07/01/1935 Board of Public Safety Minutes

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Controller for immediate payment. Several representatives of the various Labor Unions in South Bend appeared before the Board and read letters from Harry B. Martin, Secretary of the Elmira Trades and Labor Assembly of Elmira, New York and H. W. Brown, General Vice President of the International Association of Machinists of Washington, D. C., stating their position regarding the purchase of Fire Dep3.rtment Pumper for which the City is now in the market, bringing out the fact that they recommend the purchase be made from a concern that is one hundred .per ent Union Labor and stating that the American LaFrance & Foamito Industries s such a eoneern. These representatives were informed that the matter of i vestigation of Pumper was now in the hands of a Committee of Engineers, s lected by the Mayor, who would investigate the merits of the various offers and that the Board's first duty was to purchase this Pumper from a concern who could furnish the highest standard of efficiency such as the City required. POLICE DEPARTMENT- Chief Lane present: The Secretary presented to the Board a communication from Officer Rex Ris er of his resignation as a member of the South Bend Police Department, to bee me effective July 1, 1935. The Board accepted his resignation. Due to the resignation of Officer Risher, the Board on conferring with Chief Lane filled this vacancy by the appointment of Albert Pope, colored, to police duty beginning July lst, subject to his being passed upon by physical examination by the Police Surgeon and subject to assignment as to duties by the Chief of Police - his salary to be that of probation officer the first six mon hs. Chief Lane introduced Mr. Ware, instructor of First -Aid, and suggested that it would be a splendid inovation to have Police Officers instructed in classes for First -Aid. The Board adopted the plan and authorized the Chief to institute classes of twenty five to thirty Officers at a time to take these instructions from Mr. Ware once a week for fifteen weeks - the allotted expense bei g the purchase of sufficient instruction books to equip the classes, being app oximately thirty books at a charge of sixty cents per book. These classes t_o Degin July 8th and, .after the first is completed, a new set of Officers is _. to take the instruction. The Secretary reported that he had had a conference with Mr. E. J. Cox and was informed that from July 1st no W.P.A. help could be obtained for the paint- ing of curbs and streets because of the fact that the work involved in any project must be of such a character and constructed in such places and by such methods and devices as will meet the legal requirements concerning the expend- iture of public funds and that the expense of maintenance under which this work wou d be classified does not come within these legal requirements. The Chief rep rted that he had had a later conference with Tier. Cox and that he had been pro ised at least partial relief for a matter of a few weeks. A communication was received from Officer Edward Moritz, requesting leave' of absence from the Police Force for the month of July. On conferring with the Chief, this request was granted. The letter from the Mayor suggesting transfer of Police Boat from the Fire Department to the Police Department was taken up with the Chief and he was instructed to take this over as of July 15th. The matter referred to in the Mayor's letter regarding the Police School, as a result of the attendance at convention in Indianapolis by the three Officers was taken up with the Chief and he reported that these schools of instruction are now in progress at each Roll Call of the Officers. Official bond of Harold A. Whitmer in the United States Fidelity and Gua anty Company was approved by the Board. The meeting adjourned at 11:00 A. M. Chairman T: Clerk .