Show THE CHIEF OF POLICE I I Consideration of Bales Ordinance I Abolishing the Office IT SEEMS TO HAVE FRIENDS NO ULTERIOR MOTIVE BEHIND THE MOVEMENT Failed to Pass Under a Suspension of S the Rules The Holmes Franchise For a Messenger Service Routine Rou-tine Business Disposed Of I By extreme effort the city council last evening su tII eded in considering a large volume of important business much of which was uninteresting routine rou-tine beside the Warm Springs lease subject which is referred to at length in another column of this issue The main subject under the regular order of business was the preliminary consideration con-sideration of Dales draft for an ordinance I ordi-nance abolishing the office of chief of police after Jan 1 1893 An attempt to suspend the rules and pass the ordinance ordi-nance failed and it was laid over until next meeting for final action The vote on the disposition of the ordinance indicated that it has many supporters The insinuation that it was aimed against Arthur Pratt who is reputed to be ready to assume his old position as chief upon the legal death of the board of police and fire commissioners was indignantly repelled with the assertion as-sertion that the measure is merely intended in-tended to provide for an omission of lawful authority as to the personnel ot the fire department until the new administration ad-ministration assumes the reins of city I government on Monday noon Jan 3 The city attorneys opinion on the subject > sub-ject has not yet been formally presented I I to the council but it is understood to I be favorable to the passage of the proposed pro-posed ordinance I THE TERMS STATED The ordinance provides as follows I That on and after the first day of January 1S98 the office of chief of police i po-lice of Salt Lake City is hereby abolished abol-ished and upon said date the police and fire departments of said city shall consist con-sist of the number of officers men and employees now upon the rolls of said II I departments respectively with the exception S ex-ception of said chief of police and on I S and after said first day of January liDS said officers and men shall have and exercise all the powers and authority I au-thority now conferred by law and ordinance or-dinance upon constables and police 1 officers in Salt Lake City I This ordinance shall take effect at midnight on the 31st day of December j 1897 > THE DEBATE I I OMeara wanted the ordinance referred re-ferred to the committee on police and fire which could hitch on an amendment amend-ment providing for contingencies in the fire department but his proposition I ound little support Buckle declared that the deposed chief was walking the streets doing nothing and that the city would probably prob-ably have to pay his salary as long as the office remained for him to attach a color of title to Callister questioned the legality of the ordinance i Mulvey said It was a kind of legislation legisla-tion to which he was opposed I Romney thought a scheme was being be-ing concocted He was surprised at the effort to force it through I Dale declared there was no ulterior nor unworthy motive behind the measure I meas-ure It meant what it said and said what it meant It was not intended he said to handicap I the incoming administration ad-ministration OMeara asserted that Mayorelect Clark did not need the assistance of the present council to help his administration administra-tion to be a success He wanted the new council to be permitted to take care of itself without help from the outgoing officials The motion to suspend the rules and pass the ordinance and also the one to refer failed to carry by nearly the same array of votes The affirmative votes were announced by Callister Hayward Mulvey OMeara and Rom ney and the negative by Allen Buckle Dale Lloyd Morris Stewart Wiscomb and Newell The ordinance will be taken upon its third reading and final action at the next meeting MESSENGER FRANCHISE I The joint committee on municipal I I laws and improvements reported a substitute sub-stitute ordinance granting a franchise to G S Holmes his associates and successors to construct and maintain a district telegraph alarm and messenger system Th3 substitute provides that no poles shall be erected upon which to string wires except outside the paved district the intention being to i compel the grantee to use the poles already standing As a bonus the city is to receive free service and the use of five messenger boxes The system must be in operation in the paved district dis-trict by April 1 next and the maximum maxi-mum rates shall not exceed 30 cents per hour for foot messengers and 35 cents per hour when street car transportation trans-portation is used A bond in the sum of 5000 to indemnify the city against damage or loss required and the usual restrictions and conditions accompanying ac-companying franchises is incorporated in this ordinance The ordinance passed by unanimous vote In response to a resolution calling for the information the city treasurer reported re-ported the following Total assessment of water rates for the fiscal year 1897 and 1898 8306750 less abatements 586270 collected in cash 4295271 discount allowed by order or-der of council 173468 collected in water certificates 1079954 water rates due and unpaid 2198487 water certificates outstanding 3401333 water certificates undelivered 1343003 The report was referred to the committee com-mittee on water works A resolution offered by Dale was adopted instructing the committee on control of the city building to confer with the board of trustees of the city library with a view to arrange for rooms for location of the library in the city and county building A communication from the mayor was read appointing William Igleheart a member of the board of trustees of the city library and free reading room in place of Rev A L Hudson resigned on account of his intended departure from the city The appointment was confirmed by a practically unanimous vote Le Prohon the only dissenter desiring de-siring a reference to the committee The appointee is an attache of the local press several members of which took it upon themselves to petition for his confirmation Reporting on the petition of the Pioneer Pio-neer Electric Power company for authority au-thority to assign its street lighting I I contract to the Union Light Power 1 company the committee on municipal laws recommended that the petition be granted as soon as the sureties on the bond accompanying the contract file their written consent to the transfer Adopted Clerk Shoup of the police court reported re-ported the business done in November yielded 126050 in fines and forfeitures from other than prisoners who served time for violations of the ordinances A bill for 108160 was presented by J H Griffin for night sprinkling and sweeper during the season of 1896 and 1897 It was referred to the committee I on streets and sprinkling |