The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-07
City Council Devotes an Evening to
Considering 1t.
STRANGE IRREGULARITIES
HoWE's REFUSAL TO APPROVE
CAUSES SHARP STRIFE.
Double Pay For Sergeants For One
Day Is Chief Pratt's Ruse For
Complying With the Courts and
the Councils orders-The Payroll
Is Approved.

defending the weak points in the Nov
ember payroll of the police department
that little opportunity was given for
the consideration of other important
business. The Republican and non
partisan members favored irregular
and expensive methods and refused to
remedy the wrongs exposed by the
Democratic side of the council. Pow
erless to turn the tide, the latter went
down to defeat, protesting against the
means that had been used in fastening
another unjust burden on the taXpay-
ers and giving official endorsement to
more of Chief Pratt's perverseness.
The proceedings teemed with animated
discussions. bordering upon the acri-
monious, and toward the end of the
session, when an ineffectual attempt
was made to arbitrarily remove Coun-
Gilman Horne from the Craftsmanship
of the police and fire committee, the
offensive personalities that had been
INDUCED in came to an abrupt termin-
alton.
The matter in controversy was
brought to the councils attention by
Chairman Horne. who said: Il take 1t
that the supreme court decision, re-
Gently rendered, restoring the eight il
legally removed policemen to their for
mer respective positions, meant exact
ly what it said. Before 1 go further, I
want it understood that 1 have do per-
sonal feeling whatever in this matter.
But l think the public should know
how the orders of the court and the
councils directions relative to the res
toration of those policemen, or at least
two of them, have been obeyed by the
chief of police. In violation of these or
ders and contrary to the ordinance,
Chief Pratt reduced the two reinstated
sergeants, Frank G. Wire and Matt.
Rhodes, to the rank of patrolmen,
without permitting them to even for a
minute perform the duty of sergeants
of police l have here the payroll of
the police department for the month of
November, wherein Sergeants Wire
and Rhodes are down for their first
days pay as sergeants, and thereafter,
from Nov. 25 are rated as patrolmen,
whereas Sergeants Hilton and Janney
are credited with a full months salary
at the rank and pay of sergeants. Ac
cording to this decision, these two ser
geants have not performed and could
not legally perform the duty of SER
geants.
1T appears to me that the chief is
persisting in an effort to work up more
litigation and needless expense for the
city and creating more trouble in the
police department. AS the matter
stands, paying four sergeants when
only two performed the duty, and en-
dorsing such ruse of the chiefs to-
ward reinstating Sergeants Wire and
Rhodes, cannot, as chairman of the
committee, approve the payroll.
Another, but probably not as seri-
Gus a matter, is the fact that Arthur
Pratt, jr., who is substituting for Desk
Sergeant D. S. Emery during the lat
ter's illness, is down on the roll. I I'M
derstand he divides his salary with
the absent sergeant. AS long as Pratt,
junior, is not regularly appointed to
the position, Sergeant Emery or his
family can collect from the city salary
for every month that his name is left
off the roll This is the wrong method,
and until it is corrected and the other
matter spoken of remedied, l cannot
see my way clear to approve the pay
roll'
Councilman Callister, before leaving
the council chamber, expressed the
opinion that Mr.. Horne's position with
respect to the payment of the desk
sergeant was correct. but as to the
entries of the four duty SergeantS
names on the payroll for Nov. %, he
disagreed with his colleague. Calls
ter concluded by saying he believed
the chief did exactly right in reducing
Sergeants Wire and Rhodes to the
rank of patrolmen Immediately after
being notified of their reinstatement
to their former positions.
Fernstrom contended that the chief
had, instead of obeying the orders of
the court and the council, merely placed
the two officers names on the payroll
for one day as sergeants, when, in fact,
they did not go on duty as such that
day In his estimation it was fraud on
the face.
Posing as an anti-Pratt man, Buckle
charged that some members of the
council were encouraging the two re-
stored sergeants to rise in rebellion
against their chief. He added that Chief
Pratt, evidently in a moment of for
getfulness, had remarked that if any
thing were wrong with the payroll, he
would gladly correct the mistake.
Buckle moved that Chairman Howe be
directed to approve the roll.
Howe inteTjected that he could not
conscientiously pen his approval.
Then I'll move that Councilman
Robertson, on behalf of the committee,
be instructed to approve it," said
Buckle.
Robertson declined, and the motion
was not put.
ON THE SAFE SIDE.
Fernstrom moved that Sergeants
Wire, Rhodes, Hilton and Janney be
paid patrolmen's salaries after Nov. 20,
and the excess of So each per month be
withheld until the court determine the
right of the chief to reduce the two re-
stored sergeants to the ranks, thus
avoiding the payment of double sala-
ries.
AS a substitute, Allen proposed that
the payroll be approved as soon' as
Desk Sergeant Emery's name is sub
stituted for that of Arthur. Pratt, jr.
Diehl tried to raise q point of order
on Fernstrom's motion, on the plea that
he endeavored to incite the reduced
sergeants to sue the city.
Robertson said he was tired of the
police contentious, and believed that the
public were, too. He added that Chief
Pratt had merely forgotten to deduct a
days pay from Sergeants Hilton and
Janney when crediting the other two
sergeants, whom the chief pretended to
reinstate. Robertson expressed his
willingness to vote to pay Sergeants
Hilton and Janney $120 a year in pref
erence to Wire and Rhodes, for the
sake of efficiency and harmony in the
police department.
Aliens substitute motion was lost,
only the mover and Wallace and Fern
strom voting for it.
Howe moved to strike the name of
Arthur Pratt, jr., from the payroll, but
only Howe, Margetts and Barnes sup
ported the proposition.
The vote on Fernstrom's motion re-
suited as follows: Ayes-Howe and
Fernstrom. Noes-Allen, Buckle, Diehl,
Margetts, Morris, Patrick, Robertson.
Romney, Wallace and Barnes. Excused
-Siddoway Absent-Callister and
Weller.
Buckle then proposed that Howe be
instructed to approve the payroll.
Howe cited q standing resolution of
the council in opposition to Buckle S
motion, and added the remark that he
could not conscientiously comply with
tho r,st1.l1 nt ions r,1,nrnSad aS long c