The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-03-19
Great Interest Being Taken by Poll
ticians in New Departure in the
City Government.
POLITICS is FINALLY SHELvED.
In the Future Fire and Police Officers Will
be Appointed for Merit Only-HOW
Commissions Will be Made Up.

Gliding to take up the new and better
way of appointing and governing fire
and police officials is the one topic of
conversation among the politicians of
the city, and already the politicians
have begun to speculate on the mem
Dership of the fire and police boards
and the methods to be used by them to
fill the Offices in their care and keeping.
The police officer who is unable to
pass an examination is beginning to
shake in his boots and the same fear
is being felt by the 6remen. The
adoption of this new plan for the ap-
pointing of these officers is found to be
necessity for the city as the State
law provides that all cities of the Sec
ond and third class, whether incorpo-
rated under the general charter law or
cot, must have fire and police COM
missions. These commissions will
consist of four men and no more than
two of the members can be from the
same political party. The mem bers re-
ceive no compensation for their work
and they are expected to give their
time for the good of the municipality
and for the honor the Office may afford.
The Mayor will be called upon to APP
point four members of each board this
year and on the first Monday in May
in each succeeding year the Mayor will
be called upon to appoint a new conn
missioner. Vacancies are filled by the
Mayor whenever they occur. The
power of the Council in this matter is
invalid and the Mayor is not even
forced to have his appointees confirmed
by the aldermen the only duty of that
body being the fixing of salaries.
AS soon as these two commissions
are appointed they will take full charge
of the fire and police departments of
the city and they will have full power
to remove any member from the de-
partments or to appoint new officers if
they decide that they are needed.
The commissions will have the right
to determine as to the qualifications of
the men to be appointed as police Off
GERS and fremen, and they will also be
permitted to force the applicants to
take such exarain ations as are deemed
necessary to decide as to their fitness
for positions in the employ Of the city.
These examinations are to be held at
regular intervals and are to be open to
all regardless of politics. The age
limit for these positions is placed at
fifty five years.
This commission also has the power
to appoint and to remove the chiefs of
the departments without consulting
the council or any of the city officials.
The commission is given power to
make promotions of men in the depart
ments and they also have the right to
grant pensions to retiring men for
faithful service.
There is an important provision of
the new law in regard to the fees and
salaries received by the different Off
Gals. The law provides that the COM
mon council shall fix the salaries to be
paid to the different officers, and all
fees that are received by them shall
not as in the past become a part of
their salaries, but must be paid into
the city treasury and become part of
the general fund.
The council has the right to increase
the salaries of the officers of the two
departments, but they have no power
to reduce them.
The decision of the board shall be
final in all matters affecting either of
the departments.
There will of course be many candi-
dates for places on the board, but the
mayor will take his time and make an
effort to secure the best possible men
for the places.