The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-17
CITY ENPLOYl| +
ON PROBt \
FOR FIRST MONTH
Official Ak Will Not Be
Welded Immediately by
New Commissioners, But
Will Have To Be Shown.

The official AK viii not be swung
indiscr'minately Immediately after th1
first Of the year by the members of
the new city administration.
That statement may cause some of
the city employees to breathe easier for
while. But the ak viii remain sus-
pended over their heads, and the new
city commissioners will have to be
shown that each man In every depart
| ment Is competent and efficient or his
continued tenure of office will be a
brief one.
In short, the policy outlined BY the
new commissioners during their cam
paign for election will be carried out.
They will not fire either heads OF de-
partments or subordlnates for political
reasons, but will allow them a few
weeks In which to show that they are
making good in their jobs II theN
do not they will be replaced by men
who are competent to fill the places
That probably, will result In con-
siderable shifting about, however, be-
fore the end of January. for the char
ter provides that vacancies must be
filled within 80 days, and practically
every appointive office holder in the
city viii reach the close Of his official
| term Jan. I.
Rowlett Paine, the mayor ELECT, is In
the Fast studying sanitary methods,
trained sanitarian as the head of the
city health department. DR.. j, l.. An
drews does not desire to retain the Of
flee any longer, and there Is no man IN
/ Memphis specially trained In municipal
sanitary work.
The city attorney and his assistant
already have been named. The mayor
appoints the city judge, judge OF the
Juvenile court, city clerk, city chemist
| and bacterioogist, and city court clerk,
| besides a few subordinate officials.
Judgeship in Air.
| There has been considerable specula-
| ton as to the city judge.
The place may be offered to Walter
| G.. Cha ndler who was executive secre-
| tsry Of the Citizens league during, the
campaign. Lee winchester has been
mentioned as possible choice Tor 1uuse
OF the juvenile court,
The officials now holding the other
offices mentioned probably will remain
| for a time G. G. Pashby may pc ro'
appointed city clerk.
Charles n. shannon, who VIII take
| charge OF the finance department. - ~
| trained public accountant and Is IA
miliar with municipal accounting Mr.
| shannon has announced no changes. nut
| It Is knawn that he vii Insist upon skill
and efficiency IN his force, and there
are any employees there now VINO are
| holding on because of politics rather
| than ability. there viii be some speedy
changes. II is probable that the force
Of bookkeepers will be reduced. The
| license collector, license inspector and
| inspector Of weights and measures also
report to him aud are named by nm
Nal, T. H. Allen. who will be AT the
head Of the department OF streets ana
| bridges, will make few II any changes
| immediately. He himself is civil en-
\ gineer of high standing and VIII be
! able 10 Judge Of the ability OF the men
| now in his department, which expends
| more money than any other. The work
| Of the department also includes street
cleaning. garbage collection, as "elt t
as the building and maintaining OF
| pavements and all other engineering
John B. Edgar has talked little about
| the police and fire department, but
what he has said leads to the con"
1 clusion that several changes will be
made Immediately there Mr., Edgar
1 prefers to appoint men as chief OF po-
! lice and chief of detectives from inside
4 the department but has not decided yet
| on his selections.
Efficiency Is Only Pull,
There Is a possibility that either Joe
Burney or Capt. Mike Kehoe may head
4 the police department. There Is what
| amounts to a certainty that Hulet
4 Smith, chief of detectives, will be
| dropped but II Mr.. Edgar knows who
| will succeed him he has not made his
knowledge public.
4 The civil service commissioners are
| appointed by the mayor, but that bu-
| reau functions in cooperation with the
| police and fire department..
The fire department VIII remain prac-
| tically untouched. Politics has figured
but little IN 1t and Chief Fitzmorriss,
who win Of course be reappolnted, Wlll
| continue to ruin his department and be
responsible for discipline and efficiency,
| In fact, It Is Mr., Edgars intention
to SO organize the police department
that II will be run by the chief In ex-
| actly the same way that the fire de.
partment is now run. The chief will
| be responsible for the entire depart
4 Tnent so far as police work is concern
ed, for the morale and discipline OF
| the men and will be expected to see
to II that they do their work.
Mr.. Edgar will be the executive head
OF the department, But II any police
man thinks that Mr.. Edgar does not
! know already Just about what each
man Is worth as a policeman, he had
best disabuse his mind Of that idea.
There will be only few changes In
the department the first Of the year,
but the motto win be every man is
expected to do his duty" and those who
do not. might as well resign.
Horace Johnson, the new commits
! sioner Of public utilities, grounds and
buildings, has said that he finds his
department rather well organized as it
1 sta nds aud that he will persue the same
policy as the other commissioners give
| the men a cnance 70 show what they
are doing There probably will be few
| changes. but there may he some. The
offices Of building Commissioner, elec
| trio Inspector, gas Inspector, plumbing
4 inspector and market master all are in
| MIR. Johnson's department,