The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-11
Fire Station For Fourth Precinct
Causes Debate.
HANNAITEs AGAINST IT
DIDN'T WANT CITIZENS TO
HAVE PROTECTION.
Admitted That the Proposition Was
Good One Intrinsically, But Be-
cause It Came From the Demo-
cratic Side of the House They.
Fought It Bitterly.

| II olCtelly.
! At the fag end OF last nights coun-
ell meeting one of the liveliest political
discussions that has yet enlivened the
deliberations of that body was sprung.
Incidentally the Republican brethren
were chased up tree. for rather than
support proposition which they adj
mitted to be perfectly sound, Robert
son, Buckle and Diehl voted against it
because it emanated from the Demo-
cratic side.
Just before the appropriation list was
called for, Howe offered a report, signed
by a majority of the fire and police
committee, recommending that a new
fire station be erected in the Fourth
precinct on the lot on 1 street now
owned by the city The report set apart
$1,000 for the cost of the structure, and
stated that plans for it had already
been approved and paid for by a former
council.
Offered Minority Report.
Robertson at once offered a minority
report, signed by himself and the ex-
candidate for mayor This report
.
for purely political purposes, and added
that While the minority members
favored the erection of the station, they
thought, in view of the fact that it was
presented at this time, it should go over
until the next administration comes in.
Robertson moved the substitution Of
the minority for the majority report
and received a second from his twin.
He made a rambling talk, in which he
.ao of f,%x-i fn
tics, although he admitted that the
people of the Fourth precinct were
sadly in need of fire protection. In spite
of this confession he opposed the prop
oSition.
Fernstrom suggested that the minor
ity report be amended so as to read
that Buckle and Robertson were
against the measure because they
feared the Republicans would lose the.
precinct if it carried. The amendment
received no second, but it started a
merry discussion. Romney got up and
confessed that he had formerly opposed
putting a station in the Fourth, but
now he was in favor of it. At the time
he opposed it the city's finances were
not in such shape as to stand the eX-
pense.
Treasury All Right.
Now, however, the treasury was sutfi-
GENTLY full to pay the bills, and he
warmly espoused the majority report.
The fact that Mr.. Romney is pros
pective candidate for a councilmanic
nomination on the Republican ticket in
the Fourth of course had nothing TO do
with his change of heart. -
Buckle wanted to know why the reso-
luton had not been brought up before.
He knew it had been in the hands of
the fire and police committee ever since
last May and he thought it was peeu--
liar that it had been smothered so long.
This brought Howe to his feet with a
challenge for the ex-candidate.
IF Mr.. Buckle will be fair to the
chairman Of the committee" said hes.
he will admit that the matter was
brought before the committee several
times, but action on it was postponed,
Buckle Craw6shes.
Buckle was compelled to admit the
accuracy of Howe's statement, for he
is a member of the fire and police COM
mittee himself Then he wandered so
far away from the subject under dis
cussion that President Barnes was
compelled to call him to order Buckle
lost his temper and made the charge
that the president was interested in
the fire station for political purposes.
The chair declined to discuss the
question with Buckle and told him that
if he did not speak in order he would
be compelled to take his seat Finding
the first alternative impossible, Buckle
chose the latter. He was followed by
Patrick who presented the claims of.
the Fourth precinct to fire protection in
a perfectly logical manner. incidentally
he denied that politics cut any figure in
the presentation OF the majority report.
In closing the debate for the menu
bers who favored the majority reports
Howe said he preferred not to be judged
by the standard of Buckle and Robert
son. He argued that the question be-
fore the house was not one of politics,
but simply whether or not fire station
was needed in the Fourth precinct and
whether or not the council could afford
to build one at this time. On these
lines the chairman of the committee
made a disDassionate argument and
proved conclusively the justice of his
cause.
Robertson's Closing Talk.
Robertson closed for the minority
men. He denied that the city's finances
were in such condition that it would be
well to build the station. On the CON-
trary, he asserted that never had the
city been in such poor shape financially.
He tried to squeeze in a little credit
that he had objected to postponing ac-
ton on the proposition early last spring
when Howe had moved to lay it over
Indefinitely.
Howe at once denied that he had
moved to lay the matter over indefi- d
nitely, but Robertson persisted in his
assertion He did not attempt to eX-
plain, however, why if he was so much
interested in the work, he did not CALI
the committees attention to it before
this. In conclusion Robertson, follow
ing Buckles cue, reiterated the declara-
ton that Howe wanted votes in the
Fourth precinct and asked for the sta
ton because he thought it would help
him politically.
The first vote taken was on a motion
by Romney to lay the question over
for one week in order that Allen, Call
lister, Wallace and Morris, who were
absent at this time, might, have al
chance to vote on it. Romney's, notion
was voted down, and then came a vote
on the substitution of the minority for
the majority report. Only Buckle, Diehl
and Robertson voted for this PROPOSE
ton.
Attempted to Filibuster.
Next, in an attempt to filibuster,
Buckle made a regular stump speech, i
in which he advocated a fire station for
his own precinct, the First, as well as
the Fourth. He stated that he had ex-
perienced a change of heart, and
seemed slightly confused when Diehl
asked. dryly, Had a revelation,
Buckle became confused