Salt Lake Telegram | 1938-02-11 | Page 1 | Mayor Tangle Still Unsolved

MAYOR MA TANGLE STILL UNSOLVED Dark Horse Hinted as Possibility ty Possibility of a dark horse emerging as mayor of Salt Lake City ity was seen Friday On the basis of developments in quarters it j. j is believed proba probable Probable ble that a man not now a member of the city commission may be appointed appointed ap ap- ap pointed d to succeed Mayor E. E B. B Erwin Erwin Erwin Er- Er win resigned This belief was strengthened bythe bythe by bythe the lack of inclination of City Attorney Attorney Attorney At At- torney Fisher Harris to immediately file in the state supreme court action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion which would result in a decision decision decision deci deci- sion as to legality of el elevating Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Com Com- missioner William Murdoch to the post of mayor Mr Harris Friday emphatically stated that he is in no hurry to tofile tofile file action under the declaratory judgment law with the state supreme supreme supreme su su- su- su preme court and added that Such action will never be filed in the event I reach a conclusion that the result could be only one way He said his mind was still in doubt as to w which way the decision would be and that if it remains in doubt much longer he will let the supreme court decide the issue However court attaches said that because of the court calendar the Continued on Page Seven Column Two MAYOR TANGLE STILL UNSOLVED Continued from Page Pae One matter probably could not be ruled on for at et least a month Should Commissioner Murdoch decide that he would not accept the mayors mayor's office even if he could legally hold it it-a it a factor regarded as possible by many observers observers observers-it it is doubtful that Commissioner George GeorgeD D D. Keyser only other commissioner eligible from the standpoint of his liis term of office would accept the post Under the law no member of the commission may be ie appointed to a apost apost apost post which would lengthen his pres- pres sent term of office The appointment appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment as mayor would not lengthen either Mr Murdoch's or Mr Keysers Key- Key ser s terms Outsider Considered Therefore if neither man would accept the post it would be necessary necessary necessary sary for the commission to appoint a man outside the commission Sources close to the present city government developments say the appointment will go to a dark horse lorse whose name has not yet been mentioned as a possible candidate for the seat on the commission which would be left vacant if Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Com Com- missioner Murdoch were elevated to o mayor The only vacant seat on the commission commission commission com com- mission then would be the post of public safety department head left vacant by Mr Erwins Erwin's resignation The new mayor observers say will willbe willbe willbe be appointed head of the public safety department No names have yet been mentioned mentioned men- men publicly as candidates for forthe forthe the he mayors mayor's post except Mr Mur Mur- The commission decided to seek seeka a supreme court ruling on the mayoralty tangle on suggestion of Mr Harris after it had decided to elevate Mr Murdoch to the post and Commissioner Keys Keyser r had signed a motion which never was presented to o do so