OCR Text |
Show TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT. Once more wo direct tho attontlon of tho city government to tho fact that tho present method of collecting fines Imposed for Illegal practices is a wrong ono. It is ono whoro every Incentive In-centive for graft is offered. The officer of-ficer making the collections gives no receipts; simply enters tho amount paid on his hook and then turns tho money in. Sinco tho publication In last week's issue a saloon mnn, who conducts slot mncliinos, informs us that ho paid cno month's flno in a check, which was Issued to tho officer of-ficer collecting and that the check when returned to tho drawer by tho hank, showed It had boon cashed by tho olllcor nnd no one olsc. In this Instance tho amount was turned over ns investigation shows, but such a prnctico is a loose ono and oneThat invites grafting. Besides this, what right has tho city to collect money from persons guilty cf offenses without duo process of lnw? If a woman is an harlot and is violating the law tho proper method to adopt is to show that she has been placed unler arrest and that tho amount of hail deposited has boon forfeited. Then there will be a record rec-ord of tho matter and a proper ono. If a man conducts a slot machlno without a license a similar course should bo pursued with reference to him. What sort of a system Is it that permits a police offlcer to go from one saloon to another and collect a flno, when no flno has boon imposed by tho court, or to collect a license when no license certificate has been issued? In the judgment of ono or two attorneys, who have looked into the matter, every ono of the people who have had money taken from them In tills manner can sue and recover. Wo all understand 'that certain vices and offenses are tolerated, under certain cer-tain restrictions. But in no city othor than this do officers go from bagnio to bagnio assessing inmates, or from saloon to saloon collecting "fines" or licenses. It Is no work for police officers either. eith-er. Policemen are conservators of tho peace and their duties are along othor lines. There are holdups galore In Salt Lake City and tho efforts of tho constabulary ought to be directed toward to-ward their apprehension; not chasing around collecting "fines." As a matter of fact the affairs of this city are being conducted in a rotten manner.. Every inducement is offered honest men to graft and it is high time tho practice was stopped. Tho authorities cannot say they have not been warned, for they have, and that repeatedly, but still they sit supinely su-pinely and permit this thing to go on. Thero Is one satisfaction the public has however; tho present outfit will retire In ten months more. |