The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-29
BURBIDGE WILL
REMAIN CAPTAIN
Friends of Mayor BranSford
Say He Has Been DeCeiv ID
by Political PIotterS.
FRICTION STORY is FALSE
CHIEF PITT DENIES REPORT
STARTED BY "PERSUADERs."


ably not be forced out of the police de-
partment. This at least is the view Of
some of Mayor Bransford's friends,
who say the mayor has been imposed
upon and induced to believe:
First-That there is a serious fac
tional struggle going on in the police
department which has destroyed its
discipline, and which threatens its use
fulness and efficiency;
SecOnd-That Captain Burbidge is re-
sponsible for this condition.
Mayor Was Deceived.
Both of these impressions. that have
been forced upon Mr.. Bransford, are
false" said one of the mayors friends
who is i'm touch with police department
affairs. There is no fractional trouble
in the department. There are some men
there who are ambitious to get Bur-
bidges place. and | have no doubt half
a dozen policemen, who have been
forced into the department for political
services TO the American party, could
be secured who would be willing to tell
the mayor any sort of story that might
seem necessary in order TO give the ap-
pearance of discOrd. But there IS no
real lack of harmony. / am not going
Probably you wouldn't print it if I said
So 1t was necessary, however, to con-
vince the mayor that the department
is being Handicapped by Captain Bur-
bidge in order to secure his cO-Opera-
ton in the effort to remove the cap
tain. Mr.. BransfOrd knows that Bur-
bidge has served close to twenty years
as an officer: that his record is clean
and honorable; that he is not even an
offensive partisan. Burbidge having
served so long, under all sorts of po-
itical administrations, and always
maintaining the reputation of mpding
his own business strictly and attend
ing to the duties Of the Office for which
he was paid. il was necessary for the
plotters to make him appear to be
discordant element in the department.
The effort apparently met with tenn
porary success. but it is only tempo
rary An investigation. honestly made
and not limited to interested poll
ticians. will show the falsity of the
charge / understand such an investi-e
CATION is being made, and this is why
| don't think the Burbidge issue viii
be with US much longer"
Wants Policemen, Not Politicians.
Mayor Bransford has no desire 10
make the police department political
machine. il is said on the best author
itv-whicb is his own. He wants il
made an effective machine for the pre-
vention and detection of crime. and to
this end he is willing TO make any
changes that seem to him TO be neces-
sary He is quoted also by his friends
as desiring above all things TO give the
city an administration worthy of the
magnificent vote he received last No
vember. when 1850 Ameri-
cans" Democrats Republicans of all
creeds and cOnditiOns-eVinced their
confidence in him.
Mr.. Bransford Gidn't succeed to A
prosperous business the friend con-
tinued. The city is not bankrupt. but
its affairs were in wretched condition
when he accepted the mayoralty. They
are still in d deplOrable state, and
while Mr.. BransfOrd is not responsible
for the Thompson administration er-
rors and extravaganza, 1t is none the
less his duty to remedy those errors 50
far as it is in his power to do. 1 un-
derstand that at the present time war
rants, far in excess of the bond fund,
have been issued against that fund in
violation of the law. The only way TO
meet that indebtedness and other need
ed expenses will be by another bond
issue. This I believe. will be submit
ted to the qualified taxpayers OF the
city within a few months and, be-
Heve with equal certainty, that the
money will be voted if the people re-
main convinced that Mr. Bransford,
not the American steering commit
tee, is mayor"
When asked about the report of fric-
ton between factions in the police de-
partment, Chief of Police Tom Pitt last
night said:
$50 far as l know. there is no fTic-
Continued on Page 2.