Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-02
WILL COMMAND POLICE NOW
Mayor MOOres Says he will Exercise Power
Conferred by Charter
Will STOP BRoATcHs PRIVATE ORDERS
No More Secret Sessions VIII Be
Held and No Further Discrimin-
alton VIII BE Practiced,
Says the Mayor.

Instead Of giving the Board Of Fire and
Police Commissioner additional power, as
the enemies Of home rule had hoped, the
decision In the fire and police board case
promises to shear the commission Of the
arbitrary control Of the police and hre
departments which It has exercised
slnce seated by order of former Governor
Savage last August.
Mayor Moores announced yesterday
that, while accepting the decision pending
Q possible reversal, he will assume his posi-
tion as chairman of the commission and
Will proceed to use the power conferred
In the office of mayor by the charter, max
ing that oficer the real source Of power
In controlling the acts Of the police and
IRE departments,
In accordance with this determination,
reached before noon yesterday. a meeting
Of the board will be called probably for to-
day by the mayor. who will resume his
position as chairman ex-oficio, which he
relinquished temporarily. while awaiting the
supreme court decision. Hereafter he pro-
poses to see that all the rights of all the
people are protected and no discrimina-
ton shown,
To stop BrOatch's Orders,
Secret meetings Of the board will be
stopped and Chief Of Police Donahue will
be instructed to disregard the private or
ders of Mr., Broatch or any other membe
Of the board.
This step Mayor Moores has considered
necessary because OF the purely arbitrary
and capricious manner in which the board
and its individual members have accom-
piished acts of intimidation for political
effect.
City Attorney Conneli and the mayor
Aawz 80 Hoo. So Il auha - kA,.a w.,I,
As announced by the former, as soon as the
election is over motions for rehearing will
be fled on the ground that the controlling
point was not considered or used in arriy-
ing. at the judgment Just handed down. Far
from being discouraged. the administration
regards the act OF the supreme court as
merely a temporary setback that sooner or
later will be overcome by force Of the Will
OF the people.
II did not require a long time for the
mayor TO decide what he should do. He
was fully aware that toward the police and
IRE departments he stands in the same re-
lation as the president Of the United States
does to the army and navy, as commander
In chief. and now he proposes to assert the
rights vested in the once by the charter.
what the Mayor Says.
Mayor Moores said:
Until the notice for rehearing can be de-
termined I will aeQuiesce In the decision Of
the supreme court and accept as law the
determination that the members OF the gov
errors board have the right to perform the
duties OF the office. l would call attention,
however. TO the provisions Of the charter
regarding the power and authority OF the
board concerning the right Of the board to
consider and make appointments and re-
mOvals in the FIRE aud police departments
and TO make the necessary rules for their
government and action.
Nowhere Is there any authority for the
board, except in conjunction with the
mayor, TO give any orders to the chiefs or
msmbers OF the FIRE and police departments.
This power Is absolutely vested in me as
mayor, 1 prOpOse now to assert this power
and to see hereafter that the high-handed
methods Of the present board are brought
70 N end. ! propose to see that all eiti-