The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-21
CHIEF HILTON Is
TO QUIT TODAY
Announcement Made That He
Knows He Is Beaten.
-%-
C0UNCILMEN AGAINST HIM
ARTHUR PRATT SAID TO BE
PICKED AS SUCCESSOR.
;OUNCILMEN AGAINST HIM

1t is on the cards for Chief of Police
Hilton to retire from Office before an
other sun goes down. Strong pressure
was brought upon the chief yesterday
by some of his friends TO send in his
resignation. as Mayor Thompson re-
quested early in December. II was an
nounced last evening that the head OF
the police department had been con-
WINGED that his fight to hold on by get
ting the council TO refuse concurrence
in the mayors act removing him would
be futile.
Chief Hilton has been given until
this evening to resign. Failing to do
so a majority of the council will tonight
vote TO concur with the mayor in his
removal. 1t is barely possible, howev-
er, that final action viii be deferred
until next week. The chiefs successor
viii probably not be appointed and
confirmed until the next council meet
ing. In the meantime one of the pO-
lice sergeants will be designated actirZ
chief, pending the installation of the
new appointee.
This is the way the situation ap-
peared late yesterday afternoon at the
conclusion of the conference between
Mayor Thompson and the members of
the council committee on police. The
conference was held behind closed
doors at the mayors uptown office,
and after it was over none of the par
Elephants cared to discuss the proceed
lngs, but what took place soon be-
came known 10 other officials who were
let into the secret.
Salary to Be Raised.
According 10 the plan as agreed upon,
the mayor will submit a recommends
70 he oil
the yearly salary Of the police depart
ment be increased from 81. 500 the pres
ent rate of compensation, to $1,000.
With the mayors message viii be sub
mitted draft of an ordinance chang
ing the salary, and the expectation is
that the bill viii be passed under sus-
pension of the rules. The purpose of
thus increasing the salary is to secure
the acceptance of a desirable appointee
whom the executive intends 10 appoint.
BY reason of the fact that the statute
prohibits the changing of a city officers
salary to take effect during mis- term. it
viii be necessary TO pass the ordinance
liking the new chiefs salary before his
appointment, and it is therefore not
probable that the appointment of
Chief Hilton's successor will 20 to the
council until next week
mayor Keeps HIS Secret.
The conference was held TO -pIacate
Councilmen Hewlett and Eardley of
the Republican side and Fernstrom of
the Democratic minority In so far as
winning Hewlett over to the mayors
SIDE, espoused by COuncilmen Thomas
and Sharp, the conference was a de-
clded success. but it failed in drawing
Chairman Eardley or Fernstron away
from Hilton's support. Knowing that
he has the trump hand and that a ma
1ority of the council will on a show
down vote to concur in his removal of
the chief, Mayor Thompson declined to
even Intimate to Eardley and Fern
strom, as they demanded, the name of
the man whom the executive intends
to appoint in HiltOn's place.
Assurances We're given at the con-
ference that Chief Hilton now sees the
folly of longer holding out and that
his resignation might be expected to
come before tonight Later, when the
! chief was asked by The Herald TO make
a statement he declined either to affirm
or deny the report of his intended
resignation beyond saying that he was
considering the advisability of so do
ing, although he had not definitely de-
termined upon what course he would
pursue.
Only Five For Hilton.
A poll of the council shows that in all
probability not more than a third of
them, the four Democratic members