The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-10
CHIEF GRANTS REPORT.

B. F. Grant shows record OF eff
cheney in his department that must b'
gratifying to the public. Figures fol
the year disclose that the prisoners die
sufficient work for the water and park
departments to pay the entire cost OF
meals and leave surplus of more than
500, if their services were estimated
at s2.25 q day for each prisoner This
amount is not credited to the police
department, but the city gains the ben
Eft of the work and is that much
ahead
Society is compelled TO pay the bills
of prisoners in all jails and peniten-
,iaries, and therefore society should re-
ceive in return some compensation for
This tax which ultimately rests upon
sll. While il is not desirable to util-
ize the work of prisoners when there
are unemployed who need wages to
keep them from being tax upon the
community, yet in times when the un-
employed are few, society is perma
nent gamer by the work of prisoners
who add to the community's wealth,
whether they toll on the streets, the
country roads. the public parks, or in
other departments. There is no good
reason why prisoners should not pay
FOR their keep like other men. IF they
do not work they are a tax upon the
community, and that means upon all
toilers, II is not argued, however, that
they should be employed at any time
when the work OF skilled laborers or
others can be used to better advantage
for ali concerned.
The decrease in crime az compared
with the previous year was notable, es-
pecially with reference to property stol-
on and safes blown. The chief, how
ever, points out that with the begin
ming of the year criminals and other
undesirable characters began pouring
into the city as result of the false
reports following the election that Salt
Lake was to be wide.openD town,
or at least that the cid" as the chief
expresses it, was to be "tilted.' For
short time, therefore, the police prob
ably will have their hands full. The
citizens can be of great aid to the po-
lice department by taking proper pre-
cautions against burglars, sneak thieves
and confidence men.
II may be necessary for the police 70
follow the example of New York and
Chicago BY establishing strong arm
squad 10 deal with the more desperate
element OF criminals, but this system
has obvious perils and is more neces.
sary and more etrectual in large cities
than in small
Chief Grant appears 10 be verv well
satisfied with the elimination OF the
redlight district and the campaign
against gambling houses and opium
dens. He points out that those who
predicted an invasion of the residence
districts b. the vicious element were
mistaken. Very few. he says, have at.
tempted TO open in the residential
parts OF the city. and their places
have been closed Immediately. The
chief declares that while there are al
ways secret violations OF the laws
against gambling, no gambling houses.
opium deus or other disorderly re-
sorts arc known 10 the police.
With reference TO the speed ordi-
nance. the chief expresses an unfavora-
be view. The ordinance requires that
autos and other vehicles shall be driven |
AZ reasonable speed. This has led TO |
much confusion rs result of conflict. |
my interpretations of the word "rca-
sonable as applied to rates of locomo- |
ton The driver Of an auto has one |
idea, the policeman another. and the !
pedestrian still another. The old ordi- |
nance exacted rate of only six miles \
an hour at street crossings. aud the au- |
toists argued that this was so slow
that II caused congestion aud endless |
roix'ups. They pleaded for An ordinance
which would permit them to travel n,
2 faster rate downtown and at a still |
higher rate IN the residence and the
outlying districts. To meet this pIea
The provisions for arbitrary rates of
spced we're eliminated and the word
. reasonable = was employed to express
Nhst was considered to be a more or
less general idea OF now fast vehicles
should move in various parts of the
city. Chief Grant believes that the or
dinance has failed 70 accomplish the
end FOR which il was framed and he |