The age-herald., 1899-09-08
The City Council and Police Commission
 are at 0ntS. HOT TALK FROM BOTH SIDES ChilsS Says Ii is UsurpatiOn of Power
 By Aldermen.
TWO NEW MEN ARE SWORN IN
Police Commission Will Refuse to Re- eognizs or Assist Them-Acting Mayor Will Withhold Instruc-
 tions Until Drennen Comes.

There are strained relations between two departments of the city government. clash has been brewing for some time be- tween the board of police commissioners and the board of mayor and aldermen. and the action of the city council in elccting two detectives is likely 10 crush all cordial feelings between the two bodies
 The police commissioners are up in arms and are charging that the action of the council was direct attempt to override the commission in the management of po- lice affairs of the city. They also charge that the election of Wiggins and Sullivan was purely a political scheme and was done to pay off past debts One of the com missioners states that there are members of the board of mayor and aldermen who will be candidates al a future election. and that the election of the two detectives was scheme to build a political machine to further their private interests
 On the other hand the aldermen say that they thought the election of two private de- tectiVes necessary for the prevention of crime in the city of Birmingham. and that they had as much right to elect them as they did in the case of city plumbers and sanitary inspectors.
 The two officers who have caused so much trouble were sworn in by the acting mayor yesterday morning. and have been put on the pay roll as regular city employees Ihey have been notified by the police how ever, that they will receive no aid or en- enlargement from that department This Will put the detectives in an embarrassing position, as they will be poweress to make arrests unless they get a commission os deputy sheriff or deputy constable. In this case arrests can not be made unless q warrant has been previously sworn out retnrnable to a justice of the peace or the inferior court. The police department claims that with this lack of power no good can be accomplished by the two de- : teetives. as in the case of gambling, ar rests have to be made on the moment or the criminal will escape
 An Attempt at Usurpation.
 (. c. chiles, chairman of the police con- mission, said yesterday afternoon that if was clearly an attempt to usurp the au- thority of his department and he feared that no good could be accomplished for the
 
 approved February 18th, 1895, the Birming- ham police commission has exclusive au- thority to appoint police officers and to regulate the working of that department" said he "Unless these detectives were appointed to watch the police department l can't see why they were chosen The police department has been doing it's duty, however, and they can appoint as many men as they desire to watch us. It may be that some of the aldermen wanted to get their friends a job Tn no capacity will we recognize these new officers, and I think it useless to put two new men on without the aid of the police. It looks to me like the police commission could take care of these things and the mayor and board of aldermen ought to act only as a legislative body. We do not concede any rights to that body to dictate to us. I think they are overstepping the bounds of good judgment and reason in taking such an action."
 Alderman Daly's View
 Alderman Daly. who offered the resolu- ton authorizing the election of the two de- tectives, was seen by a reporter
 "All I have to say is that the men have been sworn in and have gone to work said he.
 He was asked what would be done in case the police commission refused to recognize the men.
 "Well, we don't care anything about that. he replied. "I thought the men were necessary to the protection of our citizens and I voted for it for the good of tha citx of Rirminpha Ahout us ma vioo political debts. was elected by a large majority and I made no pledges whatever, and any man who says I pledged anybody anything to vote for me is a liar, and I can back my assertion. I think we had just as much right to elect city detectives as we did to elect a plumber and sanitary off cers. I believe 1t was for the city's in- terest and that is the reason I voted for it.''
 Police Commissioner Stratford said that he was ten miles away when the thing happened.
 'I have nothing to say as to the cause of the action" he continued, but would not be surprised to soon see the Commer tia club, the Pastors union and the board of revenue all meeting and electing de- teetives or other officers and have them reporting to them for duty"
 Mcknight Regrets the Clash
 Acting Mayor Mcknight stated that he swore the men under the authority em- powered in the resolution, and that he ad- ministered the same oath as is given to all city employees.
 q am sorry that this clash has come on between the two departments" he said,
 
 It is another evidence of the enmity be- tween the Smith and Drennen factions, and it looks as if that crowd (the Smith fac iiom is doing everything in-ther power to break down the Drennen administration. I understand that both Sullivan and Wig gins were Smith men,"