The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-28
PAID T|TH|NG TO
THE MORRIS GANG
Councilman Fernstr0m Has In
formation Impaired Him
About Campaign.
HE is CALLED TO TIME
BY BLACK AND CARTER
COOIs Down Very Materially
After He Hears Both
Sides of Story.

Tne majority and minority reports of
the special committee appointed by the
City Council TO investigate the charges
preferred against the Street Supervisor,
which were to the effect that employees
of the street department were being as
sessed ~ per cent Of their yearly sal
aries for contribution for the Ameri
can party campaign fund, were brought
up before the City Council Monday
night, The reports had been laid over
from last week on the motion of Mr..
Black, who stated that he desired to
present some information 10 be read be
fore the Council ut the same time that
the reports were read, Both reports
were read again last night, the ma
jority report was to the effect shat the
charges had not been sustained and had
been found by the majority of the com
mittee to be without any foundation
whatever.
The minority report, which was the
report of Mr.. Fernstrom, the one who
made the charges, was to the effect that
the evidence had convinced hlm that
the charges he made were correct, but
that he believed that owing 10 the fact
that he had revealed the conditions that
it had been decided to stop without
collecting anything more than 10 per
cent of one month s salary. Mr.. Fern
strom stated. after his report had been
read, that he believed that the reason
the salaries of the employees of the
city had been raised was so that the
city treasury might be drawn on to
further extent to contribute to the
campaign fund.
Black Says It's False.
Mr. Black then secured the privilege
Of the floor and said, ~ want TO brand
as a pernicious falsehood. any state
ment TO the effect that salaries of city
employees were raised for any such
purpose. Mr.. Black then said that
there was no intention to deny that city
employees have been asked for 10 per
cent of one months salary and then
asked the Recorder to read the sworn
statement which he presented and
which. he stated. was the information
he had stated last week that he desired
to present. 1.-THE statement appears in
another column.)
After the statement was read Mr..
Fernstrom rose and shouted, 81 brand
that as lie, do not believe that an
extra day was added to the pay-rolls
and the pay held out by the Treasurer.
/ think the men that signed that state
ment perjurcd themselves.
Severe Jolt for Fernstrom.
Mr. Carter gave Mr.. Fernstrom se-
we're Jolt, however, when be stated that
he had talked with two of the signers
of the statement and that the had told
him that the proposition TO add the
extra day S time to the pay-rolls for
the purpose of converting the money,
which would thus be accredited, into
the Democratic campaign fund had been
made in Mr.. Fernstrom S presence and
that they believed that Mr.. Fernstrom
had suggested the scheme himself.
Mr.. Wells then stated that he did not
see anything wrong In collecting funds
from city employees, but that he did
consider the charge made in the sworn
statement to be of n very serious ma
ture and that as a Democrat he de
manded a thorough investigation to be
made of the matter.
Mr.. Mulvey asked Mr.. Wells if he
really believed that any Of the EN-.
ployees had been asked TO contribute
to the campaign fund or had been
threatened with the loss of their jobs
in case they did not do so, This ques-
ton Mr., Wells evaded by replying that
he did believe that the purpose for
raising salaries of employees had been
to increase the campaign fund.
Fernstrom Cools Down,
Mr.. Fcrnstrom had cooled down by
this time somewhat and asked for the
privilege Of the floor once more, Secur-
ing it. he stated that if the American
administration collected but 10 per cent
Of one MONTH S salary he thought it
was all right but he did object to col,
lectlng every month,
Mr.. Mulvey asked Mr.. Fernstrom if
he were shown that but 10 per cent Of
one month s salary was being collected