The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-27


Negative votes were cast by City
Clerk Martin T. Rudgren, commits
sioner of accounts and finances.
and by John A. Murrin, commits
sioner Of public property. These
two members stated in meeting that
they were not voting against the
three appointees as a personal
matter. Their stand, as outlined
by them verbally, was in disap-
pfoval of throwing out the present
board just as it took steps to
straighten out obvious defects IN
the handling of. the police depart
ment. The resolution was stated
as follows:
Whereas, The terms of all three
members of the board of fire and
police commissioners Of this city
have long since expired and they
have simply been holding over as
such commissioners for periods of
from 16 months. one year and six
months in the different cases;
therefore, be it
Resolved, That this council does
hereby appoint, for the full term
of three 90 years, the following
named persons as members of the
board Of fire and police commits
sioners Of this city, viz: Bert Cor
ken, W. A. Smith and John w.
Carse, to take the places on said
board, respectively, of John Pen
der, Ed Bakersfield and Fred Muel-
Ter, whose respective terms as such
commissioners have expired.
H. NJ. SCHRIvER, Mayor"
Searching Investigation.
Members of the present fire and
police board were consulting the
law this morning to ascertain
whether irregularities such as were
charged by outside. persons existed
in the mayors action in proposing
successors for the present commits
sioners.
I'VE shall expect the new board
to make most searching and
thorough investigation Of the po-
lice department" Mayor Harry M.
Schriver said this morning. I'm all
probability they will meet today
and organize, after which they will
file their bonds of 1000 each and
take their oath of Office in the Of
fee Of City Clerk Rudgren.
Il have Just instructed City At
torney John X. Scott to appear be-
fore the organization meeting of
the new board and charge them to
investigate the charges Of the pres
ent board against Chief Thomas
Cox and the department as soon as
the three new commissioners take
Office. In this work theytwill have
the utmost support of the city ad-
ministration." The mayor was
asked why a new board was ap-
pointed at this time.
Because the terms Of the old
commissioners expired some time
ago." he answered.
"The history Of the case is this:
Commissioner Pender was appoint
ed on April %, 1919, to serve three
years, Commissioner Bakersfield for
two years and Commissioner Muel-
/ Ter for one year. On Oct. IL, 1920,
the council voted to extend Muel-
ler's term to three years, that it
might expire coincident with that
of Pender's.
Therefore, Commissioners Pen
der's and Mueller's terms expired
in April of this year and Bauers-
fields expired a year ago, in April,
1921"
"Wanted to Resign"
Explaining why reappointment OF
the old board or of any members
Of it was refused in selection oi
the new board, the mayor stated:
:; They have repeatedly threaten.
ed to resign. Bakersfield made q
public statement on July 80 to the
effect that he intended to resign
The other members have stated
that they were through with crook,
led politics and signified their de-
sire to end service as fire and DO
lice commissioners. For that rea
son the council at this time decid
| ed to choose successors for them
/ The mayor stated that the board,
suspension of Chief Cox and an
tnouncement that It would investi