The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-26
TRIED TO GET
HILT0N'S HEAD
Mayors Effort to Remove Police
Chief Prevented Again.
IT DEPENDED ON FERNSTR0M
CHIEF DEVINE'S SALARY
RAISED 5000 YEARLY.
IT DEPENDED ON FERNSTRoM

city council for the Official head
H0f Chief Of Police Hilton. but. as on
/ the occasion a couple Of months ago.
the effort was without succeas The
I mayor claims 10 have relied upon as
/ surancas thar Councilman Fernsuom
from the Democratic side would come
over with the seven ReDu blicans who
all along have stood for supporting the
proposition of concurring in the exec
utive's removal If the chief, but at
the last moment it was known that
The assurances were not to be depend
ed upon. The mayor said that ne would
not have submitted the communica-
{ ton Of removal -lad he not been led to
/ believe that Fernstrom's support would
/ be forthcoming. The councilman from
: the Third stated that he knew nothing
/ about the assurances that ne would
vote with the mayors supporters.
/ In his communicate TO the council
removing Thomas II. Hilton as chief of
police and asking the councils con-
currence. the mayor stated that the
action was for the good Of the service.
Fight Over Police Chief.
Immediately after the reading Of the
mayors communication Councilman
! Robertson moved that the executives
action be cOncuTred in. and Fernstrom
proposed an amendment to refer il TO
I the committee on police.
In opposing the amendment to refer,
Robertson said that nothing could be
gained by pursuing such a course, for
already he majority OF the committee
haG gone on record as favoring concur
chief. He added that conditions in the
police department are most shameful
because Of the lack of harmony be-
tween the chief and the mayor, and.
In consequence, some of the men in
the department are not held in discip-
line, and neglect their duty.
knowledge OF these conditions has
gone out, and as a result there is more
crime in this city thar ever before,
the councilman added. Probably the
majority of the criminals are caught.
but there are more of them here now
from other parts. The council majority
has endeavored to take the RESPONSE |
bility of thase conditions from the
mayor, and there are vacancies in the
department which, Il is well under
stood the present chief viii not be per
mitted TO I'LL. In conclusion, Robertson
declared that if the majority of the
council who are antagonizing the
mayor intend TO serve the people. they
viii reconsider their course and vote
10 concur with the executive.
Passed Up to Committee.
The amendment to refer was carried
by a vote of ayes and noes. The
seven who have stood with the mayor
all through the contest voted 10 again
support him, while the four Democrats
and the four irsurgent Republican
members voted to refer the removal
proposition.
Another communication from tie
mayor announced that he had declined
20 concur in the appointment and con-
f1rmatiOn Of Charles Z. Wood 10 the
office of assistant chief of the fire de-
partment. The communication was or
dered filed, although FernstrOu card
ley and CottreI wanted the matter
treated as a veto TO be voted upon,
while the law makes the mayors OBJ
JeciOns absolute and final.
Chief Devine's appointment of Albert
HopfenbeCiS to fiji a vacancy in the fire
department was confirmed without dis
sent
The mayors appointment of Water
works Superintendent Hines as day
foreman of the street sprinkl-ug SER
vice for the ensuing year. without adj
ditional salary, was confirmed.
Needs Of the Fire Department.
The report Of the finance committee.
recommending the purchase Of a mod
eTn flre engine at cost of $500, the
construction OF five small cisterns IN
the business district at a cost Of $500
and the revision of the salary schedule,
applicable to the members of the fire
department. brought out g lot of dis
cussiOn. DaVeler wanted the recon-
mend9tiOn OF purchase 70 include a
new ladder truck costing S450O but
ne withdrew his motion upon being in
formed that the intention is TO order
this piece Of apparatus later if ar
rau5ements Ceu be made TO pay for it
next winter
In support Of his motion to strike out
all but the proposition TO buy a new
engine, Robertson produced some fig
ures TO show the en-, rarrassing finau-
Cial condition of the city. lie main
tanned that the principal items Of rev.
enue for the fund out Of which the new
equipment must come viii amount this
year To S325,G09, with absolutely neces-
sary expenditures amounting to SAL
C0o
RObeTts0u's motion failed. only him
self and Nigus voting FOR ii. The re-
port was then adopted.
Consideration of the ordinance revis-
ing the salaries Of tie members Of the
fire department resulted in the passage
Of the bill by vote Of thirteen 10 two.
II is deemed likely. however that it
viii be vetoed by the mayor In Op-
IoSmE the passage Of the ordinance.
Robertson maintained that il is illegal
10 increase the salary Of the depart
ment chief TO take effect during his
term.
Fire Department Salaries.
The rev schedule increases the sal
airy e. the chief from $500 TO $2.100,
including compensation -or his services
as inspector of street lighting. The
yearly salaries of the other members
are increased as follows. Assistant
chief, from S1.0S0 90 Sl.3S0; captains.
from $1,000 10 Sl0S0. lieutenants and
engineers. from $3.50 to Sl.020; electri-
clan and superintendent Of alarm ser
vice. from Sl.0S0 TO $1,000. secretary
and operator. from $3.50 TO S10S0.
The salaries Of the fremen remain
unchanged except that men who are
re-emplOyed snail commence at the
rate of $40 monthly instead of at the
minimum u SGT. receiving the maxi
mann of $50 monthly after the first year
OF re-entering the service. The total
increase is about S2.000 yearly.
A majority OF the committees on mu-
nicipal laws and streets recommended
that since the Utah Home Telephone
company has inCcrpOr5 ted il be grant
ed a fmnchise as applied for By 5. +.
Featon On request OF Robertson and
Nisus. q minority Of the committee.
consideration Of the franchise was de
ferred till the next council meeting.
DavGler offered q resolution direct
ing the enforcement If the ordinance
requiring property owners TO place cor
rect street numbers on their houses