Show TE pern KNOCKOUTI WTTTi MAYOR CLARK SEND I ANOTHER NAME If So His Appointee Will Be Quickly Confirmed Not Believed That Mr Pratt Will Attempt t Seize the Office Although He May Go tote to-te Courts Now that the mayors appointment of Arthur Pratt as chief of police has been rejected by the city council there is speculation as to the next move on the municipal checkerboard The councils coun-cils action In referring the appointment appoint-ment back to his honor for reconsideration reconsider-ation characterized by all the dignity dig-nity of an honorable body Mayor Clark will scarcely complain of any lack ot courtesy toward his office in the coun I cilmanic proceedings In every quarter i the cuestlon a to whether the mayor intends to Insist upon the council taking II tak-ing a vote on the confirmation of his appointment or whether he will say to Mr Pratt I have done all I can for you the council will not confirm you I and I must send in some other name Is asked In the event that the mayor declines to reconsider and again presents pre-sents the name of Mr Pratt unquestionably unques-tionably the council will emphatically and in a becoming manner finally put a quietus on the exchiefs aspirations I the executive appoints some other person per-son chief one who Is deemed to be capable of filling the office satisfactorily satisfactor-ily there seems to be no question that the nominee will be duly confirmed without a delay of more than a week Should the mayor conclude to let Mr Pratt fight his own battle for vindica I tion speculation will turn to the personnel per-sonnel and name of the probable substitute sub-stitute nominee whoever he may beLITTLE be-LITTLE COMFORT IN DEFEAT Should Mr Pratt persist In laying claim to the office of chief of police i will of course be a confession that the only course open to him whereby he may become chief is to seek the aid of the courts to install him in power As to this point the weight of legal opinion opin-ion holds that the exchief has no color of title to the office which was abolished abolish-ed at the end of the year by the Dale ordinance pending the reorganization of the police department by this administration admin-istration in pursuance of the new city charter It is not believed that Mr Pratt will attempt to take forcible possession pos-session of the office nor in the opinion of many city officials and others competent com-petent to judge will it avail him any thing to pursue the contest any further fur-ther t ANOTHER BRIDGE TO CROSS I Whatever cro the intentions of the mayor and Mr Pratt they are not taking tak-ing the public into their confidence at this particular stage of the proceedings Last evening before the council meeting meet-ing his honor had nothing to say other than that he did not know what he councils acton would be and that he usually did not attempt to cross abridge a-bridge till he reached it It is hardly likely therefore that any new move will be made by Mr Pratt or by the mayor In his behalf until the next council coun-cil meeting Next Tuesday evenings developments will be watched with a 1 great deal of interest I |