The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-17
CHEFS REMOVAL
NOT CONFIRMED
Council Committee on Police
Votes Against Mayor.
HILTON MAY BE HEARD
CONFERENCE Will BE HELD
WITH THOMPSON MONDAY.

vi 1-t~ p-opoSltlOu 10 recommend
concurrence in the action of the mayor
removing Chief Of Police Hilton for
the good Of the service, only one mem
Der Of the council. committee on police.
Councilman Thomas. voted in the af
hrmarive. The other four members of
the new committee, Eardley, Hewlett.
sharp and fernstrom, voted in the
negative at the meeting held last
night to consider the mayors removal
COMMUNICATION. After this show Of
strength it was decided without dissent
20 outsider the question further next
aonday afternoon. at which time the
mayor viii be invited to meet with the
committee.
When the subject Of Mayor Thomp-
sons removal Of Chief Hilton was
brought t. the attention Of the COM
mittee on police last evening. Council
men sharp, Hewlett and Fernstrom
expressed the opinion that il would be
good idea to look into the matter
thoroughly before recommending con
lurrence IN the executives action.
Thomas Stands For Mayor.
Thomas took the stand that it would
be- unwise to go into the entangling
nazes of an investigation when no
tLarses had been preferred. as. accord
ing 20 tie new law, none are necessary
to accomplish the removal of the head
or the police department. He believed
that the mayors judgment after two
years Of trial should be acqu!esced in
by the council. for in no other way
could there be harmony between the
executive and the police chief.
chairman Eardiey unburdened him
self by saying that the committee
should at least know whom the mayor
intended to appoint in Hilton's place
before favoring concurrence in the re-
TOval of the chief. He supplemented
his remark by stating 1t had come 70
HIM that pending the appointment and
confirmation Of a new chief, Sergeant
Janney would be the acting chief. A,
further bit Of gossip retailed by card
ley was the accusation that Jannev is
a drinking man." and the conse-
Quence Of such a contingency in the
police department would be like Jump
ing from the frying-pan into the nre.
Thomas demanded to know the au-
thority for such rumOrs, but card
ley withheld a reply. Then Thomas
declared that Eardley's contention fol-
lowed TO its logical conclusion would
mean that the committee wanted to
usurp the mayors appointing power.
He expressed the opinion that such
position is untenable while the coun-
ell has the right TO reject the name
a any apDointee VINO is not deemed
u be satisfactory.
Wants to Be Consulted.
it was suggested by Eardley that
the mayor should show his confidence
In the police committee by consulting
with the members He added that the
people demanded to know who the
mayor intends to appoint in HiIton's
place before that officer is removed.
We VIII fare better and go farther
Tor the good of the city by supporting
the mayor, suggested Thomas.
haf the way I feel about it,
acc idfed sharp, but his vote later
showed that he had changed his mind
ternstrom took occasion to say that
probably an investigation would show
there is nothing to the report that there
Is inharmOny in the police department.
except as between the chief himself
and two Of the subordinates. Never
before had he heard Of a removal from
ONCE without the name of the pro-
posed successor being submitted at the
same time. FernstrOm added that the
origin Of the trouble was the chier
telling the former council in commit
tee of the whole during the investi-
cation OF the complaints that LIQUOR
was sold on Sundays. that his policy
Was 30 follow the mayors orders. He
did not propose TO give his consent 10
punish the chief now for telling what
he did
II was moved by Fernstrom that the
committee investigate as to whether
there is any lack of harmony i'm the
administration of the police deDart-
ment. There was 10 second to the
motion.
Hewlett Puts In a Word.
There never will be harmony be-
tween the mayor and Chief Hilton. g
volunteered Hewlett Mayor Thomp-
son will not say whom he Intends n
appoint, for he has not yet made up
his mind, he says. But he will send
in an acceptable appointee, ss.d if the
council rejects he viii send IN another
without feeling offended at the coun-
ellis action"
There is one man who wants to be
chief. and he is not I'm harmony with
Hilton" declared Fernstrom.
Knowing that lTernstrom referred te
detective Sheets, both Thomas and
sharp told The councilman from the
Third that if he would ask Sheets he
would receive the assurance from hin
that he would not accept the position
Alleges Lack CT Confidence.
Fernstrom broke in again with a dec.
lsration that never before had any
mayor attempted to play such a ridi-
Culous game on the council. In his
opinion the mayor had sighted tht
council 10y not submitting the name