The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-15
SHARP AND MACKAY
MAY ABANDON RACE
Fight on denomination of
Sheriff and One Commits
sioner Is Growing.
WITHDRAWAL is LIKELY
Position of Salt Lake County
Sheriff Best Paying Of
flee in State.

Indications yesterday pointed very
strongly to the withdrawal OF both Sher-
In Joseph G. Sharp and County Com
missioner John c. Mackay from the race
for denomination. Technically neither
Is candidate as neither had previously
announced his candidacy However both
were working very hard with view
TO arranging things that they might
again be the nominees. Each is now
serving his third term in office, Mackay
having been elected twice TO a four year
term as county commissioner.
Opposition to both has become so strong
within the Republican ranks that a def
mite announcement from each that he is
not a candidate is expected within the
next day or two. Voters in the county
outside OF the city are very strong
against Macksy's denomination and the
sentiment against him Is so strong that
1T is considered unlikely that Maclay
VIII permit his name TO go before the
county convention.
Sheriff Has Sinecure.
Sheriff Sharp's position is somewhat
similar to that OF Mackay He has
served two terms and there is strong
disposition to replace him with someone
else, The sherlfr's office In this county
Is by far the most lucrative office in
the gift OF the people of Utah. 1t
carries salary of $3500 per annum, free
house rent which amounts to at least
$780, free light and heat which viii
total S125, and in addition the sheriff
is given the contract for feeding the
prisoners at 15 cents d meal. There are
always in Jail from so to 30 prisoners.
Assuming eighty prisoners is the average
number, the amount received for pris-
oners' meals by the sheriff is s13.14o
per year. At least one-third Of this
to his salary and other emoluments
brings the returns of the office up to
ss605. That this is a conservative estl-
mate of the value of the office may cas-
lily be seen from the fact that the city
pays only 10 cents per meal for ths
prisoners in the city Jail. and though
there is an average OF less than half
as many prisoners in the city jail RS
there are In the county jail, IL Is re-
ported on good authority that the con-
tractor who furnishes the meals to the
city prisoners makes an excellent profit.
II is probably a safe guess that the sher-
III receives at least $4,000 per year from
the office, which Is probably the prin-
cipal reason why Mr. Sharp is loath to
the place.
White Asks Support.
That Sheriff Sharp has serious inten-
tions of withdrawing from the contest
for sheriff was indicated yesterday by
the circulation of document among the
deputy sheriffs pledglng the undcrlings in
the sheriff's office to support Chief Dep
uty j. Farley White for sheriff in the
event that Sheriff Sharp declined to be
4 candidate for denomination White
has been a strong supporter OF Sharp |
and it is natural that he should be des-
gnated as the heir apparent in case
Sharp withdrew.
Other candidates, however. are very |
active In the race for sheriff, j. 4,
Gkman and Deputy Sheriff Andy Smith
appear to be leading in the contest,
Deputy Sheriff Jack Corless. former
Sheriff c. Frank Emery and Dr. \. c.
Young also have many supporters for
his office,