The Cairo bulletin., 1914-01-26
Judge Dewey TO Render Decision
This Morning to Settle
Dispute.
POI. cEMEN SUBJECT TO
RULE HIRE AND FIRE
Chief Fuller Will Not Permit His
Office to Be Used as Obstacle
to Raise for Men.

meeting which will be held this
morning the question of raising the
salar.e6 CT the members of the po-
lice force vii be brought up again
rs the matter was referred to judge
William S. Dewey for an OPP nion.
THAI this opinion will be favcr-
able to the affirmative side of the
question there is no doubt.
In this Judge Dewey will be sus-
tained by the opinion of Attorr y
General p. j. Lucey. and the law X
;elf, which is very plain and admits
>f no antiquities.
The members of the police force
and their friends rightfully contend
nat they are not appointed for a
year bni are subject to Il hire and
lro' any time, Their positions are
'ot a9pointive requiring confirma-
Ion b. the commissioners, but they
IRE simply hired and a report made
~ the commissioner of public health
IND satety of his act to the commits
,ioners as a body in council as
embed.
They are subject to dismissal
1t any time under the law. But
here may be a different aspect
placed upon the law when it comes
to aha Chief OF police. his position,
perhaps, being construed as tho head
)f D department.
Chief Fuller when interrogated
Yesterday in regard to this phase 81
he question promptly said that ne
lid not care for himself, preferring
70 see his men obtain the raise in
alartes, which he thinks they are
entitled to- His elimination in re-
gard TO a raise ending any conten-
ion which might be caused in order
10 block raise for the men He
aid not claim that he was making a
sacrifice or doing anything in this
case but what any man should do
under the circumstances---h was
for his men and loyal to the City of
Cairo. Therefore, if any question
should he raised III regard to his Of
tice and an obstacle placed in the
way"of the increase in the salaries
or wages of his men, his office being
construed under the law as the head
If the department, he would quickly
remove that obstacle --he would not
stand in the way.
And yet there is contention
that tie chief of police is not the
head If a department but rather the
subordinate head and therefore has
no stated tenure of office. This is
fully covered in Sec. % as follows
the only exception being where civil
service has been adopted, Cairo net
vet having reached, although elig.
ible, that advanced stage in munich
)al life:
Sec. 81. Tho council shall
nave the right, power and au-
thority to appoint and discharge
the heads of all principal de-
partmentS subordinate to the
departments provided for in
section % of this Act: Provided
that by ordinance the commits
sion of each respective depart
mcnt may be vested with the
right. power and authority TO
appoint and discharge the heads
of all principal departments
subordinate to the respective
department of which ne is COM
missioner.
Sec. 25 gives the power to tho
council either "by resolution or
otherwise. prescribe, limit or
CHANGE the compensation of ALL
APPGlNTIVE officers or employees"
as follows:
See. 25. The council shall
have the power, by ordinance.
from time to to time, to create
fill and discontinue offices and
employment other than herein
prescribed. according to their
judgment of the needs OF the
city or village; and may, by ma
lority vote of the members, re-
move any such officer or en-
ploye appointed by them, ex-
cept as otherwise provided for