| Show THE COMMISSIONS COMMISSION'S POWER WHEN the Legislature of ot 1911 V V erected tho the existing form orm of ot municipal mu mu- nI government In Salt Lake It endowed en dowed dowad tho the city commission lon with the same ame authority as ns a a. district court Under under under un un- der certain circumstances Conditions have havo arisen rendering It U advisable tho the commission shall use that power All discussion of ot tho the possible grand Jury Is wholly unnecessary If it tho the city government govern So ment meat but employs the authority vested In It Several Important witnesses at the thel l' l police Inquiry have declined to place their knowledge at the disposal o of the commission These Theo witnesses es have mado made serious accusations against certain tam tain members of tho the police department They Ibe have ha hinted at the commission ion of ot felonies c onies at grafting and other forms torms of ot dishonesty They have approached to the verge of or what seemed momentoUs momentous momentous momen momen- tous revelations only to declare the they would talk taUt only before a grand STand jury remarking that Uie they could furnish names of ot undesirable citizens who could testify to purchasing unlawful privileges from rom certain equally undesIrable un un- undesirable undesirable un- un desirable police officials but who would would present their Int Information before I a grand errand Jury only This intolerable situation need not be bo endured by the tho city commission It Is 15 1 sitting slUIng as a 8 court o of inquiry a an In Inquisition In- In constituted under I stances that Invest It with the power and authority of ot tho the district court tSe t Se Section Uon of Chapter of ot the Session Ses See Ion sion Laws of ot 1911 th the act creating tho the commission provides as follows follos The 1110 board of commissioners shall shan o lm power POWel to enforce tho attendance of witnesses tho tIle production pro pro- duclion of books and anti papers to administer oaths in the tho same mme manner mim- mim man man- ncr ner and with like effect and under un un- un- un let der the same sume penalties as In the tho case of judges of the district court courte e exercising ing civil or criminal jur Jurisdiction jurisdiction Juris juris- s- s diction under the tho laws laus of Utah As to the powers of or the district court comprehension of or which is necessary to comprehension of the tho powers of ot tho the city commission In the present Instance there need bo be little discussion Its authority Is well un un- un It may compel the tho attendance attendance attend attend- ance aces o of a witness and require him to answer the questions addressed to him unless he ho takes refuge in his constitutional constitutional 1 right to deny j Information which might tend to Incriminate ate himself All other m may mry be compelled by the In Infliction Infliction In- In of or such penalties as the court may choose to make mako true and correct answers to the questions presented There is ill no greater limitation upon the tho authority of or the elt city commission I in circumstances like the tho present than upon the authority of or the district court It may deal with the witnesses before it as any of ot the five Judges of ot this dIstrict dietrict district dis die would deal with them under like conditions It need not supinely submit submit sub sub- mit when facts It should have ar are denied denied de do- nied it It may send recalcitrant witnesses witnesses witnesses wit wit- nesses to tho the county Jail to meditate In silence and durance upon tho the foolIshness foolishness fool tool of or martyring themselves foi tOl the tho benefit of ot somebody Iso else That remedy o ought to be applied tc tho the existing situation Of Or its efficacy there can be bo nl no manner ot of doubt O OJ Its advisability there here Is ia even oven avon less IcS ques tion Several persons have appear appeared before th the commission admitting th the possession o ot of information essential t tc the he lS success cc of ot tho the pre present nt i fn inquiry but have refused to divulge it These persone persons per per- sons eons should hould bo be compelled to toll what hat they kno know There Thoro has been too much mucho o of intimation and Insinuation nn and it Is Ie time to got gat the facts acts The commission has the power It Is 15 up to tho the commission commis commis- I sion slon to use uso It It |
