Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-29
WHY NOT PULL TOGETHER" ?

The contention between the Mayor
and the City Council il becoming weaIi-
some to the majority of the people OF
this city, who desire a business adj
mlnlstration OF public affairs, and care
very little about its effects on mere par
tlsan plans and ambitions. With the
citizens 1t IL not SO much a matter OF
Democratic or Republican supremacy
as the conducting Of municipal bust
ness In an able and economical man
ner. They want city ordinances. roso-
buttons and appointments to be made
In accordance with statutory law, so
that there may be no conflict between
them, and that there may be no legal
question as to their validity,
The attitude Of the majority In the
City Council has been openly ana de-
cidedly partisan and dominating II
has been clearly directed by intense
party influence and for undoubted
party ends, This has been made clear
and definite by the statements as well
as the acts of members Of that faction.
They have been advised and encour-
aged to stand together In avowed OPP
position to the Mayor, and to assume
his lawful prerogatIyes as to appoint
ments ana tell him what offices he may
have and what he may not have. All
this Is In violation Of law, ordinance
and common courtesy as well as COM
mon sense,
These proceedings lave urged the
Mayor TO take stand for his official
rights and TO claim that which Is vest
ed In him by law Under the State stat
ute OF March 20, 1883, he is authorised
"to appoint, by and with the advice and
consent Of the council. all appointive
officers and agents that may be pro-
vlded for by law or ordinance, and IN
like manner MI all vacancies among
The same, except as otherwise provided
by law2' The practice has been for
the Mayor and the Council to appoint
the heads Of departments and they to
appoint the subordInates or employees
The City Attorney, In his opinion on
the statute. declares that course to be
illegal, and holds that, regular en-
ployes IN appoiniive departments
should be authorized In advance and
compensation fixed by the Council, by
ordinance. When this Is done the
Mayor should appoint and the Council
act on the appointment"
In accordance with that legal opln-
ion, which also shows that the present
ordinances are deficient In important
respects, and that unless they are
amended several departments viii be
without legally appointed agents or
employees, new ordinance has been
formulated which is to be presented to
the council for action, Something must
be done IN that direction and that with
out delay. 1t may be that the Harlem
stein measure Is not altogether that
which IL desirable. It is probably open
20 some objections. These can be pre-
scented and discussed. We do not pub.
llsh the proposition now, because We
believe II viii have 10 be amended In
some important respects or a substitute
will be introduced and the matter Is
still IN allegiance,
Possibly the dispute will hinge on the
meaning Of the word agents In the
law Of 1899, Judge Dey gives It a very
broad application, That It signifies
persons other than "oillcers' is clear,
Elective officers are given, in the same
statute, "the sole right to appoint all
their deputies and assistants, who shall
be confirmed by the council This
leaves the plain Inference that deputies
and assistants to appointiye officers are
designated as agents and to be APP
pointed BY the Mayor and city Council
The Deseret News does not want to
see any measure pressed that Ia In OPP
position TO statutory law, TOO much
power should not be put into the hands
Of the Mayor Nor should he be de-
pryed OF any lawful prerogatIye. Party
schemes ought not to figure in this i'm.
portant matter, either on one side or
the other, The great thing In our
opinion, Is and has been all along, the
promotion of harmony for the welfare
Of the city. To effect this, the vile
advice OF party schomers Of either fac
ton will have to be ignored, and a de-
sire must be promoted to be fair and
courteous and mutually amicable, with
a sincere determination to bring about
the good Of the city
This ought to be accomplished, and
can be, II the plots and schemes and
ambitions Of factions and individuals
are made subservIent to the needs Of
the municipality, In this connection we
clip the following from the Park City
Record;
salt Lake would like to be great
city, and ought to be, but II will never
BE- unless Il succeeds IN getting an ad-
mnlstration that viii pull together, ana
tremendously work for good goyern-
ment and the upbuildlng and advance
ment OF the metropolis, casting aside
petty politics, petty spites ana general
damioolshness. The same conditions
exists down there now under the new