The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-20
MASON BLOCKS
SWITCH IN CITY
COMMISSION
Miller May Continue in Police
observation-disclosures Will
Resign After Tax Rate Is
Fixed, But Not Now.

The plan to remove c. W. Miller,
vice-mayor and police commissioner,
and transfer him to the finance de-
partment, seems to have struck a pos
litical snag -
The success of the plan to place G,
B. Quinn in charge of the police de-.
partment depends upon the vote 81
a. d. Mason, commissioner OF finance,
or that of Leo Goodman, commissioner
Of public utilities. h
Shortly before the adjourned meet
ing of the commission set for o'clock
II was doubtful II Mr.. Mason or Mr.
Goodman would vote for the transfer
II. can not be made without the vote
of one Of them A final conferences
1t ended Mr.. Miller was called in, That
indicated that a truce You'd be de-
clared Mr.. Mason's vote had been
counted on to make the switch.
Mr.. Mason has intended to resign for
some time. He said Friday that 1t Is
still his intention to hand his resigna-
ton to the mayor, but that he Will
not leave the city commission untii
the present tax investigation has been
completed. He has been forced to neg
lect his private business until he feels
compelled to give i more attention,
Since the question Of transferring
Mr.. Miller from the police department
was proposed, Mr.. Mason has inyestl-
gated that department rather thor.
oughly and Is Of the opinion that 1t Ia
much more efficient than he had sup
posed. He will not vote, he said Fris
day, to transfer Mr. Miller from that
department II he Is convinced that It
is proposed simply in order to organ.
ize the police department as a political
machine under Mr. Quinn's control
Efforts have been made to force e.
w. Miller. vioe-mayor, to resign AZ
legged disclosures made TO Mayor
| Monteverde aud Commissioner JASON,
as to activities OF some police officials
in connection with failure TO enforce the
antilquor laws, were brought to Mr..
| Miller's attention more than a month
| ago,
| Three or four men, whose names are
carried on the police payroll, but who
| report to the mayor or to Commissioner
Mason, and not to the fire and police
commissioner, are said to have secured
| this alleged evidence. But while they
were sleuthing for something to indi-
cate that Mr. Miller was renliss in his
duties, they are said to Nave discovered
also that when II came to question
| of men connected with the city being
in league with bootleggers and the men
who furnish them their supplies of con-
| traband liquor, the investigation
touched not only some men in the
police department, but to use time
worn slang phrase, there were others.
Right there 1t Is said, the investiga-
| ton came to a standstill,
As Mr.. Miller fatly refused to resign,
| the plan was then taken up of trans
ferring him to another department, and
giving C. B. Quinn the job Of reorganiz
ing the police department along lines
of the most approved political eff
cheney,
MIR. Mason is a business man, and
has tried to keep out of political com
binations, and prefers to remain in the
finance department until the end OF
his term as a city commissioner, He
objected to any course that would make
nothing but political machine of the
police department, 1t has been owing
to his attitude that nothing has been
done In the matter
Mayor Monteverde prefers peace to
war, and has been slow in making up
his mind to accept Mr.. Quinn's sug-
gestions
Mr.. Quinn is an astute politician. He
knows every trick In the game, and II
looks right now as If he were going to
| have his way.