peudlng against him. leaving the force
under the command of the captain, so
that II this office be abolished. the COM
mund or the department win devolve
upon one of the sergeants, with the in
evitable result Of impairing the present
excellent service.
To this cannot consent because
the executive force Is already numeri-
cnlly weak for city of this size, and
whiie the pretense is made that the
adjustment Of this office is solely In
the interest Of economy, | do not share
mat opinion; but on the contrary, be-
leNe that the action OF some members
OF the Council has becn governed in
ms matter by a mistaken zeal exer-
clsed IN the interest of depraved poll
tlcs, and therefore detrimental to the
public interests. If n reduction of the
present force must be made. l recon-
mend that one Of the three desk SER
geants be dispensed with. There can
ne no good reason advanced why two
uesk sergeants cannot perform with
ease, all the duties now performed by
threei and I believe this recommended
tlon VIII have the concurrence of the
board of police commissioners, whose
Judgment as to what is necessary and
proper to secure the best police SER
vice in this city, ought to have some
weight with the Council.
while II may not Inconvenience the
present Mayor to>any great extent, 1t
seems To MIN an unnecessary exhibit
tion or malevolence and triviality on
tho part of the Council to abolish the
position of clerk in this Office merely
because the Council differs with the
present executive as to matters in
volving official discretion. In addition
10 the work required Of clerk in the
Mayors office. that functionary is al
SO required by ordinance to perform, or
phy another to perform, the duties OF
clerk of the board of public works All
this work has been done since Febru-
airy, 1896, for $50 per month-certainly
not high wage. But whatever the
Council may deem wise In this behalf,
VIII not OF itself. call for the interposi-
ton Of a veto.
Tn the closing month Of this admin
istration, 1t is u subject for congratu-
lation that the number of people is ex-
ceedingly small who will believe It pos
sible to convene another municipal
legislature in Salt Lake City endowed
In so large n degree as your honorable
body with what has been Rptly termed
the disposition OF inferior minds to
execute every petty malice and mis-
chief within the circle OF their limited
abilities,
Very respectfully,
JAMES GLENDINNING,
Mayor"