The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-25
County Commissioners Disagree
Over a Trivial Matter.
VOTING WAS TWO TO ONE
HEATED DIALOGUE BETWEEN
ARMSTRONG AND WHITAKER.
Chairman of the Board States His
Position, and Pauper Committee
Chairman Whitaker Declares
Himself-Eldredge Removed and
Gray In Suspense For Week.

Some five or six weeks ago, just after
departed for the coast on health re-
cuperating trip, Commissioners Raw
Inns and Whitaker elected Joseph U.
Eldredge as clerk Of the pauper COM
mittee to succeed William F. Gray.
Since then the new clerk has been
learning the ropes" by getting ac-
quainted with the conditions and needs
of the county's wards, and according to
an understanding that Clerk Gray
would retire the end of this month.
Yesterday was the first time Chair
man Armstrong attended a board
meeting since Mr.. Eldredge was
elected, and forthwith he proceeded to
ask why Mr. Gray had been removed.
Commissioner Whitaker replied that he
mentioned the matter to the chairman
just before he left for the coast, and
impressed upon him that he desired to
make a change in the clerkship, to
which proposition, according to Mr..
Whitaker's statement, Commissioner
Armstrong offered no objection.
But" interposed Chairman Arm
strong, you mentioned only the name
of Joe Bull. You did not say anything
about this man Eldredge. l would not
vote for him under any circumstances.
He makes too many mistakes and
blunders in his figures. / don't question
his honesty, understand
Then, slapping his hand on the table,
Chairman Armstrong said: Il don't
believe in discharging county en-
ployee unless there is cause for it"
Commissioner Whitaker replied that
he had d reason for his insistence.
We'll, if you have charges to make
against Gray. out with Them" was the
chairman's rejoinder.
Noticing. however, that Commission
er Whitaker appeared to be a triie
embarrassed Chairman Armstrong in
vited Mr.. Gray and the reporters to re-
tire while the board went into executive
session.
1t was learned subsequently that
Commissioner Whitaker preferred no
charges against Clerk Gray. He mere
~ stated that he felt he could place
greater reliance upon Mr.. Eldredge's
judgment in passing upon the merits
of applications for charity relief from
the county; and, moreover, he main
tanned that as long as he was chair
man of the pauper committee, he had
right to expect that his recommends
ton for the clerkship would be favor
ably considered. Commissioner Whit
aker directed attention to the fact that
during the months of January, Febru-
over $1,000 in the pauper account, com
pared with the corresponding period of
Commissioner Halls administration,
and he believed he could do even better
with Mr.. Eldredge for his clerk instead
of Mr.. Gray.
On reassembling in open session,
Commissioner Rawlins moved that the
action of the board in electing Mr.. Ell
dredge to the clerlship be rescinded.
The motion was carried ayes to 1 no.
Il desire" said Commissioner Whit
aker, ito have my vote recorded in the
negative. Understand, gentlemen, you
are doing this over my protest, and
you will have to elect the clerk, since
am in the minority here, as L have
discovered
BY the same vote it was ordered that
notification be sent to Mr.. Eldredge
that his services would not be required
after April so, and another motion was
carried by Commissioners Armstrong
and Rawlins, deferring the election of
the pauper clerk until next Monday.
What the result will be is problemat-
ical, but it is not regarded as likely
that Commissioner Whitaker will have
to suffer the embarrassment of having
man serve him as clerk against whom
he has a strong personal objection. 1t
is probable that a compromise candi-
date for the cIerkship will be agreed
upon.